Latest news with #GAVINFOO
Straits Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Straits Times
Instead of Sunday brunch, some Singaporeans now opt for a game of pickleball
Video game producer Janine Campbell plays pickleball twice a week - once during a group lesson with Performance Pickleball, and the other with her family and friends. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Instead of Sunday brunch, some Singaporeans now opt for a game of pickleball SINGAPORE – Once a week, video game producer Janine Campbell picks up a paddle, grabs her visor and wristband and heads for a pickleball lesson after work. After her husband introduced her to the sport, she enrolled herself in group lessons at Performance Pickleball , an indoor facility in Punggol, in January. 'It's fun and I really like the sport,' said Campbell, 45. 'I'm at my desk constantly and pickleball lets me get some fresh air, laughter and exercise in a really fun way.' She is among many Singaporeans who are picking up this racket sport. The sport – a cross between tennis and table tennis, played on a badminton-sized court – was invented in the United States in the 1960s, and is known to be popular among seniors, due to its low-impact nature. Now, pickleball courts are frequented by the young and old for corporate bonding sessions and as a Sunday family activity. Professionals, hobbyists and businesses have observed an uptake in interest and participation in recent years. 'In the past, youth described pickleball as a sport for seniors, but it is now described as the 'in' sport,' said president of Singapore Pickleball Association Lim Ee Kiong , adding that this can be attributed to the sport's social nature. Pickleball is also easier to pick up than other racket sports, said founders of Performance Pickleball and former national tennis players Jeremy Soh and Jeovanne Poernomo . Performance Pickleball founders Jeovanne Poernomo and Jeremy Soh have grown the community to one that has more than 5,000 members. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO 'The court is smaller, the ball is slower, and the paddle is lighter – it's a lot easier because you don't have to wield a long racket,' said Soh. 'Compared to padel and tennis, the risk of injury is a lot lower, the explosiveness required and the strain on your joints is a lot less.' Soh and Poernomo opened the sports club and facility in July 2024, and it now has over 5,000 members. New joiners can opt for a one-day course – which is possible since the sport is easy to pick up – said Poernomo, and the club also offers group and private lessons as well as court bookings. 'There's a real community spirit and vibe. Through classes and games, finding people to play a game with is much easier, especially since the sport is quite popular now,' said Campbell. Its popularity has spread islandwide – there are currently over 5,000 active players, and more than a fifth of them compete in tournaments. Bookings at the 30 public pickleball courts have more than tripled since 2023, said a spokesperson for national sports agency Sport Singapore. Public interest groups at ActiveSG sport halls in neighbourhoods such as Jurong West, Clementi and Bedok have more than 2,000 members, added the spokesperson. One of these members is Chua Cheng Yao, 25, who joins a group in north-eastern Singapore for weekly sessions at community centres or outdoor courts. She also plays with a regular group of friends about thrice a week, usually at the tennis court of a condominium. She picked up pickleball, which she said seemed 'less intimidating' and social, in 2024 as she wanted to continue playing sport after graduating from university. 'Pickleball is easy to start but hard to master, and that's what makes it so fun and addictive,' she said. Businesses ride the trend Tennis players have been flocking to courts on the rooftop of Suntec City since sports club MBP Sports opened a facility there in 2005. In 2022, paddles joined tennis rackets as the club started offering pickleball memberships after noticing interest from both locals and expatriates. 'It's going crazy, especially with the corporates, and families are picking it up too,' said founder Chris Mullins . Pickleball court bookings are almost full during after-work hours on weekdays and throughout the day on weekends, and MBP hosts about two corporate sessions a week, he added. Businesses are capitalising on the boom – retailers are stocking their shelves with equipment and coaches are offering more lessons. At sports retailer Sportsshop SG , shelves were reorganised to make room for pickleball equipment in 2023, following requests from customers. The retailer, which has two stores in Singapore, has since more than tripled its product offerings for the sport. Sportsshop SG has more than tripled its product offerings for pickleball since 2023. PHOTO: SPORTSSHOP SG It decided to bring in products catering to all levels, from beginners to competitive players, after they noticed that Singaporeans were looking for variety and quality, said a spokesman. Even eateries want a piece of the pie: Bubble tea chain PlayMade expanded their brand offerings beyond drinks, and started selling pickleball equipment online in 2024. Playmade's team designed and produced three types of paddles meant for different