Sports-for-the-majority plan ready to roll

[SINGAPORE] The government is ready to roll out the first phase of the Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP), which it estimates will cost $1.5 billion to implement. The SFMP aims to give a majority of Singaporeans access to sports and recreational facilities within a 10-minute walk of their homes. Among the new projects in the pipeline are a regional sports centre in Punggol, which will be integrated with Punggol's waterways and co-located with a Safra clubhouse.

Residents in Sembawang will get a new town sports and recreation centre that will be part of a future one-stop community hub, said Acting Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong in Parliament yesterday. The existing Ang Mo Kio Swimming Complex will be redeveloped, while new sporting spaces such as sheltered playing arenas and multi-use courts will be created in various HDB estates, starting with a pilot launch in Jurong Spring and Boon Lay.

Mr Wong also revealed plans to help Singapore's athletes who want to pursue their sporting goals but remain concerned about their long-term career prospects after retiring from sports. A new career scheme has been started to rope in companies that are willing to hire athletes and provide flexible workplace arrangements for their training. Major employers such as Resorts World Sentosa and StarHub are already on board, said Mr Wong. "These companies also see the broader corporate benefits of being associated with sports, and having the athletes as their brand ambassadors."