‘We built a legacy here’: Sports set to lose their Kallang homes hope SportSG reconsiders plans

SINGAPORE: Two national sports associations are making renewed attempts to be part of the upcoming Kallang Alive precinct.

Netball Singapore and the Singapore Squash Rackets Association are set to lose their decades-old homes in Kallang, as authorities prepare to build new facilities in place of their courts.

Netball and squash are not included in the upcoming developments, which are part of the government's plans to rejuvenate the Kallang River over the next 20 years.

A section dedicated to youths, which will come with a velodrome for cycling and a speed climbing wall, is set to be built in the vicinities where netball and squash currently occupy.

If the plans go ahead, the Kallang Netball Centre at Stadium Boulevard will soon be a thing of the past.

The centre houses six outdoor courts and has been the main venue for many recreational netball events and league matches throughout the years. 

Netball Singapore said it is making a last-ditch effort in its fight to remain in Kallang, the heart of Singapore’s sport scene.

“We would have loved to be part of the overall plans, just like soccer and all the other sports,” said Ms Jessica Tan, the president of Netball Singapore.

“We have memories here. We have built a legacy here.”  

Ms Tan said Netball Singapore is working with government agency Sport Singapore (SportSG) in its bid to stay, but plans have already been drawn out for a new location.

“To be fair to SportSG, they have heard us. We hope that they will reconsider their plans. But at the same time, they have included us in terms of what the plans are with regards to the new location,” she said.

Netball Singapore could relocate to Toa Payoh next year. Six courts, including indoor ones, could be built there.

The Kallang Squash