More sporting options for weekend warriors
Weekend warriors will have more options to keep fit from this year onwards.
ActiveSG, the national movement for sport, will launch five new academies and clubs this year, bringing the total number to 10 by the end of the year.
The new sports to be introduced are badminton, frisbee, floorball, hockey and martial arts.
"The programmes will cater to different competency levels and provide young adults with both recreational and competitive opportunities to remain active in sports, even after leaving the school system," Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu said in her Committee of Supply (COS) debate speech in Parliament yesterday.
In addition, ActiveSG will introduce an Active Masters programme for adults aged 40 and above, with activities catered or modified to suit the age range.
ActiveSG had launched clubs and academies for basketball, football, tennis and athletics last year, while the Outdoor Adventure Club was launched earlier this year.
Since its launch in 2014, ActiveSG has seen its membership grow to 1.2 million, and is expected to rise further as the movement aims to open 25 academies by 2021.
Also, the Sports-in-Precinct (SIP) programme will be expanded, so that people can play sports near their homes. The scheme is part of a larger Sports Facilities Master Plan, which charts out sports venue-planning at national, regional, town and neighbourhood levels.
The SIP programme, rolled out in 2014, will create sporting spaces at the neighbourhood level, such as multi-generational play zones and street soccer courts with artificial turf.
"We will be expanding the programme to include precincts that are not under HDB's Neighbourhood Renewal Programme," said Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth Baey Yam Keng in Parliament yesterday.
"We will initiate around 20 SIP projects across the island by 2020, supported by a budget of $50 million."
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