Singapore is set to construct a temporary facility for the World Aquatics Championships in 2025, organisers have revealed.
The facility will have a seated capacity of 4,800 and will be located at Carpark G, near the Singapore Sports Hub’s Kallang Tennis Hub venue.
Singapore was awarded hosting rights for the 2025 World Aquatics Championships in February 2023. The event will bring together the six aquatic sports of swimming, water polo, diving, artistic swimming, open-water swimming and high diving.
The temporary facility will be used to host swimming and artistic swimming events, The Straits Times has reported. The facility is set to include two pools and spectator stands, along with a fan zone and other amenities.
The Singapore Sports Hub’s OCBC Aquatic Centre (pictured), which has two 50-metre pools and a diving facility, will host water polo and diving events, while the island of Sentosa has been selected to host open-water swimming and high diving.
It had previously been suggested that swimming events could take place at the Singapore Sports Hub’s 50,000-capacity National Stadium, but this will not be the case. The smaller Singapore Indoor Stadium had also been mooted as a potential host, but organisers have opted to build a temporary facility instead.
“There are many factors we took into consideration when selecting the venue,” said Alan Goh, co-chairperson of the event’s organising committee and chief executive of Sport Singapore, according to The Straits Times.
“Of course, National Stadium and Indoor Stadium were (involved in discussions) as well. But when we had discussions with World Aquatics, it was clear that the National Stadium with its 50,000 capacity is way over the typical attendance for the event.
“So on balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the best decision was to hold the events in the Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G.”
Over 2,500 athletes representing 209 member federations are expected to take part in the World Aquatics Championships. The 2025 event had been due to take place in Kazan but World Aquatics opted to relocate it following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Earlier this month, it was announced that the Women’s Tennis Association would return to Singapore in 2025 after a three-year deal was agreed for a WTA 250 tournament at the Kallang Tennis Hub.
The Singapore Sports Hub has been owned by the Singapore Government since 2022. In March, Edwin Tong, Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community and Youth, announced plans for a “best-in-class” arena that will replace the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
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