In a strategic enhancement of Kallang as the central hub for Singaporean athletes, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong announced in his inaugural National Day Rally speech that the Singapore Sports School (SSP) will be relocating from Woodlands to Kallang. This relocation is part of the broader Kallang Alive masterplan and aligns with the Government’s initiatives to bolster the nation's sports culture and elevate performance outcomes.
The new Singapore Sports School (SSP) will be situated alongside state-of-the-art sports science and sports medicine facilities, as well as national training centers for various key sports, positioning it as the new base for Team Singapore, announced PM Wong. He emphasized that this development will enable student-athletes to both study and train alongside senior athletes. These initiatives reflect the Government's goal to further enhance Singapore's sporting culture and support all Singaporeans in achieving their sporting aspirations, PM Wong added.
The SSP, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in April, was built for $75 million. It offers both secondary and post-secondary academic programmes for student-athletes aged 13 to 18. Its 7ha campus in Woodlands Drive houses facilities such as two Olympic-size swimming pools, a 700-seat indoor multi-sports auditorium, a badminton training centre with 12 courts, and a table-tennis centre with up to 16 tables. Its successful alumni include Olympians such as Asian Games gold medal-winning sprinter Shanti Pereira, fencer Amita Berthier and former swimmer Tao Li.
The new Singapore Sports School (SSP) is anticipated to be located on the land currently housing the Kallang Netball Centre and Kallang Squash Centre. Netball Singapore, which recently secured a lease extension for its Kallang facility until 2026, will relocate to the Toa Payoh Integrated Development, slated for completion by 2030. National table tennis player Ser Lin Qian is among those enthusiastic about the plans to consolidate the sports community, including the SSP, in one central location.
Opened in 2014, the 35-hectare Sports Hub features the 55,000-capacity National Stadium, the Indoor Stadium, the OCBC Arena, and the OCBC Aquatic Centre, with recent additions including the Kallang Football Hub and Kallang Tennis Hub. While the Sports Hub has enhanced the vibrancy of Singapore's sports scene, the Government took over its management in 2022. In March, plans were unveiled for a new indoor arena, which will have an 18,000-seat capacity, surpassing the Indoor Stadium’s 12,000 seats. PM Wong highlighted that Kallang will not only serve as the base for Singapore’s athletes but also be a venue for all Singaporeans to enjoy sports.
He said: “You don’t need to be an elite athlete to enjoy the facilities at Kallang. You may be a weekend player, or a beginner or someone trying to pick up a new sport. Whatever your level, so long as you have an interest in sports, there will be something for you here”. To facilitate this, the main road that runs through the Sports Hub will be converted into a pedestrianised community boulevard where sporting programmes will be held.
