Hosting of International Football Matches

1313. Mr Abdul Muhaimin Abdul Malik: To ask the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth whether the Ministry has plans to construct or designate an alternative stadium with a capacity significantly higher than the 6,000-seater Jalan Besar Stadium to serve as a backup venue for major international football matches, given that the National Stadium has been unavailable for regional tournaments due to scheduling conflicts.

Response:

1.             The NS Square and Toa Payoh Integrated Development are currently undergoing construction and are due to be operational by 2027 and 2030 respectively. With stadium capacities of 30,000 and 10,000 respectively, we will have more options to host major international football matches and other major events.

2.             In the meantime, we have and will continue to employ innovative solutions. One example is the Asian Football Confederation Champions League Two (ACL2) Final between the Lion City Sailors and Sharjah last year, when three spectator stands were added to Bishan Stadium, temporarily increasing its capacity to 10,000 and allowing more Singaporeans to cheer for our Singapore Premier League club.