SINGAPORE: Singapore’s sports minister confirmed yesterday the city-state wanted to pull out of hosting the 2013 Southeast Asian Games because of delays in the construction of a new S$1.87 billion (US$1.34 billion) Sports Hub.Vivian Balakrishnan, the minister of community development, youth and sports, told parliament that Singapore had informed the SEA Games Federation it “would be ideal” to host the biennial event in 2015 when the facility was ready.
“The SEA Games is a significant event in Singapore’s sporting calendar,” he said, adding that Singapore would like the Games to be the first international event held in the sports hub.
“I therefore informed the president of the SEA Games Federation that it would be ideal for Singapore to host the 2015 SEA Games instead of 2013. He informed me that there are several other countries that are keen to host the 2013 Games,” he said. — Bernama