skill levels, and even submitted the model for professionals to USA Pickleball for certification. The chain has also organised pickleball tournaments and open play sessions, handing out drinks or drink vouchers to participants. The bubble tea chain PlayMade has organised coaching clinics, leagues and open play sessions since it piloted its pickleball project in early 2024. PHOTO: PLAYMADE SINGAPORE Growing the sport here Soh is convinced that pickleball's loyal following is here to stay, but acknowledges that support is needed to grow the sport through programmes, facilities and tournaments. He said: 'A lot of what we do, we don't do it for profit and we're really trying to create a better community. It's about the laughter and fun, it's about having to chill, hang out and de-stress after work.' The Singapore Pickleball Association organises and funds multiple tournaments, such as the Pesta Sukan and Singapore Pickleball Open, despite having to fork out money as it is 'impossible to break even', said its president Lim. He added: 'As the national sports association, we recognise that tournaments are instrumental... We hope more sponsors would be able to support the sport financially. Our current objective is to establish a lively culture based on sporting values.' The association has been working with schools to incorporate the sport in the physical education curriculum, and it has organised competitions such as the inter-school pickleball tournament on May 10, which featured 13 teams from nine schools. Students from River Valley High School look on as their schoolmate plays in a match at the Inter-School Pickleball Tournament on May 10. PHOTO: SINGAPORE PICKLEBALL ASSOCIATION/FACEBOOK But the sport has yet to be recognised as a co-curricular activity and make its appearance at the National School Games, which is what the association hopes to push for, said Lim. He hopes it will also eventually be among the sports included in the direct school admission programme. For pickleball athletes such as Soh, having the sport featured on a bigger stage would be a sure-fire way to make its mark. 'I hope to see the sport in the SEA Games soon,' said Soh, who has competed in pickleball tournaments abroad. 'Asians are generally pretty good at sports played in smaller spaces.' 'I think Asian pickleball will eventually match up to that of the United States and Europe, and even surpass them.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
5 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Fast Lane: New Toyota RAV4 here in 2026, ride in Kia EV5 on a rooftop track
Hot SUV: The new Toyota RAV4 is expected to arrive in Singapore in 2026. PHOTO: TOYOTA Fast Lane: New Toyota RAV4 here in 2026, ride in Kia EV5 on a rooftop track Toyota RAV4 in 2026 The latest Toyota RAV4 was unveiled on May 21 and the car is going to be in Singapore in 2026. This is the first time that the mid-sized sport utility vehicle (SUV) is available in the GR Sport trim. Besides having a more sporty-looking bodykit over the Core and Adventure versions of the RAV4, the GR Sport has a 20mm wider wheel track, performance suspension dampers, strengthened rear suspension brace and a specifically tuned steering system. All three versions have slightly different front-end and wheel arch moulding design. The interior looks more rugged than the current-generation RAV4, which has been on sale in Singapore since 2019 and facelifted in 2022. With the rear seats in use, the new car has a boot capacity of 749 litres, up from 733 litres before. The car will also have Toyota's new multimedia system, which is more customisable and responsive than earlier versions. In terms of powertrain, a new plug-in hybrid system with an electric driving range of 150km and an improved hybrid system were mentioned. A spokeswoman for Borneo Motors, Toyota's Singapore distributor, said the new car will 'most likely' be launched here in 2026, although pricing and the variants available for Singapore are yet to be confirmed. Book a ride on a rooftop in the Kia EV5 Joyrider: From early June, the Kia EV5 will take on the banked Skytrack on the rooftop of the Hyundai plant in Bulim Avenue. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO From early June, the Kia EV5 electric sport utility vehicle will be used to give passenger rides on the 620m-long Skytrack on the rooftop of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore at the Jurong Innovation District. The banked track is otherwise used for final quality checks on new electric vehicles before they are handed over to their owners. The passenger ride is free, but must be booked in advance. For details , go to The EV5 is the first Kia electric vehicle to be assembled at the Hyundai-owned plant in Bulim Avenue. Three versions were announced on May 28 – the 400km-range Air that uses a 100kW motor; Earth, which is just as powerful but has a longer 540km range; and the GT Line, a 230kW dual-motor EV that is said to be able to travel 470km on a full charge. The new EV5 is now at the Kia showroom at 239 Alexandra Road and is priced from $194,000 with certificate of entitlement (COE). Customised-in-Bali motorcycle at London show Indo-mean: The aggressively styled Phoenix motorcycle is the creation of a workshop in Bali, Indonesia. PHOTO: ROYAL ENFIELD Royal Enfield