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Former world champion Lu Jianyou would also travel between Kallang and Woodlands while studying at the sports school.
“I needed to think: ‘Should I stay in Woodlands, or should I stay in Kallang?’” recalled Loh, who was then pursuing a diploma jointly awarded by Republic Polytechnic and SSP.
Eventually, he rented a room with his brother in Geylang and rode bicycles to training to save money.
“(Commuting) takes up a lot of athletes’ time for recovery, rest and even work,” said swimmer Liu.
She added that a more convenient location would save time and mean more students could choose not to board at the school, but that it did not mean spending almost all of their time in the same environment would be “very stifling”.
“You don’t have as much time to spend with family and friends outside,” she explained. “If I had the opportunity to go to school for a sports program and then go home, I think I would have been a happier student-athlete.”
The open water swimmer added that the Kallang campus could also showcase the school to more parents and might even open up more avenues for collaboration with other educational institutions.
Hairul Sahril, whose daughter will be attending SSP next year, said centralising the training grounds for various sports in Kallang would also mean that student-athletes in various sports at the school would have to travel less.
An extra push
The relocation of the Singapore National Sports Centre to Kallang will also allow student-athletes to draw inspiration and motivation from Team Singapore athletes who also train nearby.
“The higher the level of athletes gathered in one place, the higher the average is likely to be,” said Darren Choy, a former national sailor and two-time world champion.
Two-time Olympian Amita Berthier said it’s an ideal environment for SSP students.
“When you’re surrounded by people who have the same goals or who have achieved really, really good results, you instantly look up to them,” the fencer said.
“That’s the nature of being an athlete. You try to find motivation. I think it definitely gives the kids extra motivation because sometimes when you’re out in the middle of nowhere in The Woodlands, it can be a little tiring.
“(The move) is like, it’s refreshing … a new beginning.”
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