NTU to open 3 new sports facilities, including a mega-gym

By Natalie Choy

The new SRC building is still under construction but will open its doors early next year. PHOTO: VALERIE LAY

Students, faculty and staff members can look forward to more places for their exercise fix on campus as NTU unveils a host of new sports facilities.

These facilities — the North Hill multi-purpose hall, North Hill gym, and the new Sports and Recreation Centre (SRC) building — are expected to better fulfil the sporting needs of the university population.

While the North Hill multi-purpose hall has been in use since November, the gym will only be ready by 3 Jan next year.

The new SRC building, which will be located opposite the current SRC building, is slated to open in the first quarter of 2017.

North Hill multi-purpose hall

Despite being located in the North Hill residential halls, the multi-purpose hall and gym are not limited to hall residents only.

“The hall and gym are under the supervision of the SRC and aim to serve the general NTU population,” said SRC Senior Assistant Director Yum Shoen Keng.

Equipped with six badminton courts and six table tennis tables, the North Hill multi-purpose hall offers an alternative to the sports hall at the current SRC if the latter is fully booked.

Many students expressed difficulty in booking a badminton court at the SRC due to the sport’s popularity in NTU.

Booking slots are usually filled up before the start of the week, said Russell Tan, 20.

“I usually have to book a week in advance, and I try to avoid the peak hours from 3 to 6pm,” added the second-year student at the Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine.

While the new badminton courts were well-received, some felt that the table tennis playing area could be improved.

Mr Poon Weng Wai, a staff member at the School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, said the table tennis courts are too close to one another.

He said stray balls from neighbouring courts would often land on his court, which would then disrupt his game.

Added the 59-year-old: “The light is also too glaring from one side of the court, so if you’re on that side it’s harder to see where the ball is.”

North Hill gym

According to Mrs Celine Lim, who is also a Senior Assistant Director of the SRC, the North Hill gym is almost triple the size of the two SRC gyms combined.

It will be the largest recreational gym in NTU, complete with changing rooms, lockers and a lounge.

The range of equipment will include 16 cardio machines, 13 weight machines, a functional training cage and a dual-action lifting rack.

The gym will be operated by an outsourced fitness company approved by the University’s Tender Board. A qualified trainer will be stationed there after 5pm to guide users on proper equipment use.

“After 5pm the SRC gyms are usually super packed,” said Mrs Lim. “The addition of a qualified fitness trainer is necessary at the North Hill gym to better manage the peak period crowd.”

The gym will also offer orientation sessions to beginners, as well as specialised training at a cost. The exact details have not been ironed out by the SRC yet.

“This gym boasts a more pleasant and inviting ambience for individuals who pursue a regular gym work-out lifestyle,” said Mrs Lim.

“Besides being a functional space for people to exercise, it is also a space for interaction among users (at the lounge).”

Only full-time students will have free access to the North Hill gym. Part-time students, staff, alumni and faculty members will need to sign up for a membership.

The gym’s proximity to canteens and residential halls will also make it a convenient alternative to both SRC gyms.

Currently, the SRC gyms are the only ones that serve all students and staff members. The other gyms located at the National Institute of Education, Campus Clubhouse and selected residential halls have limited access.

The North Hill multi-purpose hall is now open for sports activities. PHOTO: VALERIE LAY

New SRC building

The new three-storey SRC building will feature activity rooms, training rooms, a weight training gym, and a multi-purpose sports hall with retractable seats and a viewing gallery.

“The hall can be divided to support different types of activities, ranging from recreational badminton, university team trainings, sporting club activities, and Inter-School and Inter-Hall Games,” said Mrs Lim.

The sports hall will be the largest indoor sports hall in NTU and possibly in any tertiary institution in Singapore, added Mr Yum.

NTU basketball player Pek Yong Kang, 23, hopes that the new sports hall will allow greater flexibility in the booking of courts.

“Due to the number of sports teams that NTU has (and the limited number of courts), the slot that we have is usually fixed,” said the third-year student at the School of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, whose team can only use the SRC indoor court on Monday and Friday nights.

The new SRC building will also have an Athletes’ gym that is designed for sports team training and sports injury rehabilitation needs. Unlike the recreational North Hill gym, it will only be catered to NTU sports teams for the time being.

This is to serve the University’s sports teams in a greater capacity, said Mrs Lim.

She added: “Being a new initiative, we need to establish that the facility provided is sufficient to support the university athletes’ needs before we can consider opening the facility to other students and staff.”