By Rohit Brijnath

Don't make a mistake. Don't look at these 14-year-olds, fighting pimples, braces glinting with every shy crooked smile, and think, oh, they're just kids. They're also athletes, they're at the AYG not just to make friends and play generous host. They're also here to compete.

Sport, once played in the sandpit, is still fun but with an edge. Or as Singapore's bowling coach Mervin Foo says: 'Having fun is when you win.'

Don't tiptoe around this nation's youngsters. By the time you sip your morning tea, they've done miles in the water and befriended pain. They are not professional athletes, this isn't their livelihood, but neither is this some community, do-it-for-charity carnival.

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