'Celebrating the Extraordinary'

SINGAPORE -7,546 The Singapore SEA Games Organising Committee (SINGSOC) will embark on a three-pronged concept under the theme of "Celebrating the Extraordinary" for next June's South-east Asia Games on home soil, in a bid to foster ownership of the Games and evoke national pride among Singaporeans.

This was revealed at a media briefing yesterday to share various operational and planning milestones in the lead-up to the biennial Games.

1 CELEBRATING PEOPLE

As part of the Village-in-the-City concept, about 15 locations have been identified as venues for the 36 sports.

Three "clusters" in Marina, Expo and Kallang will host about 70 per cent of the sports and will enable spectators to view multiple sports at close proximity.

Another three areas - Marina, Havelock and Tanjong Pagar/Chinatown - have also been identified as the main accommodation areas for athletes and officials.

In keeping with the theme of having a geographical focus on the City, there will also be fringe activities in these areas for Singaporeans to experience during the Games.

SINGSOC exco chairman Lim Teck Yin said he hoped the entire area from Orchard Road to Marina Bay and Kallang, would become a "zone of activity".

He said: "What we want to create is a zone of activity that will encourage Singaporeans and our friends from ASEAN to come, enjoy themselves and celebrate the extraordinary.

"We hope to create fringe activities... to allow the spectators not just to cheer but also to participate.

"There'll be something for everyone. We want to make sure the Village-in-the-City is a must-go place."

2 CELEBRATING ACTION

Lim (right) said that only about half the competition venues would be ticketed, and that the price would not exceed $30.

SINGSOC will release the finalised ticket details for the different sports around June.

There will be various discount schemes to encourage people to come in groups, particularly families.

Lim said SINGSOC previously had a ticketing revenue target of about $1 million, but the goal was scrapped.

"We are now using ticketing policy as a means to manage seating," he said.

He added that SINGSOC was confident of delivering a "compelling and comprehensive" broadcast coverage of the SEA Games.

3 CELEBRATING SPIRIT

In mid-June, about a year to the Games, the Sports Hub will be open to the public for one whole day.

Singaporeans are encouraged to "participate" in SEA Games events at the same running tracks, swimming pools and courts which elite athletes from around the region will compete on next year.

Lim said: "It's a message to all our people that this SEA Games belongs to you. Own it, celebrate it, feel proud. We have the hardware - come and have a look - but you are the software."

As the SEA Games coincides with celebrations of Singapore's 50th year of independence, a countdown involving Singaporeans from all walks of life will also begin 50 days before the Games' official opening on June 5.

Groups are asked to pick a number and form it in a creative way, and pictures of their effort will be posted on digital platforms like the SEA Games website and Facebook.

Lim shared, for example, how one military unit has picked a number significant to them and will come up with a way to depict the number.

He said: "Obviously one way is to simply form the number (using people). We want Singaporeans to get creative.

In addition, school outreach programmes will be carried out to engage youths while a digital "Torch Up" initiative could replace a traditional island-wide relay with a torch to mark the symbolic opening of the Games. 15,400

50

Volunteers who have signed up for next year.

Athletes and team officials expected to descend on Singapore.

Gold medals won by Singapore at the 1993 SEA Games, its best-ever showing.

36

The number of sports which will be contested, to be confirmed at the end of the month.

This article was published on April 15 in The New Paper.

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