SINGAPORE: Work on the temporary facility in Kallang for the 2025 World Aquatics Championship has begun, with organisers targeting for it to be ready by the end of May next year.
Speaking to reporters on Friday (Nov 29) as the first tranche of sponsorships for the event was announced, organising committee co-chairperson Mark Chay revealed that works have already started.
"We're preparing the ground, the foundations for us to actually build (the facility)," he added.
The multi-discipline World Aquatics Championships will be held in Singapore from Jul 11 to Aug 3 next year, after being relocated from its original Russian venue in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The plan is for the facility to host the Southeast Asia Age Group Swimming Championships as a test event in mid-June, said Mr Chay.
"We ... hope to inspire future generations of Southeast Asian swimmers and aquatics champions to be able to use the facility and when they are back home, say that they swam in the same venue as this person who broke a world record," he added.
"It's not only just important for Singapore but the whole Southeast Asian community as well."
The temporary venue will house a competition pool, a warm-up pool, spectator seats and dedicated areas for community events. It will have a seating capacity of about 4,800.
In July, organisers announced that water polo and diving events would be held at the Sports Hub's OCBC Aquatic Centre, while swimming and artistic swimming events would take place in temporary pools in the car park of Leisure Park Kallang mall.
Sentosa would host open-water swimming and high diving.
“On balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the decision was it's best to hold (the events) in the Singapore Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G," said Mr Alan Goh, who co-chairs the organising committee and is also chief executive of Sport Singapore.
A report published by the South China Morning Post in July cited unnamed sources who said the swimming events had to be relocated as costs were underestimated in the initial bid.
They said the initial plan was to use the 55,000-seat National Stadium, and that organisers had budgeted for the championships "in double-digit millions" when it was "actually in triple-digit millions”.
In response to queries from CNA, organisers later said most of the event will be held within Singapore's Kallang precinct to "achieve logistics and operations efficiencies".
An artist's render of the temporary venue. (Photo: World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025)
In a written reply to various questions from Members of Parliament on the estimated budget for Singapore to host the event, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said in August that the aim is to "deliver a positive event experience for athletes and spectators, while being fiscally prudent and cost-effective".
"To this end, we have undertaken detailed planning and implemented stringent budget measures, taking reference from the learnings of previous hosts of the championships as well as Singapore’s experience in hosting other large-scale sporting events," he said.
He added that the government was at that point unable to disclose the budget due to "commercial sensitivities" and that the organising committee had started efforts to secure sponsorships and negotiate service contracts for the event.
"The costs to be borne by the government and sponsorships will only be finalised after the event has concluded," said Mr Tong.
At an event on Friday, the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Trans-Eurokars Mazda and OCBC were unveiled as the event’s hotel, automobile and banking partners respectively.
In a press release, the organising committee said that OCBC has committed a "significant cash sponsorship".
Two hotels under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group brand will provide close to 9,000 room nights for more than 500 officials involved in the event, while Trans-Eurokars Mazda will supply more than 100 cars for participating athletes and officials.
Collectively, the sponsorships amount to about S$5 million (US$3.75 million).
"It goes a long way. It's really great that local brands have come in to actually help us with respect to coming in with this kind of support," said Mr Chay.
Organisers are still in negotiations with other sponsors, he added.
"Global events like this don't come every single day. It's a chance for them to actually use this platform to showcase their brands to a wider global audience," he said.
Continue reading...
Speaking to reporters on Friday (Nov 29) as the first tranche of sponsorships for the event was announced, organising committee co-chairperson Mark Chay revealed that works have already started.
"We're preparing the ground, the foundations for us to actually build (the facility)," he added.
The multi-discipline World Aquatics Championships will be held in Singapore from Jul 11 to Aug 3 next year, after being relocated from its original Russian venue in response to the invasion of Ukraine.
The plan is for the facility to host the Southeast Asia Age Group Swimming Championships as a test event in mid-June, said Mr Chay.
"We ... hope to inspire future generations of Southeast Asian swimmers and aquatics champions to be able to use the facility and when they are back home, say that they swam in the same venue as this person who broke a world record," he added.
"It's not only just important for Singapore but the whole Southeast Asian community as well."
The temporary venue will house a competition pool, a warm-up pool, spectator seats and dedicated areas for community events. It will have a seating capacity of about 4,800.
Related:
In July, organisers announced that water polo and diving events would be held at the Sports Hub's OCBC Aquatic Centre, while swimming and artistic swimming events would take place in temporary pools in the car park of Leisure Park Kallang mall.
Sentosa would host open-water swimming and high diving.
“On balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the decision was it's best to hold (the events) in the Singapore Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G," said Mr Alan Goh, who co-chairs the organising committee and is also chief executive of Sport Singapore.
A report published by the South China Morning Post in July cited unnamed sources who said the swimming events had to be relocated as costs were underestimated in the initial bid.
They said the initial plan was to use the 55,000-seat National Stadium, and that organisers had budgeted for the championships "in double-digit millions" when it was "actually in triple-digit millions”.
In response to queries from CNA, organisers later said most of the event will be held within Singapore's Kallang precinct to "achieve logistics and operations efficiencies".
An artist's render of the temporary venue. (Photo: World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025)
SPONSORSHIPS GO "A LONG WAY"
In a written reply to various questions from Members of Parliament on the estimated budget for Singapore to host the event, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Edwin Tong said in August that the aim is to "deliver a positive event experience for athletes and spectators, while being fiscally prudent and cost-effective".
"To this end, we have undertaken detailed planning and implemented stringent budget measures, taking reference from the learnings of previous hosts of the championships as well as Singapore’s experience in hosting other large-scale sporting events," he said.
He added that the government was at that point unable to disclose the budget due to "commercial sensitivities" and that the organising committee had started efforts to secure sponsorships and negotiate service contracts for the event.
"The costs to be borne by the government and sponsorships will only be finalised after the event has concluded," said Mr Tong.
At an event on Friday, the Pan Pacific Hotels Group, Trans-Eurokars Mazda and OCBC were unveiled as the event’s hotel, automobile and banking partners respectively.
In a press release, the organising committee said that OCBC has committed a "significant cash sponsorship".
Two hotels under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group brand will provide close to 9,000 room nights for more than 500 officials involved in the event, while Trans-Eurokars Mazda will supply more than 100 cars for participating athletes and officials.
Collectively, the sponsorships amount to about S$5 million (US$3.75 million).
"It goes a long way. It's really great that local brands have come in to actually help us with respect to coming in with this kind of support," said Mr Chay.
Organisers are still in negotiations with other sponsors, he added.
"Global events like this don't come every single day. It's a chance for them to actually use this platform to showcase their brands to a wider global audience," he said.
Continue reading...