Closure of National Stadium

SINGAPORE : After 34 years of playing host to significant events in Singapore, the National Stadium will be closed on June 30.

To make sure the sports icon goes off with a bang, there will be a big farewell party complete with fireworks.  Celebrations will also include athletes marching round the stadium and a party on the field.

 

And the highlight of it all - the Singapore soccer team taking on the Australian Socceroos.  The $50 million National Stadium was opened in July 1973 by the then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew.  More than three decades later, the stadium will be demolished to make way for the new Sports Hub.

 

And it will be given a befitting closure, involving the whole nation.

For most, it will be a trip down memory lane. Most know the stadium as the venue for National Day Parades and major football matches.

"600 athletes, both past and present, will parade round the stadium to the cheers of the crowd. We hope that the crowd will give them a good reception, and appreciate what they have done for Singapore," said Patrick Lee, chairman of National Stadium Closure Committee.

 

As a symbolic gesture, the cauldron will be lighted up by sprinter C Kunalan, marking the start of the farewell party.

Joining Kunalan will be six other athletes including Sportsman of the Year, national bowler Remy Ong.

 

"We still come here (National Stadium) for gym workout, our physio work and to see our doctors. So this place has great memories for me through the last 10 over years," said Ong.

 

Nostalgia will be the order of the day, as spectators can indulge in snacks and drinks sold by vendors, just like in the old days.

On the pitch, football fans can relive the Malaysia Cup days, with a veterans match involving stars from Singapore and Malaysia.

 

And right after that - the big game between the Lions and the Socceroos, who are here to prepare for the upcoming Asian Cup.

 

The clash will provide a rare treat for local fans as the visitors boast quite a few English Premier League stars, including captain Mark Viduka.

"It is a very important friendly to us; we have to play as well as we can.

 

It would be great to see the Singapore public out there and I'm sure that they would want to see some of our players as well as their own. It should be a good night," said Mark Viduka, captain of the Australian National Football Team.

 

The match will be significant for the Lions as well, since it will be their last big match at Kallang.  "Hopefully, (we'll) give something for the fans to cheer about before the National Stadium is being torn down. And I can see the Kallang roar or the Kallang wave for the very last time," said Aide Iskandar, captain of Singapore National Football Team.

 

After the match, Guest of Honour President SR Nathan, will douse the flame in the cauldron.  But the skies will be lit up with fireworks, signifying the official closure of the stadium and the end of a chapter in Singapore's sports history.

 

After that, it's party time on the field till 2am.  Organisers are expecting a good turnout. Half of the 35,000 tickets reserved for the public have been snapped up, while the rest are for invited guests.

 

There's also another hot item - special Singapore Sweep tickets to commemorate the closure of the stadium.  Singapore pools said lottery tickets were also issued when the stadium was opened in 1973.

So a memorable night could also turn out to be a very lucky night for some.

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