presented seven modified motorcycles at the Bike Shed Moto Show London 2025 held from May 23 to 25. Among them was the Phoenix, which was the creation of Mr Putu Ajus Mulyawarman, owner of AMS Garage in Bali, Indonesia. The dramatic Phoenix is based on a Royal Enfield Super Meteor 650 with low-riding, 'tribal style' bodywork that is made from exposed aluminium. Royal Enfield is one of the oldest motorcycle brands, having been in operation since 1901. In 1994, it was sold to multinational automotive company Eicher Motors . Today, it is active in 60 countries, including Singapore. Right-hand-drive Vietnamese EV Primed for export: The launch of the right-hand-drive version VinFast VF6 in Indonesia opens the possibility for the EV brand to come to Singapore. PHOTO: VINFAST VinFast Auto, the carmaker under Vietnam's Vingroup, unveiled the right-hand-drive version of its VF6 in Indonesia. This is an electric SUV that rivals the BYD Atto 3 in size and paves the way for the brand to be introduced in other right-hand-drive countries in the region, including Singapore. The VF6 Eco is powered by a single 130kW motor and is said to be able to travel up to 480km on a full-charge under the New European Driving Cycle test procedure, which is more optimistic than the Worldwide Harmonized Light Vehicles Test Procedure standard adopted by Singapore. The higher-grade VF6 Plus has a 150kW motor and an operating range of 460km. In Indonesia, the car comes with free charging until March 1, 2028, at VinFast-operated stations. VinFast's chief executive and founder Pham Nhat Vuong told shareholders in April that due to high logistics fees in North America and Europe, the company is pushing expansion into Asian markets instead. Chinese carmakers questioned over 'zero-mileage' used cars The Chinese government is looking into the increasing number of used cars on sale that have never been driven, according to a Reuters report. This comes after Mr Wei Jianjun, chairman of Great Wall Motor, said in a separate report that the industry's years-long price war has caused the emergence of 'second-hand cars with zero mileage' in the Chinese market. An unnamed source in the Reuters article said carmakers and dealers were potentially doing this to meet aggressive sales targets. It is possible to find pre-owned cars with hardly any mileage on sale in Singapore. While there are no rules against this practice here, industry insiders opined that pre-registering cars without actual buyers artificially inflates demand for COEs. Monster Jam tickets selling fast Motor mania: Monster trucks will be performing stunts at the National Stadium on Aug 23. PHOTO: MONSTER JAM Tickets to catch trucks weighing more than five tonnes performing stunts at the National Stadium on Aug 23 are said to be selling fast. The show begins at 6pm, while the Pit Party, where ticket holders can get close to the vehicles, happens from 1 to 4pm. The tickets are priced from $25 and are available through Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Straits Times
6 days ago
- Health
- Straits Times
Methodist Welfare Services launches platform to match volunteers with suitable opportunities
A demonstration of The Healing Nation digital portal at the launch of the initiative held at the Methodist Welfare Services Nursing Home on May 29. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO SINGAPORE – Individuals, businesses and community groups can now be matched to suitable volunteer opportunities on a new volunteer portal called The Healing Nation. Launched by Methodist Welfare Services (MWS) to mark SG60 and the 140th year of the Methodist Church in Singapore, the platform hopes to boost volunteerism here. There are 143 volunteer opportunities with more than 100 charities that cater to different interests, needs and availability. These include facilitating workshops for children, offering seniors barber services, befriending rough sleepers and supporting persons with intellectual disability in water play. The charities work with the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth's 24 SG Cares Volunteer Centres, which are community-based organisations in each town appointed to coordinate volunteer efforts and resources to meet community needs. The charity shared its plans at a media briefing at the MWS Nursing Home in Eunos on May 29. MWS hopes to get people to pledge a total of 1.4 million hours of volunteer service in 2025. Close to 180,000 volunteer hours have been pledged by Methodist schools, churches and individuals since the platform was piloted within Singapore's Methodist community in April. The platform is now open to everyone in Singapore. Built by fund-raising platform the volunteer platform's algorithm uses artificial intelligence to learn users' preferences and improve matches over time. The platform can also track the hours of community service clocked by the individual or organisation. (From left) Kampong Kapor Community Services executive director Lee Yean Wun, Methodist Welfare Services board of governance chairman Eugene Toh, Bishop Philip Lim, Methodist Welfare Services CEO Calvin Ngo, and founder and CEO Pong Yu Ming at the launch of The Healing Nation initiative at the Methodist Welfare Services Nursing Home on May 29. