Expanding range of ActiveSG programmes for greater sports participation

Question

Dr Chia Shi-Lu: To ask the Minister for Culture, Community and Youth (a) since the launch of ActiveSG, how many Singaporeans and permanent residents have signed up for membership; (b) whether these numbers have met the Ministry's targets; and (c) if not, what plans does the Ministry have to boost utilisation of ActiveSG credits.

Response

1. Minister Lawrence Wong: We launched ActiveSG as the national movement for sport, in April 2014. And since then, 815,000 persons have signed up, of which close to 90% are Singapore citizens, the rest being Permanent Residents. About three in five ActiveSG members have utilised their free ActiveSG credits to book a sports facility or sign up for a sports programme.
   

2. The encouraging response has far exceeded our expectations for the first year.
   

3. And to encourage more Singaporeans to sign up for ActiveSG, and use their ActiveSG credits, we will expand the range of ActiveSG programmes to offer more quality opportunities for sports participation.
   

4. ActiveSG will work with schools to provide additional opportunities for students to participate in sports whether it is to pick up a new sport, to go further in a sport they are already participating in, or to take part in a sports competition or league.
   

5. One example is the Basketball Developmental League for school teams that did not qualify for the National Round of the B Division Inter-School Basketball Championships. So, these students interested in playing basketball but they didn't qualify for the B Division Inter-School Basketball Championships. Each team was allowed to field more players than usual, so that those who did not make it to the school team can get a chance to compete. ActiveSG also recently ran a camp for youth sports leaders, so that they can give back to the community by developing sports programmes for others.
   

6. And we are also working with companies. So, building on the successful partnership with Comfort Delgro to encourage taxi drivers to participate in sports, ActiveSG will now engage other corporate partners to design sports programmes for their employees.
   

7. Overall, we want to ride on the momentum of a successful SEA Games – as I mentioned earlier just now in my reply. ActiveSG will aim to increase its outreach and offerings, so that more Singaporeans can live better through sports.