Over 50 applications from private sports facility operators to join pilot

Sport Singapore (SportSG) has received more than 50 applications from private operators to join the pilot programme which allows up to 10 fully-vaccinated people to play together, it said yesterday.

Six facilities that cater to team sports like futsal, floorball and badminton have been approved as at 6pm yesterday, the last day of the application window, and the national agency said it is working with applicants so more can come on board in the next few weeks.

Previously, only selected ActiveSG and People's Association venues were included in the pilot.

For operators like The Cage, which runs six futsal courts in Kallang, there has been a huge spike in interest since they begun operations under the pilot on Tuesday. That day alone, they had to deal with over 400 unread messages from customers.

It brought in two extra staff from its Turf City branch to cope, said its co-founder, Mr Rajesh Mulani. "It's been crazy busy, but it's nice that people are coming in and enjoying themselves."

Besides being fully vaccinated, participants must do an on-site ART at the venue 30 minutes before each game and produce a valid negative result there before the activity. Some operators have had to double the manpower on the ground to ensure these protocols are followed.

Floorball facility Red Quarters joins the pilot tomorrow and has spent almost $1,000 on equipment such as cones, barriers and poles to set up different zones for registration and vaccination checks as well as to ensure there is no mingling between different groups of players.

Ms Geraldine Tan, chief executive of sports company Coldcut, which owns the site in Kallang, expects it will take some time for people to familiarise themselves with the various rules. She said: "Our crew has been thoroughly briefed and will assist patrons when needed."

Venues like the Singapore Badminton Hall at the Singapore Expo Convention & Exhibition Centre, which joined the pilot last Sunday, welcomed the greater flexibility afforded beyond the two-pax rule.

It has 22 courts, of which 17 still follow the current restrictions, while five courts are able to host up to four doubles pairs.

Mr Richard Tan, chief executive of Arina Holdings, which runs the facility, said these five have been fully booked during the weekday peak periods between 8pm to 10pm. He added: "It's a welcome change seeing as how sales dropped by 60 to 80 per cent before this. Despite the extra cost of the ART, playing doubles is still a preferred choice for all the badminton players."

The pandemic has been brutal on businesses like The Cage. Mr Mulani had previously estimated his monthly running costs, excluding rent, to be between $70,000 and $80,000 and at its worst during Covid-19, revenues fell 90 per cent.

The Cage has also been operating at reduced 50 per cent capacity, but he hopes to increase that to 60 to 70 per cent in the coming weeks and is counting on his base of loyal customers like former Singapore international Isa Halim.

Mr Isa, 35, was at The Cage yesterday and thrilled to be playing futsal again after almost two years.

He said: "I've played here even during my professional days. I love it and have made a lot of friends here."