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Sports Hub beefs up security measures for Singapore vs Argentina clash

SINGAPORE – Fans attending the football friendly between Singapore and Argentina on Tuesday (June 13) night at the National Stadium can expect to take a longer time to enter the venue due to additional security measures.

The Sports Hub will beef up security measures for the friendly match between Singapore and Argentina at the National Stadium. TODAY FILE PHOTO

The Sports Hub will beef up security measures for the friendly match between Singapore and Argentina at the National Stadium. TODAY FILE PHOTO

SINGAPORE – Fans attending the football friendly between Singapore and Argentina on Tuesday (June 13) night at the National Stadium can expect to take a longer time to enter the venue due to additional security measures.

These measures have been put in place due to “current licensing requirements” for events, said the Singapore Sports Hub in a media advisory on Monday.

“These measures are expected to significantly increase the time taken to gain entry into events at the National Stadium and Singapore Indoor Stadium,” said the advisory.

“Despite more security personnel (being) deployed for recent events, it has been observed that up to 75 per cent of patrons arrive in the last 30 minutes before an event starts, which (has) resulted in many patrons clearing the security screening only after the event has commenced.”

The friendly between the Singapore and Argentina football teams has sold over 20,000 tickets and the Sports Hub advised spectators to arrive at least one hour before the scheduled kick-off time of 8pm. They are also advised to “bring only what is needed” to facilitate the security checks, with an “Express Lane” for patrons without bags.

Additional security personnel will be deployed for the match and the stadium’s gates will open at 6.30pm.

The build-up to the glamour friendly, announced in April to mark the Football Association of Singapore’s (FAS) 125th anniversary, will see the likes of Argentinian footballers Angel Di Maria, Paulo Dybala and Sergio Romero in action at the 55,000-seater National Stadium against the Singapore national team.

However, fans have taken to social media to criticise match promoters UNICESS Sports Group after they annnounced on Saturday that Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi and teammate Gonzalo Higuain will not feature in Tuesday’s game. Widely regarded as the world’s best footballer, Messi, 29, had been featured extensively in promotional materials for the clash before news that he would miss the Singapore trip surfaced last week.

While Messi did travel with the team to Singapore from Melbourne, where he led them to a 1-0 friendly victory against Brazil, he then flew off just a few hours after landing on Saturday to prepare for his wedding at the end of this month.

UNICESS also confirmed that Higuain, another star attraction, would be absent for “personal reasons”. Despite the last-minute no shows, UNICESS told TODAY that no refunds or forms of compensation will be offered to fans who had bought tickets to the match.

 

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