We just want a place to train: Closure of JCube ice-skating rink a blow to athletes

SINGAPORE: Over the years, the ice-skating rink at Jurong East shopping mall JCube has been a "second home" for a small group of Singaporeans.

Some are students, others full-time national servicemen. Some are car salespeople, others delivery drivers. United by one cause – representing the nation.

The Rink, as it is called, is where "blood, sweat and tears" were shed over the years, national ice hockey player Tiffany Yeoh told CNA.

"It's where all the memories were created, where I first learnt (the sport), where I met friends and where those friends became team-mates, people you fight for on the ice," Yeoh said.

But Yeoh and her teammates could soon find themselves without a training venue after the announcement by developer CapitaLand on Tuesday (Feb 7) that JCube will cease operations in six months' time.

The building will be redeveloped into a 40-storey apartment block, with commercial space on the first and second storeys.

The mall will close for good at 10pm on Aug 6. 

The Rink, which is Singapore's only Olympic-sized ice-skating rink, is a training venue for athletes from the Singapore Ice Hockey Association (SIHA) and Singapore Ice Skating Association (SISA).

The ice hockey association told CNA that the move could stifle the progress made by the sport in recent years. 

National development director Joewe Lam pointed to how the men's team had clinched a silver SEA Games medal in the Philippines in 2019, while the youth team took silver at the Under-20 Asia and Oceania Championships last year.

"Our team is progressing, on the rise. This will put a stop (to that), or make us go (on a) U-turn," he explained.

He also expressed concerns that the rink's closure would see fewer people taking up ice hockey in Singapore, making it