'A fresh start': Singapore Sports School's Kallang move will boost larger ecosystem, say current and ex-students
Less time spent commuting and being able to train with top athletes will be major pluses, they tell CNA.
Mr Tong also highlighted in his speech that there will be a consolidation of sports facilities such as with the co-location of national training centres and the Singapore Sports School moving from Woodlands to Kallang in the future. (Photo: Facebook/Edwin Tong)
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SINGAPORE: The Singapore Sports School's (SSP) move from Woodlands to Kallang will benefit not only student-athletes but also the larger sporting ecosystem, according to both current pupils and alumni.
At the National Day Rally on Sunday (Aug 18), Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced the shift as part of a Kallang Alive Masterplan.
He said this would let student-athletes study and train together with senior athletes.
Calling Kallang a new “home” for Team Singapore, Mr Wong also revealed plans for new sports science and sports medicine facilities, as well as national training centres based under one roof, in the precinct.
LEAVING AN "ICONIC" SITE
Some former Sports School students told CNA they were pleasantly surprised to hear of the future move.
"Many of us alumni have made so many memories living and going to school at the Woodlands campus," said national jumper Tia Rozario.
Over the years, the school has become "synonymous" with the Woodlands area, added Olympian swimmer Chantal Liew.
"The Sports School is literally built on (One) Champions Way; the road was named after the Sports School. It's pretty iconic," she said.
"But I think this is ultimately a good thing and we're condensing our sports ecosystem into one place and if that can be a hub for all sports, I think that would benefit the country a lot more."
Being at Kallang will "change the entire energy and the entire dynamic of the school", said Liew.
One major plus for student-athletes will be the convenience of Kallang's central location, said those who CNA spoke to.
Currently, SSP offers "academy programme" sports such as badminton, swimming and track and field, where student-athletes are trained by the school's coaches. But some of them also train outside the school, with national youth and senior teams.
For SSP's "individual programme" track, student-athletes must be supported by their respective National Sports Associations in training plans. They train outside the school.
About a third of SSP's students train outside the school.
National table tennis player Ser Lin Qian, who's pursuing a joint diploma offered by Ngee Ann Polytechnic and SSP, typically trains twice a day and a long commute has become her routine.
She travels from her home to the OCBC Arena in Kallang for morning training, goes to Sports School for lessons, then returns to Kallang for an evening training session. This can be energy-sapping, she admitted.
Former world champion Loh Kean Yew would also go to and from Kallang and Woodlands while he was studying at the Sports School.
"I needed to think: 'Should I be staying at Woodlands, or should I be staying at Kallang?'" recalled Loh, who was pursuing a diploma jointly offered by Republic Polytechnic and SSP.
He eventually rented a room with his brother in the Geylang area, and cycled to training to save costs.
Liew, the swimmer, said: "(The commute) takes away a lot of time for athletes to recover and rest and even do work."
A more accessible location will save time - and also mean that more students can opt to not board at the school, she added, nothing that it can be " very stifling" spending almost all of one's time in the same environment.
"You don't get as much time with family members; friends from outside," she explained. "If I had that opportunity to do Sports School and come home, I think I would have been a much happier student-athlete."
The Kallang location could also showcase the school to more parents and perhaps even open up more avenues for partnerships with other educational institutions, the open-water swimmer added.
Mr Hairul Sahril, whose daughter will be joining SSP next year, said centralising the training venues of various sports at Kallang will also mean less travelling for student-athletes in the school's individual programme track.
AN EXTRA PUSH
The SSP's relocation to Kallang will also allow student-athletes to draw inspiration and motivation from the Team Singapore athletes also training in their proximity.
"The higher the level of the athlete that gathers in one place, the average level will probably rise," said former national sailor and two-time world champion Darren Choy.
Two-time Olympian Amita Berthier said it would be an ideal environment for SSP students.
"When you are surrounded by people that have the same goals or have achieved very, very good results. You immediately look up to them," said the fencer.
"That's just the nature of athletes in general. You try to find motivation. And I think this is going to definitely give the kids an extra push, because sometimes when you're in Woodlands in the middle of nowhere, it can be a bit draining.
"(With the move), it's like, refreshing ... a fresh start."
Ser, the table tennis player, stressed the importance of being able to train and interact with older athletes.
"Especially for table tennis, we need exposure to many sparring partners," she said. "Even if we don't get to train with them, being in the same shared space, we see them as role models."
While details on when the move might take place have yet to be announced, Ser is already excited.
"It shows a strong commitment to supporting athletes like me, especially since we're still in (our) teenage (years)," she said. "It's important to build a very strong foundation."
