Mr Ng Ser Miang, Chairman, Singapore Sports Council,

Dear Residents,

The opening of the Delta Sports and Fitness Centre marks another milestone in the development of the Tanjong Pagar District. The facilities in this Sports and Fitness Centre, renovated at the cost of $1 million, will benefit 10,000 residents from Delta and many more in the Tanjong Pagar District.

The promotion of a healthy lifestyle has taken much prominence in recent years. More and more Singaporeans are aware that a balanced diet and regular exercise are important for them to stay healthy. This centrally located Sports and Fitness Centre is renovated to encourage residents living in our District to participate more regularly in exercises and sports.

Our residents can now enjoy a swimming complex housing a 8-lane Olympic-size swimming pool. It even comes with steam bath facilities. It is the first of its kind in Singapore’s public housing estates, matching or even surpassing those found in private country clubs, fitness centres and condominiums. In addition, there is a multi-purpose indoor sports hall, a dance studio and a modern gymnasium, ClubFITT, with state-of-the-art exercise equipment. For those who wish to know how fit they are according to the Sports For Life Fitness assessments, facilities for the 2 km Walk and 2.4 km Run, are easily available at the nearby Queenstown Stadium.

With advancement in medicine, science and technology, Singaporeans are living longer. With an ageing population, it is important that our people stay healthy as we grow old. Sickness such as heart disease, stroke, diabetes and high blood pressure come about because we tend to take our good health for granted. It is pertinent that we act now, before it is too late, and make the effort to stay healthy by starting and maintaining a regular exercise routine. It could be a simple routine like taking a stroll in the stadium and morning taijiquan in the park, to more strenuous exercises like badminton, aerobics and rock-climbing. At the Delta Sports and Fitness Centre, we have something for everyone. I encourage all our residents, young and old, to try out the facilities for themselves.

The Delta Sports and Fitness Centre is also an ideal place for a family outing. The young can choose from any of the 14 Learn-to-Play schemes. They include Aqua-Aerobics, Aerobics, Badminton, Boxercise, and Yoga. Parents and grandparents can participate in less strenuous exercises like Petanque, Pickle-Ball, Recreational Dance and Taijiquan.

For families with young children, there is a Children Playroom where the kids can go to while their parents work out. The Playroom is not the conventional type with slides and swings, but is furnished with innovative play stations, which will provide endless hours of entertainment to the children. Older children could always join their parents in the many sport activities the Centre offers. In this way, the family members are not only kept physically healthy, family bonds could also be strengthened. Indeed, a family that plays together, stays together!

I am happy that the Tanjong Pagar Community Development Council (CDC) works closely with the Sports Council in organising today's sports carnival here at Delta. Such sports events will help create greater awareness among our residents of the importance to exercise regularly and stay fit.

It is now my great pleasure to declare the Delta Sports and Fitness Centre officially open. I urge all our residents to make good use of the facilities and programmes available here and enjoy the benefits of a healthier lifestyle. Remember, life is for living. So please stay fit and live your life to the fullest. Have fun!