My Parliamentary Colleague, Mr Ang Mong Seng, MP for Bukit Gombak Constituency

COL (RET) Kwan Yue Yeong, Executive Director of the Singapore Sports Council

Distinguished Guests

Ladies and Gentlemen

Good morning. I am pleased to be with you this morning at the Official Opening of the Bukit Gombak Sports and Fitness Centre cum Sembawang-Hong Kah District Family Sports Carnival.

The Bukit Gombak area has many landmarks that residents can be proud of. The Bukit Gombak Sports and Fitness Centre is one of these landmarks. Situated conveniently next to the MRT station and just a stone’s throw from the idyllic Little Guilin, the centre has become a familiar sight to residents.

Built at a cost of $12 million, the centre offers a welcome respite from the hustle and bustle of daily life. With its resort-standard facilities, it stands out as yet another example of our commitment to building a Sporting Singapore. Over the next five years, the Government will be devoting $500 million to develop our sports scene. Among the initiatives we have laid out is the development and upgrading of sports facilities in residential areas throughout the island, to provide all Singaporeans with easy access to a range of quality sports facilities and programmes.

The Bukit Gombak Sports and Fitness Centre has indeed been a boon for residents who are keen to take up sports and who are aware of the importance of staying fit in spite of their busy schedules. The Centre is a modern and well-equipped sports hub that is relevant and appealing to people with different interests and fitness levels. The sports hall has a ClubFITT gym and a dance studio, in which many residents have embarked on line-dancing and yoga courses. Dancesteps have been mastered, new friends have been made and a lot of fun has been shared. I am pleased that both residents and companies operating in this area have been enthusiastic about using the facilities. They must thank Mr Ang Mong Seng, MP for Bukit Gombak constituency, for he is the one who suggested building the sports hall. I am sure he is extremely happy that his suggestion has led to residents benefiting a lot from this facility and having such a good time here. We hope that in the near future, exercising and playing sports in this centre will become your preferred leisure activity.

It is my hope that you will continue to be committed to making sports and exercise a long-term endeavour. Keeping healthy and fit will not only be of benefit to you personally, it will also be good news to your employer and ultimately, to Singapore, as we grow into a sporting nation. In this regard, we have set for ourselves long-term goals and we must recognise that we all have a part to play in achieving these goals. By the year 2005, we aim to have half of all Singaporeans exercising at least once a week. This goal is within our grasp. In fact, we are already well on our way to achieving it.

Your spirited participation in the programmes being organised at the Bukit Gombak Sports and Fitness Centre is also a good indication that we have your support. We hope that you will continue to take full advantage of the courses and facilities, which have been designed with your needs and interests in mind.

On that note, it is my pleasure now to declare the Bukit Gombak Sports and Fitness Centre officially open and to unveil the new Sports for Life identifier.

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