Local sports scene hit as hazy conditions persist in Singapore

SINGAPORE – As hazy conditions continue to plague Singapore, many in the local sports scene have been affected, with national sports associations (NSAs), clubs and sports facilities forced to make adjustments to cope with the situation.

Singapore has registered unhealthy PSI readings for 12 straight days since Oct 5, making it the longest continuous stretch of poor air quality the country has had to endure since the 2015 haze crisis.

On Oct 16, the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) issued a haze management protocol for matches and training sessions across professional, amateur and youth levels.

The protocol states that matches in the Singapore Premier League (SPL), Singapore Cup, AFC Champions League Two, Shopee Cup and international competitions (men’s, women’s and Under-23) may proceed if the PM2.5 reading is 200 or below. Matches will be suspended or postponed if the PM2.5 reading exceeds 200.

For professional-tier matches, checks will be conducted 12 hours before kick-off, with a final check 30 minutes before. The situation will continue to be monitored after kick-off.

A match will be cancelled or rescheduled if the venue’s 24-hour PSI forecast enters the hazardous range of above 300, or if readings reach the very high band in the PM2.5 readings seven or three hours before the game.

With the PM2.5 readings in the west not breaching the 200 mark, the SPL match between Tanjong Pagar United and Hougang United at Jurong East Stadium in the evening of Oct 16 proceeded as scheduled.

But Tanjong Pagar announced on social media that they were suspending pre-match activities, half-time entertainment and youth player escorts during the team walkout as part of additional precautions against the haze.

Three other SPL games have also been scheduled at Bishan Stadium, Jurong East Stadium and Our Tampines Hub this weekend.

Other clubs have also made adjustments to their training regimens.

Geylang International cancelled their outdoor training sessions at Bedok Stadium on Oct 14 and 15, before resuming outdoor training as usual on Oct 16.

The club’s head of media Syafik Iskandar said the team’s training sessions will move indoors if PM2.5 readings hit 200.

Under FAS’ haze advisory, stricter thresholds are implemented for amateur and youth competitions, including the Singapore Football League, Island Wide League, FA Cup, Women’s Premier League and Singapore Premier Youth League.

Amateur matches require a 24-hour PSI forecast of 200 or below and an hourly PM2.5 reading within the normal (0 to 55) or elevated (56 to 150) bands, while youth matches and training proceed only at the normal band with a forecast of 100 or below.

Other NSAs have also taken measures to ensure athlete safety amid hazy conditions, including suspending outdoor training sessions.

The Singapore Hockey Federation (SHF) has had to cancel outdoor training sessions for its national programme, replacing them with online sessions for game analysis and strategy discussions led by national coaches.

Its protocols, developed with input from national coaches and supporting medical doctors, stipulate that outdoor or non-air-conditioned training for national athletes will be suspended if the 24-hour PSI or PM2.5 readings reach 200 or 151 respectively two hours before training.

Training in air-conditioned settings such as gym sessions, will be of “reduced intensity”.

If the readings enter the hazardous or very high range – over 300 for the 24-hour PSI and 250 for the PM2.5 – all training will be suspended.

The association also postponed several National Indoor Hockey League matches scheduled for last weekend at the ActiveSG Sports Village @ Jurong Town, which has four sheltered courts for indoor hockey.

Air quality in Singapore stayed in the unhealthy range on Oct 10 and 11, before the 24-hour PSI readings for several regions surpassed the 200 mark and entered the “very unhealthy” range in the last few days.

SHF president Aw Bang Hui said: “We use a different set of data points for our leagues and tournaments as the participants include non-national players with various fitness levels.

“We take a stricter approach when deciding whether to continue with the fixtures.”

The Singapore Cycling Federation (SCF) has also halted outdoor training sessions for its national development and elite programmes, although strength and conditioning programmes at the High Performance Sport Institute and indoor Wattbike sessions at its training centre at EXCEL in Seletar are unaffected.

After the PM2.5 reading in the west hit 284 on Oct 14, it announced that the BMX racing track at Brickland-Tengah was closed until further notice.

SCF general manager Mahipal Singh added that the federation’s programmes run by its accredited training partners at the BMX and pump tracks, which is also located at the same venue, have been suspended.

In adherence with SportSG’s advisory, it stopped all its schools and cycle safe programmes when the 24-hour PSI went above 100.

On Oct 16, SportSG said it will close all outdoor and non-air-conditioned facilities at all ActiveSG Sport Centres due to the evolving haze situation.

Indoor and air-conditioned facilities remain open at this time.

Private sports facilities and mass participation events have also been impacted by the haze.

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) Run 2026, which was slated to take place at Gardens by the Bay on Oct 17, was cancelled on Oct 15.

In an announcement on Facebook, the ISCA said the “safety and wellbeing of our almost 3,000 participants, families, volunteers, staff and partners remain our highest priority”.

It added in its post: “The haze situation remains unpredictable, with conditions potentially fluctuating and deteriorating at short notice.

“After careful consideration, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the event in the interest of everyone’s health and safety.”

Rajesh Mulani, director of The Cage which has football, cricket, padel, baseball and softball facilities across three branches at Kallang, Dempsey and Carlisle Road, said the number of booking cancellations has become “very, very high” since Oct 10.

It has also postponed a padel competition, originally scheduled for Oct 16 to 18 at its Dempsey outlet, to Nov 13 to 15.

He said: “All of that is going to affect us badly but we’re powerless, there isn’t a plan B or a pivot that we can do, we just have to ride it out.”

The 56-year-old noted that the company has taken a “flexible view of things”, allowing customers to cancel bookings due to the haze.

“Everyone has their own individual circumstances and some may be more sensitive to the haze than others so we put it out there that if you want to cancel because of the haze that’s fine, our cancellation policies won’t apply,” said Rajesh.

“You just need to drop us a note that you’re cancelling because of the haze and we’ll allow it accordingly.”

He added that if the hourly PM2.5 hits 200, The Cage recommends that customers call off their bookings and requires them to send a note if they choose to continue.

Red Quarters in Kallang, which has two indoor courts and an outdoor court used for floorball, pickleball, corporate bookings, academies and clubs, has also been hit by the haze, experiencing a drop in bookings of at least 50 per cent this past week.

There has also been an increase in the number of enquiries about cancellations, said its business development manager Tony Tan.

The 60-year-old said the company has been referring closely to SportSG’s haze management guidelines and will shut its courts if the 24-hour PSI enters the very unhealthy band of 201 to 300.

In such instances, those who have made bookings will receive a one-time rescheduling option or credit for future use.

Customers also have the option to cancel their bookings if the 24-hour PSI is in the unhealthy range of 101 to 200, no later than 24 hours before their scheduled session.

Tan said: “During Covid, we also had to be fluid and flexible. Overall, we are managing but definitely taking a hit when it comes to the fall in bookings.”