While the Home of Athletics is next door to the National Stadium, it has no fixed seating. Many track and field meets such as the National School Games, a competition which attracts thousands of student-athletes in addition to their cheering schoolmates and enthusiastic parents, are therefore forced to use other venues like the 3,000-seat Bukit Gombak Stadium.
Mr Lien added: "Home of Athletics is designed for training and elite competition. It's not designed for spectators or mass participation."
Singapore Tennis Association president Jasmine Quek added that having a space like the Sports Hub, where different sports come together, will be crucial in helping the Republic's sporting culture grow.
The 52-year-old said: "We will have the national tennis centre there (as part of the Kallang Alive project), but being there on its own doesn't have the same vibe and feel as being in a larger sporting precinct.
"As a sports person, you don't just enjoy your sport, you enjoy others' sports. You also create interest in your game by other sportsmen. You always just want to increase the number of people, either as spectators or as athletes."
SINGAPORE - Several national sports association leaders have welcomed the news that Sport Singapore (SportSG) is going to take over the management of the Singapore Sports Hub.
Singapore Rugby Union president Terence Khoo believes that "sport will take centre stage again" with the national agency taking control of the multi-purpose facility.
He said: "Sports Hub had multiple agendas, but SportSG and MCCY (Ministry for Culture, Community and Youth) are very clear about their agenda - sport and Singaporeans.
"It's less about money and it bodes well."
The former national rugby captain now hopes that the facility can be used to host more community-level events like the National School Games (NSG). Having these at the Hub will play an important role in creating more vibrancy around the venue and could also play a significant role in motivating youth to pursue sport.
The 51-year-old said: "The venues we play at leave very lasting and fond memories, they stimulate us and encourage us to continue with sport."
Singapore Swimming Association (SSA) president Lee Kok Choy was also in favour of the move, saying that it is a "good opportunity to work together for the good of the nation from community to the elite level and fully use the facility that we have".
Mr Lee acknowledged that the SSA has been "quite a privileged tenant" with the OCBC Aquatic Centre at the Sports Hub housing its office, national training facility as well as being a competition venue.
But he also noted that complications under the current structure also limited the SSA's use of the facility at times as the association had to be mindful of costs, which led to some events being held at other venues.
For example, hosting an event at the OCBC Aquatic Centre beyond the allocated number of days would cost more because the rental rate for the extra period would be different. There were also some additional costs chalked up as events there had to use the services of the Sports Hub's subcontractors, such as its caterers.
"What we hope to do is to be able to discuss with SportSG where it makes sense for the country to do it without the problem of extra costs," said Mr Lee.
Singapore Athletics (SA) president Lien Choong Luen believes that under SportSG's leadership, there is a strong likelihood more events will be held at the Sports Hub, which he called the "apex" venue in local sport.
"We have 70 stadiums in Singapore, but the Sports Hub is the apex venue, which makes it special," he explained. "You know that you are at a serious big-time event... It's probably the highlight for many athletes."
He is also looking forward to "more integrated and coordinated programming that allows us to use the track".
He cited how the 2016 Asia Masters Athletics Championships in Singapore almost did not take place at the National Stadium because the $620,000 rental cited for four days' rental was double the event's entire budget. The meet eventually took place there but only after the rental costs were reduced with help from the authorities.
