Youth Olympic Games

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Tihe Mauriora!  Te Whare Kaunihera o Manukau e tu nei, tenakoe, Te rohe o Manukau e takoto nei tena koe, e nga iwi tena koutou.  Nga kuia karanga tena korua, tenei te mihi atu, kapai te karanga roimata.  E nga mate haere haere. E nga rangatahi tenei te mihi atu, kapai te wero nui, kapai nga waiata.  E nga manuhiri, e nga rangatira, e nga koro, e nga kuia ma, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa!

Let there be life!   To the Building of the Manukau City, greetings and to the District of the City likewise, to the women who began our ceremony with wailing that brought tears and makes us pay respects to those who have gone before us greetings.  To the young people, thank you for your challenge and haka and your singing.  Greetings to everyone here; the visitors, and men and women from everywhere. Greetings!

I begin by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.  Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the morning (Sign)

I then specifically greet you: Hon Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, Minister for the  Community, Youth and Sport for the Government of Singapore; Your Excellency, Justice Rubin, High Commissioner for Singapore to New Zealand; Mr Ser Miang Ng, Chairman, Singapore Youth Olympic Games Olympic Committee; Your Worship Len Brown, Mayor of Manukau and your fellow councillors, notably Sir John Walker and Mr Gary Troup, Deputy Mayor; Mike Stanley, President of the New  Zealand Olympic Committee; members of the New Zealand Youth Olympic Games team; Distinguished Guests otherwise and I instance Olympians Barry Maister and Danyon Loader; Ladies and Gentlemen. 

As Governor-General and Patron of the New Zealand Olympic Committee, it gives me great pleasure to welcome the flame of the inaugural Youth Olympic Games to Aotearoa New Zealand.

The Youth Olympic Flame, after leaving Olympia in Greece, has travelled to Berlin, Dakar and Mexico City before its arrival here in Auckland.   The flame has just one more stop—to Seoul in Korea—before it arrives at the host nation, Singapore.  

Each leg of the journey has connected the world’s continents with the Youth Olympic Games and New Zealand is privileged to be chosen as the nation to represent Oceania as is this location, Manukau City.

This Flame, and the Games it will inaugurate in two weeks’ time, represent more than just sport.  They represent the Olympic ideals of excellence, friendship and respect for others.

By giving people from different countries, from different cultures, religions and ethnicities and speaking many languages to opportunity to meet, compete and learn more of each other, the Games promote mighty values. 

In a world that continues to be divided along these lines, it seems particularly appropriate that that opportunity to meet, compete and learn should not simply be reserved for adult athletes. 

The inaugural Youth Olympic Games are an opportunity for an estimated 3,600 athletes aged between 14 and 18 to gain an insight into a world that stretches beyond their town, city or country.
We often read or see in the media, commentary concerning, and I place the words in quotes, “the youth problem.”  Adolescence and young adulthood is a challenging time and some people need more help than others in the transition from childhood to adulthood.

However, in four years in the Governor-General role, my wife Susan and I have met a great many young people both here in New Zealand and abroad who are not only succeeding in sport, music, art, academia and many other fields, but are also challenging adults to look at issues a fresh.

This Flame then represents the individual hopes and aspirations of those young athletes who have set a goal of being the best they can be. 

Not everyone will win a medal—that is the stuff of dreams.     But what a dream to have, because that desire for excellence fires the spirit.

No-one gets to the Olympics simply because they wanted to be a part of the team—they compete because they want to win.  I am sure that all those competing in Singapore would not have made it that far if they weren't chasing that dream.

I would therefore like to thank the Manukau City Council, the John Walker Find Your Field of Dreams Foundation, the New Zealand Olympic Committee and everyone else involved in organising this ceremony.

I also convey best wishes to the Singapore Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee for what I am sure will be an amazing event.

But finally, and most importantly, I add best wishes to all the young athletes competing in the Games.   This is an amazing opportunity to not only compete, but also learn and grow. 

I can think of no better New Zealander with whose words to close, than those of the late Sir Ed Hillary, a humble person whose achievements are the stuff of legend.  He made a comment that speaks well of the challenges that lie ahead. He said, and I quote: "People do not decide to become extraordinary. They decide to accomplish extraordinary things."

And on that note I will close in New Zealand’s first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.   

No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.