SINGAPORE – The track and field competition of next month’s SEA Games here will get a safety and technology boost with the deployment of four remote control (RC) miniature cars built by Swedish car giant Volvo to retrieve javelins, hammers and discuses.

After RCs were first used at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and at the London Games four years later, Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) decided to introduce it for the regional biennial event here from June 5 to 16.

The Singapore Sports Institute (SSI) took up the idea and first tested it with a local engineering company before it commissioned Volvo to build four units for S$15,000 each, said SINGSOC chief of NOC and Sport Bob Gambardella.

Volvo Car Singapore supplies the official cars for the Games. The RCs, which were put through its paces at the Kallang Practice Track yesterday, are a 1:5-scaled version of the seven-seater XC90 to be launched here in July.

“Our aspiration is to run the SEA Games in Singapore in a world-class manner,” said Gambardella. “The SSI is a place where we see things out of the box, build Singapore sport from a scientific perspective, and we want our SEA Games to have that little bit of X-factor. The RCs add a fun element to the Games.”

The RCs, weighing 15kg and measuring 90cm by 45cm each, can reach top speeds of 100kmh and have a battery life of four hours. They will each cover up to 4km a day.

Two will be deployed at the field at any one time, when the track and field competition kicks off on June 7, and operated by trained SEA Games volunteers. The gadgets will be used to retrieve javelins, hammers and discuses from their landing points and return them to the athletes at their respective throw areas, added Gambardella.

Although it will cut waiting time for athletes, Singapore Athletics (SA) vice-president of training and selection C Kunalan said what was more important is that they enhance safety for officials and athletes.

“Every time when I sit in the stands watching these throw events, I hope officials pay attention,” said the 72-year-old, who was Singapore’s fastest sprinter in the 1960s and 1970s. “I always worry that the equipment might injure people on the field. The RCs will now make the field safer and I am confident it will be a success. I hope future SEA Games host countries will also use them.”

But after the Games here, the Volvo RCs will continue to be used for local events, said Gambardella.

“I am hopeful we can use the cars for other athletics events here. Technology has a big part to play in sports, and we are happy to be a leader in this aspect for athletics in the SEA Games,” he said.