CG: 04/09
Sports Covered: Athletics
Venue: Bishan Stadium
Being a reporter at the First Asian Youth Games was a once in a lifetime experience, as cliché as it might sound. Although it got stressful rushing out assignments before AYG actually started, it was the experience during AYG that made it all worth it.
During AYG, I was assigned to Athletics to cover the Pole Vault. It was fun to be part of the media and gaining access to areas that the public could not go to. However, the most exciting part was meeting the athletes (!!!) To get a quote from them for our articles, we had to go to extreme lengths, like literally climbing over barriers to find the top 3 athletes for our sport. It was fun to meet the athletes, although the language barrier between me and the Japanese, Korean, and Chinese athletes hampered my article writing.
From AYG, it was not all fun and games, at the end of the day we still had to submit good and coherent articles in time for them to be up on the website. I learnt how to be flexible, to be able to really think out of the box in order to gain quotes that would make my articles better. Also, I learnt the importance of being prepared and well informed, going up to an athlete and stuttering while asking questions will NOT give a good impression. I wish I was able to communicate with the Japanese and Korean athletes, and that I spoke better Chinese.
Most importantly, through AYG I made many new friends. The other Athletics reporters and photographers and I forged a bond through the stressful AYG period. Joking around about the AYG theme song (which was seriously overplayed); getting the photographers to send us pictures of our favourite athletes; and just working together in a cramped noisy media room. I would not have given up anything for AYG because it was truly, truly an experience I will not forget!
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