'A serious shot in the arm': Private sports facilities welcome move to allow more participants

SINGAPORE: Private operators have welcomed a move to allow sport activities to proceed with up to 30 fully vaccinated people, with no additional testing requirements imposed.

Such sports must be carried out at supervised or operated sports facilities, such as those run by ActiveSG and approved private venues, the multi-ministry task force handling the COVID-19 pandemic announced on Wednesday (Feb 16).

Prevailing safe management measures will apply before and after the activity and during rest breaks, the task force said.

In addition, no additional testing requirements will be imposed as long as all participants are fully vaccinated. However, participants are encouraged to test themselves in advance. 

As private sports facilities wait for further details, those who spoke to CNA expressed relief following the various measures that have been imposed throughout the pandemic.

Mr Rajesh Mulani, co-founder of The Cage, called the latest move a "serious shot in the arm" for the futsal facility.

"Group size restrictions for team sports is a complete deal-breaker. It is not a minor hiccup or an inconvenience. It just means that team sports can’t happen," said Mr Rajesh.

“In the last two years, we’ve had to resort to only hosting academies or only doing fitness work and things like that. So against that backdrop, this is a reboot, a serious shot in the arm for us.”

Mr Jimmy Beh, the director of ARK sports management, which runs four futsal venues, expressed relief.

"We have customers who want to play with more than ten participants ... For them to play for two hours throughout, that is not the norm. In the past before COVID-19, it was three to four teams," he noted.

Mr Tony Tan, business manager of sports company Coldcut, which owns