Young Asian athletes kicked off their campaigns Monday at the inaugural Asian Youth Games in Singapore, with Indonesia seeking to provide its promising talent with an avenue to prove themselves ready for larger-scaled sports events.

Competing in eight out of the 10 competed sports, Indonesia said Monday it was hoping to come out within the top eight given expected strong battles against sport powerhouses such as China, Korea, Thailand, Singapore, and the Philippines.

Indonesia will be competing in swimming, diving, athletics, shooting, bowling, beach volleyball, three-on-three basketball, and sailing, but not soccer and ping-pong.

"We haven't set any targets as it is still an inaugural event. Hopefully, the children can perform their best," Indonesian team's chief de mission Toho Cholik Muthohir told The Jakarta Post on Monday.

Chairwoman of the Indonesian Sports Council (KONI) Rita Subowo has said the participation in the Asian Youth Games is part of the country's preparation for the Olympic Youth Games in 2010, which will also be held in Singapore.

On Tuesday, Indonesian athletes will compete in athletics and diving.

The country's athletic squad, consisting of five male and five female athletes, will take part in the 100-meter sprint, 400m, 800m, and the 4x200m relay race, high jump, and triple jump.

Three athletes in the diving squad will compete in the men's 3-meter and women's 3-meter springboard as well as the 10-meter platform.

The Games feature some 1,300 athletes, aged between 14 and 17, from 44 countries.

Meanwhile, Toho said all Indonesian athletes had passed examinations conducted by the host's health authorities amid concerns of swine flu in the area, where at least 103 cases have been confirmed.

Less than a week before the event started, four soccer athletes from Hong Kong and one from the Philippines tested positive for swine flu.

Twenty other athletes from the Philippine and 17 others from Hong Kong were also quarantined before being confirmed negative according to results of their tests.

Since their arrival in Singapore on Sunday, the Indonesian team - consisting of 45 athletes and 30 officials - have all been declared to be in fit condition.

"We hope the athletes will all be well throughout the championships. We are constantly keeping an eye on their food, rest and exercises," Toho said.

The Asian Youth Games official committee is conducting an extra observation on the physical condition of the participants and officials by checking their temperatures twice a day - in the morning (between 6 to 10 am) and evening (5 to 9 pm).

According to the event's official Website www.ayg2009.sg, spectators will also have their body temperature checked before entering the venue at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Those found with a fever or a body temperature above 37 Celsius degree will be quarantined and further examined.

"We thank God, up to now everyone in our contingent has passed the examination," Toho said.

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