SPORTS HISTORY > SPORTS FACILITIES
Early public sports facilities in Singapore were mainly inherited from the British Colonials, e.g. Mt Emily Swimming Complex, Sembawang Swimming Complex, Tanglin Golf Course and fields, Changi Squash court among others. These facilities, built mainly in the 1930s – 40s, had only basic amenities and have since either been demolished or refurbished. Although some of these facilities are no longer in existence, their colourful history keeps their memories alive.
In the 1950s,
the Municipality under the British Administration built a number of facilities for the
public such as the Yan Kit, Farrer Park and River Valley swimming complexes. To date, only the Farrer
Park Swimming Complex is still operating and is managed by a private swim school.
With independence in 1965, the new government focused on sports as a means to unite and bond the different ethnic groups through play and cooperation on the sports field.
This resulted in the construction of the National Stadium in 1966 followed by the Toa Payoh Sports
Complex. These facilities prepared Singapore in receiving its first sporting guests from the
neighbouring countries for the 7th SEAP Games in 1973. The National Stadium was also the venue for
the 12th and 17th SEA Games hosted by Singapore.
This segment documents the history of these early sports facilities which have contributed to the
development of sports in Singapore.
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