Sports Hub picked for Games medal design

The Singapore Southeast Asian Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) has picked the Sports Hub as a major imprint of the gold, silver and bronze medals (picture) of the 28th SEA Games. Although the 36 sports will be spread across various venues across the island, the S$1.33 billion facility was chosen as it is a Singapore icon, said Sport Singapore designer Joys Tan.

“We decided on the Sports Hub because it is a very important architecture to us,” she said. “It is an icon for our SG50 celebrations and sport history, and after all the effort we put into (building) it, it is fitting because it will be hosting a multi-sport event for the very first time.”

The imprint of the Hub will be on the reverse side of the medal, along with the name of the particular sport and event it is meant for. But it took over a year and more than 50 drafts by Ms Tan before the final design was approved. “SINGSOC wanted a design that is not only impressive, but something that will be worth a lot in terms of memories from the Games that athletes can treasure,” she said.

A total of 1,327 medals will be on offer for 402 sports events, and 40,000 smaller replicas of the medal, called the “Supporters’ Medallion”, will be given out to spectators attending the closing ceremony as part of their funpack. ADELENE WONG