Officially reopened today as the KFF Badminton Arena by Minister for Sustainability and the Environment Grace Fu, who is also President of Singapore National Olympic Council, the historic site is no longer just a monument to Singapore’s sporting past. It has now developed into a lively community centre that hosts local and international competitions, supports training academies, and serves the wider community.
Officially opened in 1952, the Guillemard badminton stadium has witnessed some of Singapore’s most memorable sporting moments, from hosting the Thomas Cup in 1955 and 1958, to the 1983 SEA Games, where Wong Shoon Keat won Singapore’s first and only men’s singles gold medal.
Designated as a historic site in 1999, the hall was closed in 2008 after its lease expired. In September 2023, the Singapore Badminton Association (SBA) reclaimed the lease for 100 and 102 Guillemard Road on a 3+3+3-year term. Today, it reopens under its new name, the KFF Badminton Arena, and begins a new chapter.
Supported by a major revitalisation led by the Karim Family Foundation (KFF) in collaboration with SBA, the upgraded complex now features 12 courts – nine in the main 1,300-seat arena at 100 Guillemard Road, which retains the name Singapore Badminton Stadium, along with three premium courts with corporate boxes situated at 102 Guillemard Road. Additional amenities include a 24-hour gym, spa, food and beverage outlets, and a Li-Ning retail store.
Among those returning to familiar ground is former national shuttler Derek Wong, a two-time Olympian and Programme Director of Sunlight Badminton Academy.
“My father and I trained at Guillemard while representing Singapore on the national team,” said Wong. “We spent many years of our lives on these courts, and now it’s great to see them upgraded and serving the next generation of players we’re working with.”
Sunlight Badminton Academy is among several youth development academies that will utilise the facility, establishing it as both a heritage site and a modern hub for player development.
SBA also houses its Badminton Promotion Centre at the arena, expanding community programmes like the Young Shuttlers Programme, which aims to introduce 3,000 to 5,000 children to the sport each year.
Cindy Karim, Lead Principal of KFF, emphasised the venue’s legacy and renewed purpose: “Generations of homegrown badminton stars have spent years training and toiling on the Guillemard courts. We hope that the budding talents today will be inspired as they look up at billboards of the champions who have come before them.”
Modernisation extends beyond the courts. Over S$3 million in innovative training technology from JK Technology has been installed, including AI-powered cameras that can autonomously track gameplay, supporting both coaching and high-performance development.
SBA President Lawrence Leow said the arena was designed to balance history, community, and elite sport: “Infrastructure and facilities form the backbone of badminton development in Singapore. I’m confident this new hub will bring families together to eat, play, exercise and relax, and become a vibrant space for the community for years to come.”
At Guillemard, history isn’t being preserved behind glass. It’s back in motion.
Bookings can be here at https://booking.singaporebadminton.org.sg/.
