Sports Hub to be kept accessible to all

We refer to the letter “Profit-driven stadium risks cold shoulder from the masses” (Oct 25).

The Singapore Sports Hub is a cluster of multi-use sports facilities built for Singaporeans to watch, play and enjoy sport as well as other lifestyle events. Its overall success is based on active community participation and support as well as a vibrant calendar of quality events that are financially viable for organisers yet accessible to Singaporeans.

The Sports Hub aims to host a range of events, from community-based activities to world-class competitions.

We look forward to hosting the Suzuki Cup at the National Stadium this month. Ticket prices are set affordably, starting from S$8 for concession tickets, to encourage more Singaporeans to support our national football team and join in the Kallang roar.

Organisers must consider the costs associated with each event — which may include bringing in teams, venue rental, marketing, logistics, manpower and other operational requirements — when determining ticket pricing.

For example, at the National Stadium, top-class football matches featuring the best players and teams in the world will have to be priced to allow the event to be financially viable.

When Liverpool FC played at the former National Stadium in 2009, ticket prices were S$88 and S$188, while the recent Japan-Brazil match had a wider price range: From S$40 to S$180.

This illustrates how event organisers at the Sports Hub seek to ensure affordability and cater for a wider spectrum of customers, by offering a range of ticket prices.

For regional sports events such as the 2014 ASEAN Basketball League, TYR SEA Swimming Championships and Mission Foods Asian Netball Championships 2014 Singapore, tickets were priced from as low as S$4.

This shows that it is in the interest of organisers to manage the cost of organising activities so that the events remain accessible and seats are filled.

Besides ticketed events, there are many free or low-cost sporting and leisure options at the Sports Hub for Singaporeans to enjoy.

These include the beach volleyball court, basketball courts, skate park, badminton courts, the Experience Sports programmes, the sports library and museum. We encourage Singaporeans to make full use of these excellent facilities and programmes.

The Sports Hub also caters for Team Singapore’s training needs.

Team Singapore athletes in sports such as fencing, gymnastics, basketball, badminton, swimming, canoeing, dragon boat and volleyball are provided with dedicated time slots to train at the OCBC Aquatic Centre, Water Sports Centre or the OCBC Arena.

These facilities are open to the public at affordable fees when they are not being used for training by Team Singapore or events.

We assure members of the public that the Sports Hub will continue to offer events and services that cater for all Singaporeans.