Singapore to Host 2015 Southeast Asian Games

Singapore has been approved to host the 2015 Southeast Asian Games, by the Southeast Asian Games Federation.

The bid was approved at a meeting in Palembang, Indonesia, on Saturday evening, local daily Straits Times said.

“Our neighbors in Asean have agreed for us to host the Games and we’re very grateful for that,” Singapore’s Deputy Prime Minister Teo Chee Hean was quoted as saying. “Now we have four years to plan for the games and, from now on, the planning will take place.”

Singapore first expressed interest in February to stage the event after the original host Cambodia said it did not have the resources to do it, and officially announced its bid last week. No other countries were bidding.

Teo said the main venue for the event will be upcoming Sports Hub, which will be built at a cost of 1.33 billion Singapore dollars (1.03 billion U.S. dollars) and will be ready by 2014.

“The swimming facilities will be there and many of the sports for the Southeast Asian Games in 2015 will be focused around the Sports Hub,” said Teo, who is also president of the Singapore National Olympic Council.