Game Plan

Sport Singapore CEO Alan Goh shares notes on rallying the nation through sports and how the agency seeks to unlock the full potential of our athletes and the Singapore Sports Hub

- Hashirin Nurin Hashimi

Like many who grew up during the Malaysia Cup era—notable for Singapore’s historic Malaysia Premier League and Cup double in 1994—Alan Goh fondly remembers the Kallang Roar emanating from the stands during matches at the old National Stadium. “If you lived in an HDB flat, like I did, even if you [weren’t at the stadium, you’d know from] the reaction of the whole neighbourhood (read: those watching the game on television) whether our Singapore team scored or conceded —and even [when there were] near misses,” reminisces the CEO of national sport agency Sport Singapore (SportSG).

The Kallang Roar has been silent for a while now—and Singapore football is unlike what it used to be. “Since the government took back the ownership of the Singapore Sports Hub in 2022, one of our objectives [has been] to replicate that atmosphere and rebuild the affinity that Singaporeans have with the National Stadium and the Kallang precinct,” says Goh.

Coincidentally, the week after this interview, Singapore’s near sold‑out Fifa World Cup 2026 qualifier match against South Korea drew about 50,000 spectators, the biggest turnout for a Lions match since the Sports Hub opened in 2014. (Sadly, Singapore was thrashed 7‑0.) Perhaps it was the draw of South Korean captain and Tottenham Hotspur star Son Heung‑min, but the last time the Lions played in front of such a large home crowd was against Malaysia in the 2014 Asean Football Federation Suzuki Cup.