Weightlifting Open may be shelved if federation cannot find new home

SINGAPORE — The Singapore Weightlifting Federation (SWF) is on the hunt for a new home, with the national sports association set to vacate its current training centre at Jalan Benaan Kapal by Dec 31.

But failure to find one soon could force it to shelve plans to stage the Singapore National Open Weightlifting Championship in March next year, as the weightlifters would have no proper facility to prepare for it.

The SWF told TODAY that tenants have been informed by property management firm EM Services that it will need to find new premises when the lease expires at the end of the year, as the area has been earmarked for future development.

But finding a replacement for the 4,000 sq ft training centre — home to about 15 national athletes — has not been smooth-sailing for the association, which moved from its previous location at Mountbatten Community Club to Kallang in May 2009.

“We have started looking for a suitable place, but it’s been a challenge,” said SWF president Tom Liaw.

“Sport Singapore has given us a few options, like Delta Sports Complex and Queenstown Stadium. Queenstown’s old clubhouse is too expensive to renovate, while Delta’s is a small field and it will be tough getting it ready in one-and-a-half month’s time.”

Cost is also an issue for the cash-strapped association, which received less than S$70,000 in annual funding from Sport Singapore for FY2014/2015, with the rest of its funds coming from membership fees, courses and third-party rentals of the facility. With Sport Singapore subsidising SWF’s rental expenses by about 20 per cent, a substantial portion of its coffers is spent on the monthly rent of nearly S$4,000.

This could leave next year’s weightlifting championship, which is expected to attract about 80 participants from Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Indonesia, in limbo.

“Everything is hanging in the air pending us finding a new training centre. If we find a place, we will go ahead. If we can’t find one, the athletes will have nowhere to train,” said Liaw.

“We have written to them (E M Services) to appeal for an extension to give us more time to look for something suitable. I’m also looking at industrial areas in the east and north-east, but the rental is twice the amount I’m paying.”

Nonetheless, the national weightlifters will compete in the South-east Asian Championships in Thailand next July and the Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships in New Delhi this month.

The SWF may also bid to host the 2016 or 2017 Commonwealth Weightlifting Championships here for the first time. Last year’s tournament in Penang attracted more than 200 participants from 50 countries.

Said Liaw: “Given Singapore’s location, we can get more participation if we host it in the right venue. The important thing is to try and get sponsors to come in ... this will boost the profile of weightlifting here.”

Low Lin Fhoong