SEA Games Netball

A total of 3,117 spectators packed the OCBC Arena as Singapore beat Malaysia 46–43 in a nail-biting final. (Photo 1 © Rebekah Abbott/Red Sports)

Singapore Sports Hub, Monday, 8 June 2015 — While Singapore’s netball team impressed on the court of the OCBC Arena yesterday, beating Malaysia 46–43 to claim their first-ever Southeast Asian (SEA) Games gold medal, the roaring home crowd was equally impressive.

A total of 3,117 spectators witnessed the spectacle live as Hall 1 was filled to the brim for the first time in its history. Staff had to turn some accredited personnel away as the stands were fully packed. There was even a crowd watching from the entrance of the hall.

The Singapore crowd were fully behind their team. Ear-piercing screams and cheers certainly made it hard for the Malaysia side to communicate. For a nation not known for its cheering, this was certainly heart-warming and encouraging.

“The Singapore crowd was great. They helped their team win,” commented Malaysia coach Aminah Asaari.

“I think the Singapore supporters really stepped up for this match. We are usually a very quiet society I think, but everyone was cheering their hearts out and we are really thankful for the support,” said Premila Hirubalan.

“The crowd was magnificent, just wonderful,” said netball head coach Ruth Atiken. “We have been blessed all week with some fantastic crowd support and I think today it really helped us get over the line today. Thank you, the eighth man.”

The first weekend of Southeast Asian (SEA) Games action has seen a fantastic turnout from Singaporeans who turned up in support of their fellow countrymen. Tickets for sports like billiard & snooker, fencing, and wushu are sold out. Even the stands for softball, which is not a ticketed event, were full, and fans lined the edge of the diamond to watch the Singapore matches.

For swimming, the past two days of competitions have seen close to 2,000 fans fill the OCBC Aquatic Centre in the evenings as they witnessed record-breaking feats by Singaporeans Quah Zheng Wen and Joseph Schooling. Tickets for all swimming finals are sold out.

“The atmosphere was incredible,” said Minister Tan Chuan Jin, Minister for Family and Social Development, after the netball final. “I think it is huge. At a lot of venues, not just netball, the support has been fantastic and we urge more Singaporeans to come down to see these Games that we have not hosted for some time.”

This trend looks likely to continue in the coming days. A quick check of the SEA Games ticketing website shows that out of the 21 ticketed events, only eight are still available for purchase. Tickets for team sports such as football and basketball involving the Singapore teams are sold out.

However, for fans interested in watching Team Singapore play in the heartlands, sports like floorball and hockey are played at the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central and Sengkang Hockey Stadium respectively. Entry to these events are free of charge. And with some popular sports still to be played, Singaporeans can look forward to more matches with cracking atmospheres and full stands.

Events that are sold out
Artistic Gymnastics
Billiards & Snooker
Boxing (except 8 Jun)
Equestrian
Fencing
Judo (except 8 Jun)
Netball
Pencak Silat (except 10 Jun)
Rhythmic Gymnastics
Swimming
Taekwondo
Volleyball

Selling Fast
Aquatics – Diving
Basketball (Singapore matches sold out)
Football
Rugby 7s
Sepak Takraw

Available
Aquatics – Water Polo
Badminton
Table Tennis