Timeline: Events leading up to the Government’s takeover of Singapore Sports Hub

SINGAPORE: Government agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) will take over the ownership and management of the Singapore Sports Hub from Dec 9, with authorities aiming to "unlock greater potential” from the venue and make it more accessible to the broader community.

The move spells the end of the public-private partnership with the consortium Sports Hub Pte Ltd (SHPL), which has been running the venue since it opened in 2014.

Over the years, the S$1.33 billion Sports Hub has hosted numerous marquee events, but it has also seen its share of hiccups.

CNA retraces the venue’s history and the events that unfolded in the lead-up to the Government’s move to take over the project.

2010: A groundbreaking ceremony for Sports Hub was held in September.

The ceremony had been delayed by the sharp rise in construction costs worldwide in early 2008, along with the onset of the global financial crisis in the later part of that year.

June 2014: After more than three-and-a-half years, construction of the hub was completed and operations began in mid-June.

The venue hosted a series of events, including the TYR 2nd Southeast Asian Swimming Championships and the inaugural Rugby World Club 10s tournament.

October 2014: The Sports Hub hosted a football friendly between Brazil and Japan, but drew flak for the poor condition of its pitch, which was described as sandy and patchy.

SportSG CEO Lim Teck Yin criticised "the sub-standard readiness of the pitch", adding that it was a "significant disappointment".

December 2014: Fans who attended a concert by Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou took to social media to complain about a leak in the stadium's retractable roof.

July 2015: Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong officially opened the Sports Hub.

August 2016: The National