Sports Hub eyes the big league

SINGAPORE — Mention Wembley Stadium, Barcelona FC’s Camp Nou, or the Melbourne Cricket Ground to sports fans, and one expects to get nodding heads of recognition and approval for these world-class venues, considered by many as among the top sports and entertainment facilities in the world.

The Singapore Sports Hub may be the new kid on the block — the S$1.33 billion facility only opened its doors with a soft launch last June — but that has not stopped it from dreaming big: The venue wants to be one of the best in the business.

Located at a 35ha site in Kallang, the Sports Hub was officially opened by Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong yesterday at Youth Celebrate!, an event co-organised by the Ministry of Education and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth to showcase Singapore’s youth and their achievements in sports, arts and the uniformed groups.

Philippe Collin-Delavaud, chief executive officer of the Singapore Sports Hub, laid out their ambitions in an interview with TODAY, saying: “It is our ambition to put Singapore on the world map. It must be a venue which brings enormous national pride to Singaporeans, and a venue which many from around the world will be in awe of.

“The Singapore Sports Hub is the first arena in the world to combine world-class facilities for football, rugby, athletics and cricket, while seamlessly integrating community lifestyle, sports and entertainment.”

Since its soft launch in June last year, the Sports Hub, which includes the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, OCBC Aquatics Centre, OCBC Arena, and water sports centre, has since hosted more than 100 events with over 1.1 million attendees across all its venues. It has also hosted a number of sports and entertainment events such as the Brazil-versus-Japan football friendly, WTA Finals Singapore, and this month’s Barclays Asia Trophy, which saw English Premier League clubs Arsenal, Everton and Stoke City competing at the National Stadium.

Delavaud said that due to the scale and ambition of the Sports Hub project — also the largest public-private partnership project in the world — meant that it was inevitable that it would experience teething issues. The initial Desso GrassMaster pitch at the National Stadium drew flak from international football teams and fans alike for its sandy conditions, with the issue resolved after the decision to switch to a lay-and-play solution. Just last year, fans at the rain-hit Jay Chou pop concert also complained after a roof leak at the National Stadium left some drenched. “... We have inevitably encountered challenges and teething issues on opening, but we have met these head on and worked tirelessly to deliver a world-class product for Singapore,” added Delavaud.

Despite the challenges, the Sports Hub held up well during its biggest test, as it hosted 10 sports events during the June 5 to 16 SEA Games. Delavaud said that the “completion and readiness” of the venue in time meant that Singaporeans were able to enjoy their favourite sports and cheer their sportsmen in a world-class environment.

“Thanks to the vision of the Singapore government, the Singapore Sports Hub was a fulcrum and key centrepiece in Singapore’s delivery of the SEA Games. Without the Singapore Sports Hub, the SEA Games in Singapore would have been a very different proposition,” he said.

“The Singapore Sports Hub eco-system rose well to the challenge of hosting the complex series of sporting events, which had very high technical specifications and requirements.

“We will continue to build on the success of the SEA Games and our first year, with an exciting line-up of both community and commercial events … The SEA Games is its first peak, but there will be plenty more.”

Sports fans can expect more top-level events at the Sports Hub this year, such as the 5th FINA World Junior Swimming Championships and 2015 International Premier Tennis League. Delavaud added: “The Singapore Sports Hub is a venue which Singaporeans have fallen in love (with), and we hope they remain in love with for a long time to come.”