8 sheltered pickleball courts open to public from March 16 at Little India Bus Terminal

According to SportSG, ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park is part of the broader long-term development of sports facilities in the region, and when completed, the park will include a sheltered swimming complex, multi-purpose play area, inclusive gyms and running tracks.

Mr Tan also added that work is also in progress for a rugby field that can be used for football, as well as futsal courts.

ActiveSG chief Tan Hock Leong shared that considerations for building spaces such as the pickleball courts include accessibility, height clearance, wind factor and noise factor. Residents were also consulted to ensure that they were happy with the idea and to allay any concerns.

He said: “ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park shows us what is possible when we think about how existing spaces can be utilised to better serve our growing sporting communities. Incorporating a pickleball sport facility into the existing Little India Bus Terminal is a practical way of optimising public spaces for sport.

“This also reflects our commitment to bringing active living closer to every Singaporean – whether they are new to sport or looking for a convenient venue to play regularly. This facility is part of our wider efforts to respond to the community’s passion for sport, making sport more accessible and providing more play opportunities for all.”

Yeo Teck Guan, LTA’s senior group director for public transport, added: “By retrofitting sections of Little India Bus Terminal into pickleball courts, we are optimising the use of available space while minimising impact on current Sunday bus operations serving migrant workers.

“This smart, dual-use arrangement allows the bus terminal to serve both transport and community needs, and we hope it will bring more communities together.”

Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo recently announced during a parliamentary debate that an additional 50 multi-purpose courts for badminton or pickleball use will be built islandwide over the next five years to address the growing interest among Singaporeans in these sports.

With the new Farrer Park facility, there are now more than 80 courts for pickleball across ActiveSG Sport Centres and dual-use scheme venues island wide.

Peak-hour slots will be allocated through a balloting system that opens 14 days in advance, while non-peak slots and unassigned peak-hour slots will be released on a first-come, first-served basis from 12 days prior to the booking date.

The courts are open for use from Mondays to Saturdays, from 9am to 9pm, while the facility continues to operate as a bus terminal on Sundays.

At the launch, members of the public had the opportunity to try pickleball, including the use of quiet play equipment.

The Moulmein-Cairnhill Community Sports Network also hosted a friendly pickleball competition among residents, allowing those living in the area to get to know their neighbours as they pitted their skills against one another.

Resident Augustus Surya Jayarajan, 18, said: “I enjoy playing a lot of sports like football and tennis, so hopefully pickleball won’t be hard to pick up. I think this new facility is a good social space to meet new people and continue healthy living through sport.”