A whole host of activities await fans attending matches at the National Stadium during the ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) Suzuki Cup 2020 (ASC2020) tournament.
The FA of Singapore (FAS) and the Singapore Sports Hub jointly announced the launch of the Community Football Activation Zone to engage the public throughout the month-long football tournament.
From 5 December, the public will be able to experience and participate in an array of stations and activities at the OCBC Square, Singapore Sports Hub.
One of the highlights will be a VR Station where participants will get to try real-world football drills used by professional players via the Rezzil Player 21 game.
Employed by elite clubs around the world, the Rezzil platform provides football fans with real-world training techniques and challenges which have been developed in collaboration with top sports coaches and physios.
In addition, the public will also be able to catch the National Teqball Challenger Cup 2021 and Singapore Panna Competition 2021 live. Teqball is a football-based sport, played on a specially curved table.
Players are allowed a maximum of three touches before returning the ball to the opponent and matches can be played between two (singles) or four players (doubles), irrespective of gender.
The National Teqball Challenger Cup 2021 will take place across three categories – Men’s Single, Women’s Single, and Men’s Double – as participants vie for the opportunity to represent Singapore on the world Teqball stage.
Panna, a street football game with its origins from the Netherland is typically held in a restricted area or cage in a one-versus-one format. Players win either by scoring the most goals within the allotted game time or via immediate knockout when the ball is played in between the opponent’s legs – also known as the “Panna” or “Ole” within the Asian region.
Deputy Chairman of the ASC2020 Local Organising Committee (LOC) and FAS General Secretary Yazeen Buhari said: “Singapore’s hosting of the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 is a celebration in itself, and apart from the matches happening in the stadiums, the LOC, FAS, and our partners would like to give fans something to also look forward to as part of the overall match-day experience that one would normally expect. The interactive stations and activities are aimed to allow fans to learn and enjoy the Beautiful Game in a more light-hearted way before they step into the stadium to enjoy the main event, which is the match itself. All prevailing safe management measures will be in place, and I am sure fans can look forward to partake in these activities in a safe way.”
The stations and activities will be in three different zones.
Lionel Yeo, Chief Executive Officer, Singapore Sports Hub, said, “We are pleased to host the AFF Suzuki Cup 2020 at the National Stadium and co-organise the Community Football Activation Zone with FAS. Hosting the activation zone at OCBC Square allows us to bring football to the community, and for football fans, it’s an opportunity to get in some action before they head into the National Stadium to catch the Suzuki Cup matches.”
He added, “We are delighted to end the year on a high note; welcoming spectators and sports fans back to Singapore Sports Hub with not just the AFF Suzuki Cup but a host of other sporting events such as table tennis, marathon, action sports, and activities taking place at various venues here.”
In line with COVID-19 guidelines, members of the public must show their proof of full vaccination* before they can enter. Children aged 12 and below, who are exempted from vaccination, must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 years old and above. In addition, the zones may accommodate a maximum of 50 people each time.
The ASC2020’s official opening ceremony will also take place on 5 December at 7.30pm at the National Stadium.
In line with the tournament’s theme of ‘Emerging Stronger Together’, the ceremony will pay tribute to frontline workers across ASEAN for their efforts in combating the COVID-19 over the last two years. Singapore’s Minister for Culture, Community, and Youth Edwin Tong, FIFA President Gianni Infantino, AFF president Major General Khiev Sameth, and FAS president Lim Kia Tong will be present
at the ceremony, which will be the curtain-raiser to the game between Singapore and Myanmar.
*An individual is considered vaccinated if he/ she has been:
a) fully vaccinated, i.e. has received the appropriate regimen of World Health Organisation Emergency Use Listing (WHO EUL) vaccines including their respective duration post-vaccination for the vaccine to be fully effective, and had their vaccination records ingested in MOH’s national IT systems,
b) recovered from COVID-19 within the last 270 days,
c) children who are below 12 years old, d) certified to be medically ineligible for all vaccines under the National Vaccination Programme.
A hard copy doctor-certified memo is needed for proof of verification. Definitions will be in accordance with the latest guidance from the Ministry of Health (www.moh.gov.sg).
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