SINGAPORE: Work on the temporary facility in Kallang for the World Aquatics Championship has begun, with organisers targeting it to be ready by the end of May next year.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a media session when a first tranche of sponsorships for the event was announced, organising committee co-chairperson Mark Chay revealed that works have already started.

"We're preparing the ground, the foundations for us to actually build (the facility)," he added.

The multi-discipline World Aquatics Championships will be held in Singapore from Jul 11 to Aug 3 next year, after being relocated from its original Russian venue in response to the invasion of Ukraine.

The plan is for the facility to host the Southeast Asia Age Group Swimming Championships as a test event in mid-June, said Mr Chay.

"We ... hope to inspire future generations of Southeast Asian swimmers and aquatics champions to be able to use the facility and when they are back home, say that they swam in the same venue as this person who broke a world record," he added.

"It's not only just important for Singapore but the whole Southeast Asian community as well."

The temporary venue will house a competition pool, a warm-up pool, spectator seats and dedicated areas for community events. It will have a seating capacity of about 4,800.

In July, organisers announced that water polo and diving events would be held at the Sports Hub's OCBC Aquatic Centre, while swimming and artistic swimming events would take place in temporary pools in the car park of Leisure Park Kallang mall.

Sentosa would host open-water swimming and high diving.

“On balance, and having considered factors such as cost, factors such as downtime of the Indoor Stadium and National Stadium, the decision was it's best to hold (the events) in the Singapore Aquatic Centre and build a very nice facility in Carpark G," said Mr Alan Goh, who co-chairs the organising committee and is also chief executive of Sport Singapore.

A report published by the South China Morning Post in July cited unnamed sources who said the swimming events had to be relocated as costs were underestimated in the initial bid.

They said the initial plan was to use the 55,000-seat National Stadium, and that organ...