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Separately, MWS also aims to raise $1.4 million to fund social and healthcare services beyond its own services. It will hold an open call for charities to receive funds to help 1,000 families. About $600,000 has been raised so far. Mr Eugene Toh, chairman of the MWS board of governance, said many charities here have been building their own volunteer bases, but MWS hopes to help spur greater partnership in the care sector with shared resources and mutual support. 'In a world where things are interconnected, whether it's ageing, chronic illness or isolation, our response must also be interconnected,' he said. The Healing Nation platform will run until February 2027. Speaking at the Agency for Integrated Care (AIC) Community Care Work Plan Seminar 2025 on May 28, Health Minister Ong Ye Kung had highlighted the growing demand for community care to meet the needs of Singapore's ageing population. He said the 'centre of gravity' of care will shift from hospitals to communities, helping seniors who are healthy to stay healthy, and those with chronic diseases to manage them well. MWS started in 1981 as a small nursing home, and has since grown to 23 centres, with programmes serving more than 16,700 families and individuals who experience poor health and financial distress. The charity provides services such as casework, counselling, medical and rehabilitative care, home-based, community-based and residential care, as well as a debt clearance and asset building scheme. Madam Li Chang, 50, was recommended by The Healing Nation platform to volunteer at the charity Riding for the Disabled Association Singapore in April. The housewife volunteers for 2½ hours on Wednesday mornings, helping to facilitate equine therapy programmes for people with special needs. Madam Li, who has previously volunteered at the MWS Nursing Home in Yew Tee offering pastoral care to residents, said she had wanted to try something new. 'I grew up in the city, so I'm fascinated by horses,' she said in Mandarin. She also hopes to take her 18-year-old son, who has autism, to an equine therapy session. Those interested can sign up for volunteer opportunities at The Healing Nation website at while organisations that wish to upload their volunteer opportunities can e-mail mcs140thn@ Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
7 days ago
- Automotive
- Straits Times
Kia launches first EV assembled in Singapore
A Kia EV5 being driven on the sky track at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre on May 28, 2025. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO SINGAPORE – The first electric Kia to be assembled in Singapore – and sold exclusively here – is now on the market. The Kia EV5, a five-seat sport utility vehicle sold by Cycle & Carriage, was previewed four months ago at the Singapore Motorshow in January. Assembling an EV5, which involves around 200 robots, takes seven hours. About 67 per cent of the assembly and inspection process is automated, said Dr Hyun Sung Park, chief executive of the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Centre (HMGICS). South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Group owns both Hyundai and Kia. The model is slightly smaller overall than the Tesla Model Y and the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and comes in three versions. Two versions have a power output of 100kW, qualifying them for a Category A certificate of entitlement (COE), while the third variant is a Category B car with a power output of 230kW. These cars have an operating range of between 400km and 540km on a full charge, and prices start from $194,000 with COE. The EV5, the fourth electric vehicle (EV) to be assembled at HMGICS in the Jurong Innovation District, will not be exported elsewhere. This is also the case for the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Hyundai Ioniq 6 assembled at the plant. The Hyundai Ioniq 5 robotaxi is also assembled here, but is exported to the US. Kia Asia Pacific president and chief executive Kevin Ahn described the launch of the EV5 in Singapore as a significant milestone. Globally, the brand aims to sell 4.2 million EVs by 2030, he adde d. The South Korean brand delivered 3.1 million vehicles in 2024, comprising EVs and combustion engine models. HMGICS started assembling cars in 2023 and was said to be able to produce up to 30,000 EVs annually. The plant's spokesman declined to give the annual output figures, saying that this is influenced by market demand. Vehicles are produced when they are ordered, with a 'small buffer' to minimise the waiting period for customers, he said. 'Achieving a large production volume isn't our primary objective. Our main focus remains to be serving as a global innovation hub for Hyundai Motor Group,' the spokesman added. Land Transport Authority data shows that Hyundai registered 708 EVs in Singapore in 2024, up from 693 units in 2023. This includes the locally assembled Ioniq 5 and 6 models, and other EV models imported from abroad. Meanwhile, Kia registered 48 EVs in 2024, down from 53 units the year before. Lee Nian Tjoe is senior transport correspondent at The Straits Times, where he also oversees the Motoring section. Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
Straits Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Visually impaired users in Singapore may soon use voice commands to book a Grab ride
