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The first new facility in the Singapore Sports Hub, the OCBC Aquatic Centre, has been completed.

The 6,000-seat centre will cater to both athletes and the local community, and will also be home to the Singapore Swimming Association.

It includes two 50-metre pools for competition and training and a five-metre deep diving pool. The competition pool has a uniform depth of three metres, a first in Singapore.

The facility was opened this week at event attended by Singapore Culture, Community and Youth Minister Lawrence Wong; SportsHub Pte. Ltd. Chief Executive Philippe Collin Delavaud; past and present Singapore swimmers including the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic quartet – David Lim, Oon Jin Teik, Ang Peng Siong and Oon Jin Gee, the current national teams for swimming, water polo, synchronised swimming and diving.

At the event, Minister Wong commented marks the start of a critical phase in the roll out of the Singapore Sports Hub, stating “(this) is not just about the completion of the construction, but it's about the transition from construction to commissioning and to operations - getting ready for people to come, communicating, preparing the public.

"You really need a series of test events, to work out all the teething issues, because I'm sure there will be teething issues when you start to open up to the public."

Philippe Collin Delavaud added that the completion of the Centre marks one of many significant milestones as the Singapore Sports Hub prepares for its public launch later in the year.

Delavaud  explained “it has been a long and exciting road leading up to this point. Our vision for the Singapore Sports Hub to be a place for everyone – from athletes to everyday Singaporeans – is finally coming to life.

“It is inspiring to see swimming legends and members of the community come together to enjoy sports such as diving and synchronised swimming.”

OCBC Bank Chairman, Dr. Cheong Choong Kong added “the OCBC Aquatic Centre will play host to major international meets and top competitive swimmers.

“And it won’t be just the OCBC Aquatic Centre, but the rest of the Singapore Sports Hub as well, including the OCBC Arena, that will be ablaze with sports events featuring well-known names from all over the world. We welcome this, and it’s great to be part of it. But what excites us more than anything else is what the OCBC Aquatic Centre and OCBC Arena will offer the community. There’s a clear understanding between us and the Sports Hub that our sponsorship money will go largely towards funding events and activities that members of the community can participate in – not just the professional and the accomplished, but anyone. The OCBC Aquatic Centre and OCBC Arena will be a place for families and communities to come together – to play and compete, or just watch and cheer.”

The Centre will be put to the test when it plays host to the Southeast Asian Swimming Championships from mid-June. The event will serve as a test for the the SportsHub facility as a whole, as well as for the aquatics competitions at next year's SEA Games.

From 5th to 7th September it will also host the Singapore Swim Stars - an unprecedented competition format involving some of the world’s best swimmers, a synchronised swimming showcase as well as swimming clinics conducted by the swimmers and an open water event for the community.

The facility is fully sheltered, which means swimmers can train in all weather conditions. This could help strengthen Singapore's position as the leading swimming nation in Southeast Asia.

Singapore Swimming Association President Jeffrey Leow explained "Singapore has always managed to find a way to do good things with medium amount of money, and I'm sure we'll do it here.

"FINA already thinks we do very well with our facility at the Singapore Sports School. Wait till they see what we do with this facility."

National swimmer Russell Ong gave the new centre the thumbs-up, adding “the pool feels very fast, the water is cold and the pool is deep, so it's actually very good."

The aquatic centre opens to the public next month.  

5th March 2014 - SINGAPORE SPORTS HUB SET FOR JUNE COMPLETION

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