Defence Minister Teo Chee Hean said yesterday of the inaugural Games, which Singapore won the right to host last month: 'We need a lot of people to come forward to help, volunteer and even...cheer on the athletes from all over the world.'

He was speaking at the launch of the four-month-long Community Sports Festival (CSF), which will take sporting activities into the heartland.

Events like the CSF, which get people engaged in sports, will help build up Singapore's base of supporters - like a second tier of 'sportsmen', he said.

The festival will take 40 sports to various parts of the island, including go-karting in the North West district and a mass skipping event in the South East district.

It is organised by constituency sports clubs, community development councils and other grassroots organisations.

At the constituency level, the number of sporting activities has gone up by 67 per cent over the last five years - from 1,200 in 2002 to about 2,000 last year.

About 80 per cent of these events are not competitive, but rather mass-participation walks or cycling sessions to bring people closer together, Mr Teo noted.

The CSF kicked off yesterday with a five-a-side soccer match and other activities at Tampines Central Park.

The match will be followed by many others over a 56-hour period.

When play ends tomorrow afternoon, 700 players would have had their go, in the hope of setting a Singapore record.

The soccer marathon has drawn male and female participants aged from eight to their 40s.

Among them is Alireza Mazouchian, 14, and his St Andrew's Secondary School friends.

He said: 'We decided to come here to have some fun when we heard of the match.

'We are going to play as many games as we can.'