Rogge: Youth Olympics a classroom for life

International Olympic Committee boss Jacques Rogge has praised the ethos of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which will open in Singapore today.Around 3 600 athletes from more than 200 nations are taking part.Along with athletic events participants will attend workshops on Olympic values of fairness and equality.“It’s preparation for later Olympic life.” Rogge said. “We are going to tell them things that are important.”The Games, which run until August 26, feature all 26 sports on the London 2012 programme.When not competing, athletes will be schooled in a diverse range of subjects at the athlete’s village. These will range from diet and training technique to warnings against doping, racism, and illegal betting.Rogge is confident that along with being an exciting sporting spectacle, the event will prove to be a valuable educational experience for those involved.“We are entering a new field, the education field. It is about acquiring things, adopting them and executing them.“They should not abandon their education. There is a time when they will not be competing any more and they need to reinsert into professional and social life.” (BBC Sport)