S’pore to strengthen local sports culture, relocate gym, build better facilities for athletes – Mothership.SG

Singaporeans with sporting ambitions will receive more support, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong has said.

During the National Day Rally on August 18, he praised Singapore’s Olympic athletes, including 17-year-old medalist Max Maeder.

“I am happy that more young Singaporeans with talent in sports are taking it seriously and excelling at the highest level,” he said.

“The mindset is changing. In the past, parents were not so confident about their children pursuing a career in sports… (but now) more young athletes are taking sports seriously and training full-time, with government support.”

Therefore, the government will do more to strengthen Singapore’s sports culture and help Singaporeans realise their sporting dreams.

This includes working with the community to nurture sporting talent, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, and this initiative will also be reflected in the President’s Challenge, he said.

Kallang lives

There will also be room for the realization of these dreams.

In the next phase of Kallang Alive, a masterplan first announced in 2019, the government will implement a series of changes to transform the area into a sports and entertainment destination, Prime Minister Wong said.

Firstly, the Singapore Sports School, currently located in Woodlands, is moving to Kallang.

At the same time, the government will bring together national training centres for a number of major sports and introduce new and improved sports science and sports medicine facilities in the area.

“This allows our student-athletes to study and train together with the older athletes,” said Prime Minister Wong.

“So this will be the new home base for Team Singapore!”

He added that the indoor stadium will also be renovated, with the construction of a new indoor arena with a larger capacity of 18,000 spectators.

He explained that this would allow Singapore to host more top-level events, while at the same time allowing local athletes to compete on home soil.

According to the Sports Hub website, the current indoor stadium can accommodate between 4,000 and 12,000 spectators.

Lifestyle destination

In addition to supporting athletes, the enhanced Kallang Alive precinct will also serve other Singaporeans interested in sports.

This includes the construction of a pedestrian boulevard that runs through the Sports Centre.

According to Prime Minister Wong, new sports facilities and programmes will be introduced along this route.

“You don’t have to be an elite athlete to enjoy the facilities at Kallang,” he added.

“We are transforming Kallang into a new lifestyle destination where people can watch more sports and entertainment events, participate in sports and enjoy quality time with their families!”

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Top image from Sport Singapore