Kallang To Be Transformed Into Sports Heaven By 2025

Some of us live in Kallang but how many of us actually know what it means?

According to Singapore Infopedia, “Kallang” was derived from the Malay word kelang (which translates to “mill” or “factory”), as there used to be many saw and rice mills in the vicinity.

It also translates to “a shipbuilding place”.

Now that that’s out of the way, what is Kallang to you?

Before the establishment of Sports Hub and Kallang Wave mall, Kallang was a residential area.

Speaking of Kallang, we can’t forget the iconic Kallang River – the longest in Singapore. Another noteworthy landmark is the Old Kallang Airport which was Singapore’s first international airport.

Fast forward to 2014, Kallang is now the go-to place for sports enthusiasts.

If you live an active lifestyle unlike me, stick around because things are only going to get better.

One-stop sport destination

According to Channel News Asia (CNA), Sport Singapore (SportSG) revealed plans to redevelop Kallang into a sport and world-class entertainment haven by 2025 in their Vision 2030 report on 6 August (Tuesday).

The project titled Kallang Alive is part of the 15 recommendations made with Singaporeans in mind.

Highlights include:

Velodrome

Singapore’s first-ever velodrome will be a national training centre for track cycling, as well as a base for unconventional sports i.e. speed climbing and parkour. If all goes well, the Youth Hub at Kallang Alive will house the velodrome “to capitalise on its appeal to youths“, as mentioned by SportSG.

Football Hub

This will be home to the national training centre and ActiveSG Football Academy as reported by CNA.

In terms of the interior, SportSG unveiled that “the Kallang Football Hub (KFH) would comprise one full-sized natural turf pitch, two full-sized artificial turf pitches, one half-sized pitch for five-a-side or seven-a-side training and matches, as well as four sheltered futsal pitches.”

Tennis Centre

Hailed the Singapore Tennis Centre (STC), the facility is complete with sheltered and open courts. Most importantly, it’ll be opened to the public so start roping in your tennis kaki!

The Tennis Centre is slated to house the national training centre for tennis in addition to the ActiveSG Tennis Academy.

Other facilities to look forward to includes a speed climbing wall, a multi-purpose indoor arena for e-sports, a themed hotel, an international sports medicine centre, hospitality and event suites, increased play areas for kids, as well as office spaces.

Other plans in store

According to CNA, SportSG intends to further develop the sports industry, strengthen the active ageing ecosystem for seniors and increase sports participation among students and the elderly too.

Adding on to that, SportSG has plans to construct running trails, park connectors and play areas along Geylang River and Jalan Benaan Kapal.

To top it all off, a connectivity route will be implemented for greater accessibility of all facilities across Kallang Alive.