体坛英语新闻：Youth Olympic flame arrives at Singapore's Marina Bay

SINGAPORE, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- Singapore's Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew lit the cauldron at the Marina Bay on Friday, which marked the end of the six-day torch relay in the Singapore leg of the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame.

The torch was lit by the Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Yaacob Ibrahim in the morning, when the flame received an exuberant welcome from the public.

The relay featured a star-studded line-up of torchbearers. Sports big names including International Olympic Committee (IOC) Athletes' Commission members Alexander Popov, Yang Yang and Frank Fredericks as well as YOG Ambassador Yelena Isinbayeva ran the relay to celebrate the first-ever Youth Olympic Games.

As the sun set, Singapore shuttlers Huang Chao and runner Ranjitha D/O Raja took over the torch before handing it to Ng Ser Miang, IOC Vice-President and Chairman of SYOGOC. Completing the final leg of the torch relay, he ran into the Marina Bay and passed the torch to Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew. To the cheers of the 5,000-strong crowd, Minister Mentor Lee raised the torch up in the air before setting it down to light the cauldron in celebration of the successful 13-day torch relay.

Today's torch relay brought the Journey of the Youth Olympic Flame to an end. The journey began in Ancient Olympia on July 23, where the Flame was lit and travelled to Berlin (Germany), Dakar (Senegal), Mexico City (Mexico), Auckland (New Zealand) and Seoul (South Korea), and then on a 305-km route around Singapore.

The flame will light the torch tower during the opening ceremony in the Marina Bay on Saturday, marking the kick-off of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games slated from Aug.14 to 26.

According to the organizers, the YOG will receive some 5,000 athletes and officials from the 204 NOCs, along with estimated 1,900 media representatives, 20,000 local and international volunteers, and 320,000 spectators.