Singapore Sports Hub eyes more and bigger events next year
The year 2020 may have changed the live sports viewing experience significantly, but it has also offered the Singapore Sports Hub valuable lessons and belief as it adapts to the Covid-19 era.
In its year-end review, the Sports Hub cited its experience of safely hosting four ONE Championship events from October to December - all at the Singapore Indoor Stadium with stringent measures in place - as a reason for a brighter outlook next year.
With Singapore in phase three of its reopening, Sports Hub CEO Lionel Yeo said they are eager to put together more safe and engaging events next year.
"With the right mindset and approach and the cooperation of all stakeholders, we believe that this national asset can deliver great value to Singapore through good times and bad," he added.
Mixed martial arts promotion ONE Championship's bout on Oct 30 was the first live sports event in Singapore to have spectators since the pandemic - with 250 in attendance, and each having to undergo an antigen rapid test beforehand.
Foreign athletes and crew for these events also had to undergo Covid-19 tests four times and were confined to a "bubble" at their hotel. The rigorous regimen has helped to isolate infected cases and enable the events to go on safely.
At the event site, there are also zones to keep groups of people segregated.
Having the ability to adapt these procedures for bigger events will bring with it the likelihood of more such live events in 2021, the Sports Hub noted.
The HSBC Singapore Rugby Sevens has been slated to return to the National Stadium on Oct 29 and 30 next year, while badminton's Singapore Open, which was held at the Indoor Stadium last year, is scheduled for April 13-18.
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