Visually impaired users will be able to speak to the Grab app similar to how one talks to a friend. ST PHOTO: GAVIN FOO Visually impaired users in Singapore may soon use voice commands to book a Grab ride SINGAPORE – Ride-hailing operator Grab is testing a voice assistant feature to allow visually-impaired users in Singapore to book rides using voice commands. Visually-impaired users will be able to speak to the Grab app similar to how one talks to a friend, as the new artificial intelligence (AI) tool will converse with them to confirm or clarify information needed to book a ride. A launch date for the feature has not been set. Announcing this among a slate of upcoming features at the launch of its AI centre of excellence on May 23, Grab said that its new centre will hire at least 50 product, engineering, data science and analytics professionals by the end of 2025 . It declined to disclose the cost of the new centre at its headquarters in One-North. Speaking at the launch, Grab's chief technology officer Suthen Thomas said: 'The promise of generative AI is that it will make computing more accessible, enabling people to interact with technology and computing in ways that are more intuitive and natural.' Describing the voice assistant feature as one that Grab built with the community, Mr Thomas said that members of the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped have participated in focus group discussions and were involved in testing the feature. He added that the members' insights allowed the platform to better understand the needs of those who are visually impaired, but did not disclose the number of trial users. Grab employees, too, have donated 80,000 voice samples to improve the speech-to-text model, such that it is able to understand Singaporean accents and speaking nuances for names of locations and points of interest. The platform will also be launching a voice donation initiative in June , calling for Grab users to donate voice samples in which they are reciting the names of locations or buildings, to help improve the accuracy of this voice assistant feature. Beyond supporting visually-impaired users, Mr Thomas said Grab will continue enhancing this feature to improve its accuracy and explore ways to extend its use to elderly users. Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, who is also Minister for Trade and Industry, said at the event: 'We set out to encourage and support companies to set up AI centres of excellence... in order to allow us to build new capabilities, develop solutions and drive value creation through AI.' He added: 'Besides uplifting industry know-how, these AI centres of excellence will also serve to uplift the capabilities of our workforce and enable us to train and grow our pool of AI talent and practitioners.' Other AI-powered tools introduced by Grab at the launch include the use of real-world data collected by its drivers in a real-time flood monitoring system helmed by national water agency PUB. This collaboration, which started in early-2025 , allows the platform's drivers and PUB to receive accurate flood alerts, which in turn minimises traffic disruption during heavy rains. It is enabled by Grab's in-house technological equipment, including outward-facing dashcams that will be installed on vehicles, which can capture and process real-world data such as the presence of flooding, heavy rain, potholes and traffic conditions. Drivers themselves can also report or confirm sightings of floods via voice commands, and the system can redirect other drivers to alternative routes to help them avoid closed or flooded roads, noted Grab. There are currently only three such dashcams in operation here, but the firm is in the process of rolling more out. Another new feature being trialled among majority of drivers in Singapore is an AI driver companion, which offers them real-time recommendations of specific spots where they are more likely to get rides. Each driver will receive tailored recommendations. Grab noted that this is an improvement to the previous heatmap function that directs all drivers to wider areas with potentially high demand, as there used to be a problem of over-supply when drivers moved towards the same hotspot at the same time. On AI making jobs redundant, Mr Thomas said that Grab sees AI allowing employees to create more impact and explore new spaces to solve new problems. 'Obviously, we're always looking at being prudent with cost, but that would have been true with or without AI,' he added. To support companies in their AI march, DPM Gan said that the Government will progressively ramp up its national data centre capacity from 1.4 gigawatts to 2 gigawatts by 2030 , as well as establish partnerships with major computing players ranging from chipmakers to cloud service providers. DPM Gan noted that the Government wants to raise the number of AI practitioners here to 15,000 over the next three to five years . 'Through attracting and anchoring companies like Grab to Singapore, we can continue to create good jobs and opportunities for Singapore and Singaporeans,' he said. More on this Topic Grab to roll out Teen accounts, AI to detect tyre screeches and potential danger Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
