SEA Games about town

SINGAPORE — The Republic’s downtown area is expected to reverberate to the buzz of about 7,000 athletes from 11 South-east Asian countries when the 28th SEA Games is held here next year from June 5 to 16.

The Singapore South-east Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) announced yesterday that 20 hotels in the Havelock, Tanjong Pagar/Chinatown and Marina areas will be awarded the tender to provide accommodation for athletes, officials and delegates during the 12-day event. These include the centrally-located Marina Bay Sands and Swissotel the Stamford, Grand Copthorne Waterfont Hotel and Furama City Centre in Havelock and Chinatown respectively, and Resorts World Sentosa’s Hard Rock Hotel and Festive Hotel.

The 20 hotels were selected out of a 51-strong pool that had placed their bids for the Games accommodation, which will see an estimated 4,000 rooms occupied by the contingents from 11 nations, including Team Singapore.

Instead of the traditional Games Village concept, organisers SINGSOC have chosen to house them in hotels near the S$1.33 billion Sports Hub, competition venues and fringe activities to bring the “Celebration in the City” buzz closer to Singaporeans.

SINGSOC also said the costs of housing athletes in hotels was comparable to the Games Village option in university hostels as additional costs would need to be spent on arrangements such as security fencing, and restoring conditions on return.

“The 28th SEA Games will celebrate and showcase sport against the backdrop of Singapore’s stunning city setting. We want our SEA Games athletes and officials to enjoy our city’s unique flavours, sights and sounds, even as they focus on competing at their best,” said Lim Teck Yin, Chairman of SINGSOC’s Executive Committee.

“We are very appreciative of the hotels’ support and effort for this historic event. The 28th SEA Games is an important event in our calendar of celebrations for Singapore’s 50th anniversary next year, and for the entire South-east Asian region. We are confident our SEA Games athletes and officials will have an enjoyable stay and return home with wonderful memories of the Games and Singapore.”

While national hurdler Dipna Lim-Prasad — who won a 400m hurdles bronze at the Myanmar SEA Games last December — will miss the camaraderie of staying with her Team Singapore team-mates and mingling with athletes from other countries in the Games Village, the 22-year-old is eager to give the “Village-in-the-city” concept a try next year.

“I stayed in the Games Village at the London Olympics, and SEA Games in Myanmar and Indonesia, and have stayed at hotels during track meets,” said Lim-Prasad, who will commence full-time training for the SEA Games after graduating from the Nanyang Technological University in May.

“The good thing about it (living in hotels) is that athletes get a feel of Singapore and they get to sightsee, which we didn’t get to do in Palembang. Both (concepts) have something to offer. But the Games Village is a unique experience … I hope there will be a common venue that everyone can flock to and meet during the Games.”

Paddler Pang Xuejie, who has competed in four SEA Games since 2007, prefers the Games Village experience. He said: “One of the things I enjoy most in the Games Village is getting to know my team-mates and countrymen in other sports better. If athletes stay in hotels instead, there will be less interaction ... (as) I feel many of them will not come out of their comfortable rooms to mingle and look for things to do.”

Some 7,000 athletes are expected to compete in 36 sports at the 28th SEA Games here, with the final number of events — and gold medals — to be confirmed at the SEA Games Federation meeting here on April 29.

Back in Singapore after a 22-year hiatus, the Games will be held in three main clusters in Kallang, Marina and Expo and 12 other locations island-wide. Spectators will get free entry to about half of the 15 competition venues, with ticket prices for the remaining locations priced from below S$10 to below S$30.

Where the athletes will stay:

Amara Singapore, Copthorne King’s Hotel, Days Hotel Singapore At Zhongshan Park, Fairmont Singapore, Furama City Centre Singapore, Furama Riverfront Singapore, Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel, Grand Mercure Roxy Hotel, Village Hotel Bugis, M Hotel Singapore, Marina Bay Sands, Marina Mandarin Singapore, Novotel Singapore Clarke Quay, PARKROYAL on Beach Road, PARKROYAL on Kitchener Road, Peninsula Excelsior Hotel, Ramada Singapore At Zhongshan Park, Resorts World Sentosa – Hard Rock Hotel and Festive Hotel, Swissôtel The Stamford Singapore, Pan Pacific Hotel Singapore