Singapore delays first football match at new National Stadium

Singapore has postponed the inaugural football match at the soon-to-be-opened 55,000-seat National Stadium  - centrepiece of the new Singapore Sports Hub - over concerns that the new sports complex will not ready to host the fixture.

The match, against regional rivals Malaysia, had been planned for 8th August, with no new date yet announced for the game.

In a statement, Football Association of Singapore (FAS) General Secretary Winston Lee explains “given the high turnout expected, and to ensure a truly memorable experience and spectacle for every spectator, FAS has concluded that it will need more time to prepare for the event.

"We will announce more details on the rescheduled match at an opportune time."

The stadium, featuring a domed, retractable roof and air-cooled seating, is the centrepiece of the $1 billion Sports Hub precinct which was originally scheduled to launch in April.

In comments to national broadcaster Channel News Asia on Sunday, Sport Singapore Chief Executive Lim Teck Yin said large crowds in the new facility could raise operational concerns.

Lim said to avoid potential problems, the Sports Hub first had to host less complex events.

Construction work is still continuing in parts of the site and the surrounding area prior to its  inaugural event, the rugby World Club 10s on 21st and 22nd June. Unlike the football dervy, the rugby 10s event is not expected to draw a capacity crowds.

The first football match at the venue will now be Italian side Juventus against a Singapore XI on 16th August.

The large Sports Hub site includes indoor arenas, an aquatics centre and watersports facility. It will host tennis's end-of-season WTA Championships in October.

Tensions are often high at football matches between Southeast Asian neighbours Singapore and Malaysia, and are are usually played before sell-out crowds.

The new facility is in Singapore's riverside Kallang district on the site of the former national stadium, which was known for its famous ‘Kallang roar’.

23rd May 2014 - SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB UNVEILS MULTI-FUNCTIONAL PITCH AT NEW NATIONAL STADIUM