SIS- My Favourite Venue Time to post more pics after the event. It had been a tiring week made worse by the lack of sleep for most nights. Managed to catch more hours during Sat & Sun, the non-working days, to compensate for the previous days' shortfalls. I always like to visit the SIS (S'pore Indoor Stadium) at Kallang. Although built many years ago, it has always been the best venue for badminton since the Konica Cup days, followed by Yonex-Sunrise sponsorship for the Singapore Open for a number of years and now Aviva. The SIS is one of the most modern and unique buildings in Singapore during its time. The adjacent National Stadium, which sits 55.000 spectators, and is a major venue for important events like the National Day Celebrations, pales in comparison. With its spectacular 'silver' diamond-shaped roof, the SIS nestles majestically in sea of calm and greenery provided by the Kallang River and surrounded here and there by the high-end private condos on the other side of the river. The inside is just as spectacular as you can see in my earlier pictures. Seats are in abundance and certainly more than what a badminton tournament can hope to fill. They are relatively comfortable and I believe, recently upholstered with a change in colour from blue to purple now. The facilities are good - the sound system, the air-conditioning, the special lighting, the thick dark curtains to block out both unwanted drafts and glare, the large central overhead TV screens and the recent introduction of big side screens at opposite ends specially to project the results and information of the ongoing badminton matches being played on the various courts. It is most enjoyable if you bring alongyour sweater as the air-conditioning may prove a bit too cold for the locals. Changes are happening at Kallang. Originally the site of only the imposing National Stadium (NS), the SIS has taken prominence and overshadowed its erstwhile bigger brother. But the SIS may find a new challenger in that the NS is about to be pulled down soon and a brand new open-air stadium like the present one, hopefully with a more modern design, with and addition of an adjacent indoor stadium, will take its right of place. The new Kallang, well known as a venue for sports and recreation, will soon be transformed (in about two years) as a favourite meeting place for the young and old, more popular than previously as the new Circle Line (MRT) will make it much more easier for one and all to converge there. This place could be more popular than the Esplanade, as the Kallang River will once again be alive with sea sports and related activities. This is the constant changing face of Singapore.
Singapore Open Pics at www.badminton-indonesia.com Guys, My camera was just a humble novice camera Olympus D-540 (C31 in some countries). My friend was right, sport photography is one of the most tiring one, esp for fast sports like badminton. I used the burst mode and out of 10 pics taken perhaps only 1 (if lucky) isn't blur. Anyway, I haven't had the chance to upload all, but there r almost 50 now there. Nice pics Kwun and Loh!! gallery.badminton-indonesia.com
Awesome photos. I think we use the pic of the crew with JR and who I assume is Thomas, as the pictures at the top of the forum. Thanks for the snapshots, all of you.
Well, since our highly talented young lady is interested, I'll put up some more pics of the SO as an expression of thanks for her hours of 'hard but enjoyable' work on the many wallpapers that BFers had requested.
why is there so little pic of doubles.i want love to see jens eriksen/martin lunggard and alvein yulianton/luluk hadiyanto play.
Haha! y? u wanna c hot anf moh onli rite? dun blame u lar.. tt peter gade is so hot lor. I luv kenneth johanssen (sp?) and the doubles pairing, jonas/lars. esp. lars! haha, sori all, but we're teenagers la!
