ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park Opens, Showcasing Creative Space Optimisation with Bus Terminal-Sports Integration

(From L-R) Mr Toh Boon Yi, Deputy CEO, Sport Singapore <far left>; Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry and Adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC Grassroots Organisations (Moulmein-Cairnhill) <in centre> and Mr Tan Hock Leong, Chief, ActiveSG, Sport Singapore <second from the right), posing with pickleball enthusiasts at the launch of the ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park. (Photo Credit: Sport Singapore)

Singapore, 14 March 2026 – The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (MCCY) recently announced at its Committee of Supply (COS) 2026 Debate that an additional 50 multipurpose 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. This initiative is part of Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) Sports Facilities Master Plan (SFMP), which aims to bring innovative, accessible, and affordable sporting facilities within a 10-minute walk from most homes by 2030.

Under this initiative, sections of the Little India Bus Terminal have been converted into eight dedicated pickleball courts, demonstrating how available space can be optimised into a new sporting venue for the community. Known as ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park, the facility was officially opened by Mr Alvin Tan, Minister of State for National Development and Trade & Industry and Adviser to Tanjong Pagar GRC Grassroots Organisations (Moulmein-Cairnhill). 

Developed by SportSG and supported by the Land Transport Authority (LTA), the facility demonstrates how spaces can be reimagined to meet evolving sporting needs and interests, while enabling different communities to share space in land-scarce Singapore. It is also part of the broader long-term development of sport facilities in the region, with SportSG planning for the development of ActiveSG Sport Village @ Farrer Park. When completed, it will include a sheltered swimming complex, multi-purpose play area, and inclusive gyms.

The launch comes as pickleball continues to grow in popularity in Singapore, with ActiveSG facility bookings increasing tenfold between 2023 and 2025. With the new ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park, there are now more than 80 courts allocated for pickleball across ActiveSG Sport Centres and dual-use scheme facilities island-wide. 

The pickleball courts at ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park are already available for booking via MyActiveSG+, and can be used by the public starting from 16 March 2026. 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 remain operational as a bus terminal on Sundays.

Fostering social bonds and neighbourliness through shared spaces

ActiveSG Courts @ Farrer Park, located amidst commercial, residential, and transient spaces, has been thoughtfully designed to bring people together by introducing a fast-growing, highly social sport to the heart of the neighbourhood. Beyond promoting physical activity, the courts serve as shared spaces that foster neighbourliness and strengthen social bonds.

At the launch, members of the public had the opportunity to try out the new courts, with pickleball equipment – including quiet pickleball play equipment – provided to enable players of all ages and levels to experience the sport. 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. 

“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,” said Mr Tan Hock Leong, Chief, ActiveSG, Sport Singapore.

“LTA is pleased to work with SportSG to provide more sport and community spaces for residents. 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,” said Mr Yeo Teck Guan, Senior Group Director, Public Transport, Land Transport Authority.