Singapore Cycling Federation eyes gold at 2029 SEA Games with plans to boost training facilities
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BMX riders trying out the pump track at The Bricks: Sport-In-Precinct & Cycle Park during the Choa Chu Kang facility's soft launch in August.
PHOTO: SINGAPORE CYCLING FEDERATION/FACEBOOK
- The Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) soft-launched a BMX track at The Bricks in Choa Chu Kang in August, expected to officially open in March, providing a local training facility after a decade.
- SCF plans to build an outdoor velodrome by early 2027 in north-west Singapore, costing around $3 million, to support grassroots programmes and the Go for Gold campaign for the 2029 SEA Games.
- An outdoor velodrome will offer consistent training, talent identification and community engagement, building a stronger cycling culture and providing a pathway from grassroots to elite levels.
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SINGAPORE – Singapore’s cycling fraternity is set for a double boost in the next two years, with two new facilities in the offering.
The long-awaited BMX and pump tracks
With one project nearing completion, the Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) has set its sights on the next one – the country’s first velodrome.
The Straits Times understands that it will be an outdoor facility that will also be built in north-west Singapore. Targeted for completion in early 2027, it is estimated to cost nearly $3 million, with the SCF hoping to raise funds for it through events such as its Nov 14 gala dinner.
These two projects are aligned with the SCF’s “Go for Gold” campaign for the 2029 SEA Games, which will be held in Singapore.
“The outdoor velodrome will cater to the whole cycling community. There will be grassroots programmes catering not only for children and youths but also for adults,” SCF president Hing Siong Chen told The Straits Times.
“Now we have a few riders, but it’s hard to increase the pool when you don’t have a track in Singapore and they actually go to Johor and sometimes Nilai in Seremban to train,” added Hing, who has been SCF chief since 2017 and was re-elected unopposed for a new four-year term during its annual general meeting in September.
“You must have a successful outdoor velodrome, win some medals to prove that you can migrate to a higher-standard indoor velodrome.
“I think parents are more willing to let kids ride somewhere where it’s off the road and they’re safe. To achieve that, I think building an outdoor velodrome is important.”
It was reported in 2019 that an indoor velodrome was among the plans for the new Kallang Alive Precinct, which would be rolled out over the next decade.
The outdoor velodrome, built on a shorter-term land lease, would serve as an alternative in the interim, but there are significant differences between the two.
An indoor velodrome has a wooden track, while the outdoor one is usually concrete or asphalt.
The indoor facility also has controlled humidity with no wind resistance and a temperature-controlled environment, where cycling speeds can go up to 20 per cent faster.
SCF youth development pathway coach Calvin Sim believes that the outdoor velodrome would be a “game-changer”.
“Having a home velodrome allows consistent, structured training without the travel time and cost of going overseas,” said the former national cyclist.
“It means more quality time on track, better monitoring of athletes’ progress and a stronger performance base for the national squad.
“It creates a clear pathway from grassroots to elite level. Youth riders can gain early exposure to track cycling, while development squads can train more frequently and safely.
“It also helps coaches conduct regular testing and talent identification locally.”
National track cyclist Valencia Tan, who will be competing at the Dec 9-20 SEA Games in Thailand, shared his sentiments.
The 20-year-old said: “Having an outdoor velodrome in Singapore would make a huge difference. It would make training far more convenient and less time-consuming.
“Training on the road alone isn’t sufficient. Consistent time on the track is crucial. It not only builds confidence at high speeds, but also sharpens the skills needed to move smoothly and efficiently along the banking of the track.
“The SCF could also use the track to host both local and international competitions, giving Singaporean cyclists more valuable racing experience and exposure, which would be crucial for our development and growth in the sport.”
The SCF’s bicycle motocross (BMX) cyclists will soon reap the benefits of training locally at The Bricks: Sport-in-Precinct and Cycle Park at the intersection of Choa Chu Kang Avenue 7 and Keat Hong Link.
The cycle park, which is open to the public, comprises two tracks. The first is an international-standard BMX racetrack stretching over 344 metres, where riders compete over an asphalt course with jumps, banked turns and obstacles.
The other is a pump track, which is the size of two basketball courts and comprises a looping circuit of rollers, banked turns and features designed to be ridden without pedalling. Instead, riders generate momentum by pumping their body up and down through the track’s contours.
Meanwhile, the Sport-in-Precinct facility features amenities such as a fitness corner and a sheltered basketball court for public use.
Since the Tampines Bike Park closed in 2014 for housing redevelopment, cyclists in Singapore have had no access to a designated local training facility.
National BMX coach Farhaan Bakar said: “It has been a really long time for us (since Tampines closed) and we have been travelling out of Singapore for training.
“With this new facility, we can have our scheduled training on our local ground... And the public will have access to it, with school and community outreach programmes.”
