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SINGAPORE-The Sports Authority of Singapore (SportSG) said on Friday (November 19) that it has received more than 50 applications from private operators to join the pilot program, which allows up to 10 fully vaccinated people Play together.

As of 6 pm on Friday, the last day of the application window, six facilities suitable for team sports (such as futsal, floorball and badminton) have been approved. More people will join the week in the next few years.

Previously, only selected ActiveSG and People's Association venues were included in the pilot.

For operators like The Cage, which operates six futsal stadiums in Kallang, interest has surged since they started operating under the pilot on Tuesday.

On that day alone, they had to deal with more than 400 unread messages from customers.

Its co-founder Rajesh Mulani (Rajesh Mulani) said it added two employees from its Turf City branch in response to increasing demand.

"We are very happy to see people playing football. I have a good team and they are happy to feel the buzz. It's crazy busy, but I'm glad you are at work and people come in and enjoy themselves," he added.

In addition to full vaccination, participants must also undergo rapid on-site antigen testing (ART) at the venue 30 minutes before each game and produce a valid negative result there before the event.

Some operators had to double the ground manpower to ensure compliance with these agreements.

The floor ball facility Red Quarters joined the pilot on Sunday and has spent nearly $1,000 to purchase equipment such as cones, obstacles, and poles to set up different areas for registration and vaccination checks, and to ensure that players in different groups are not between different groups. Will get mixed up.

Ms. Geraldine Tan, CEO of Coldcut, the sports company that owns the site in Kallang, predicts that it will take some time for people to become familiar with the rules. "Our staff has been thoroughly informed and will provide assistance to customers when needed."

Venues such as the Singapore Badminton Stadium at the Singapore Expo and Exhibition Centre, which joined the pilot program last Sunday, welcomed the greater flexibility beyond the two-person rule.

It has 22 courts, 17 of which still follow current restrictions, and 5 courts can accommodate up to 4 pairs of doubles.

Mr. Richard Tan, CEO of Arina Holdings, which operates the facility, said that these five are fully booked during peak hours from 8pm to 10pm on weekdays.

"This is a welcome change because sales have fallen by 60% to 80% before then. Despite the additional cost of ART, doubles is still the first choice for all badminton players," he said.

The Covid-19 pandemic is cruel to many companies such as The Cage. Mr. Mulani previously estimated that his monthly operating costs (excluding rent) were between US$70,000 and US$80,000; at the worst of the Covid-19 period, revenue fell by 90%.

The Cage's operating capacity has also been reduced by 50%, but he hopes to increase this ratio to 60% to 70% in the coming weeks and rely on his loyal customer base, such as former Singapore international Isa Halim.

35-year-old Mr. Isa was at The Cage on Friday and is happy to participate in a futsal game again nearly two years later. "I have been playing in the cage for a while, even in my career. I like it here and I have made a lot of friends here."

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MCI (P) 031/10/2021, MCI (P) 032/10/2021. Published by SPH Media Limited, Co. Regn. The number is 202120748H. Copyright © 2021 SPH Media Limited. all rights reserved.

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