Story by Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports. Photos by Lim Yong Teck and Matthew Lau/Red Sports.
Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, was present to officiate the one-year countdown to the 2015 SEA Games during the Sports Hub Community Open House at the Singapore Sports Hub. (Photo 1 © Lim Yong Teck/Red Sports)
Singapore Sports Hub, Friday, June 27, 2014 — Sport Singapore (SportSG) and the Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) marked a one-year countdown with a series of festivities at the Singapore Sports Hub.
The festivities are part of a string of initiatives aimed at building interest for the 28th SEA Games and 8th ASEAN Para Games, which will be held at the Singapore Sports Hub in June and December 2015 respectively.
The Sports Hub Community Open House provided members of the public a preview of the state-of-the-art facilities available at the Sports Hub, including various sports try-outs. Members of the public had the opportunity to sign up as volunteers for the Games. A “One Year to SEA Games” walk-a-jog was also held, taking participants in and around the Sports Hub. A fireworks and laser display by the waterfront marked the official one-year countdown.
Mr Lawrence Wong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, who also chairs the SINGSOC Steering Committee, urged residents to continue rendering support to the competing athletes. “Our athletes will be heartened and motivated by the support that you will give them. They are already on their final push and they’re training very hard to bring glory to Singapore.”
“Hopefully, all the fireworks you saw, all the gold speckles, hopefully they will translate to gold medals for Singapore,” said Mr Wong to members of the public who were present at the event.
Former Singapore Olympians, Mr C. Kunalan and Mr Donald Koh, were among the many athletes who were present to show their support for the upcoming SEA Games.
“Every time a country hosts the games, we will get more medals than the time when we travel to take part. So I hope that we’re ready for this,” said Mr Kunalan, a former national sprinter. “It’s a scary feeling. The pressure is on the National Sports Associations (NSA), and from the NSAs, the pressure is transferred to the athletes.”
Mr Kunalan had some wise words for the Republic’s young athletes. “Know your opposition. Prepare for it as best as you can. Don’t overdo it. Set a realistic target. Use this to gain experience and go for it.”
Mr Koh, who was a former national shuttler, added, “We’re playing on home ground, so train as hard as you can. Playing on home ground is always a huge advantage. I’ve been to two different SEA Games and I know what it takes and the experience you can gain from there. Hope that Singaporeans will continue to give their support to all our athletes out there.”
Mr Richard Seow, Chairman of SportSG, was all praises for the festivities. “I’m really excited. I thought it was a wonderful performance. I know the team worked really hard to put on a great show for us. It’s inspiring to see both the old Team Singapore athletes and the new Team Singapore athletes come together today.”
“I’m so inspired that I’m trying to figure out what sport I’m going to compete in for next year’s SEA Games,” laughed Mr Seow, who also chairs SINGSOC’s Sponsorship and Marketing Advisory Sub-Committee. “I want to go out. I want to get on the field. I want to compete. I think it is a great opportunity for all our athletes. At a world-class stadium like this, you look at the fireworks, you look at the public’s support. I can’t be anything more than ecstatic.”
The Sports Hub Community Open House continues tomorrow, Saturday, June 28, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
For more information on the Sports Hub Community Open House, visit: https://www.seagames2015.com/get-involved/sports-hub-community-open-house
For more information on the SEA Games Volunteer Programme, visit: https://www.seagames2015.com/get-involved/be-a-volunteer
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