Story by Zachary Foo/Red Sports
7-year-old Jayden, a resident of Sengkang and a student at the nearby Anchor Green Primary School, tries out his hand at archery at the Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre Open House. (Photo 1 © Les Tan/Red Sports)
Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre, Saturday, October 26, 2013 — The Singapore Sports Council (SSC) gave Sengkang residents the chance to try out different sports at the Sengkang Sports and Recreation Centre Open House last weekend. The aim of the open house was to find out what sports programmes Sengkang residents were interested in before the Super Sports Club rolls out in 2014.
The Super Sports Club, one of the key recommendations of Vision 2030, aims to give residents outside of the school and private club systems a chance to train and play sports competitively.
Various sports stations were set up for try outs. Choices ranged from basketball and badminton, to flippa ball and pool basketball.
Sani bin Mohamad Salim, a facilitator at the hockey station, said: “This is a good initiative by the SSC. We hope to make converts out of those who do not have an interest in sports. Hopefully they will see something they will like when they attend the open house.”
He felt that it was good that the programmes tap into newer neighbourhoods like Sengkang which have a higher proportion of young families.
“These activities would provide an ideal platform for them to bond over something in common. The SSC will be introducing new programmes and facilities in the near future to cater to the needs of the residents,” he added.
Over at the archery station, 7-year-old Jayden of Anchor Green Primary School was trying his hands at shooting a recurve bow at a target 10 metres away. An instructor showed him the proper technique while his mother looked on.
“It is quite fun! Especially for the kids,” said Jayden’s mother, S.C., who has two children. She felt that the programmes would be beneficial to children, as well as to bring families together.
“It exposes them to different sports and encourages them to try and find out their interests. Jayden is young and currently has no CCA, so I am glad he would have the opportunity to experience them before settling on one. I also think this provides a good opportunity for a family get-together over the weekends.”
Jayden, who tried out both archery and hockey, said: “I think the sports were really fun and I would try them again in the future. I would like to try floorball and tennis later.”
At the basketball tryouts, Val Leong and Hong Ming of Eng Tat Hornets were on hand to introduce the sport to the young children. They taught the basic techniques of shooting and handling a basketball, as well as allowing the participants to engage in some shooting drills.
Val felt that the programme is good due to its consistent sessions. “I think this programme is good, because it targets kids at a young age. They are at a formative time where they are not too worried about their studies yet. Furthermore, the sessions would be held regularly. This helps to maintain their interest in the sport, as well as help them develop a love of the game.”
Hongming, his Hornets teammate, said: “I think it is good for the facilitators as well! It allows us to interact with the community and give back to them at the same time.”
The Pasir Ris Sports and Recreation Centre will have an Open House on Sunday, November 10, 2013.
[…] the last open house held at the Sengkang SRC on Saturday, October 26, a weekly swimming lesson at the SRC turned into an even more fun day for […]