A FINE BALANCING ACT FOR HUB: SPORTSG CEO

Goh supports NSAs, but agency must manage commercial, community interests

- David Lee

The cost of running a sports event at the National Stadium is "not prohibitive", insisted Sport Singapore (SportSG) chief executive Alan Goh on Tuesday in a wide-ranging interview on recent hot-button topics with The Straits Times.

Earlier in June, only 5,000 seats were made available in the 55,000-seat National Stadium for the Lions' international friendlies against Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, raising eyebrows and the ire of local football fans who were turned away.

ST understands the Football Association of Singapore had agreed on a subsidised rental fee for both matches and an increase in allowed capacity would have led to extra incurred costs for services like onsite manpower and security.

Goh, 46, who was appointed on April 1, said: "The new team in the Singapore Sports Hub have already reviewed the rental model. There will be a mode where it will remain commercially viable, but equally there will be a modality factored in where we will support community events and school sports.

"We also do want to help our national sports associations succeed, and if it means making the stadium available for them to play, the answer is yes, we want to."

In June 2022, national agency SportSG announced the termination of the partnership with Sports Hub Pte Ltd, the private consortium that ran the $1.33 billion, 35ha facility since it opened in 2014. The cost of ending the public-private partnership was projected to be $2.3 billion.