A while back, it was announced that the basketball courts in Tampines have undergone a “circumcision” process of sorts:
That is to say; entire basketball rings have been removed from the hoops.
It was, selfie king MP Baey Yam Keng explained, an advanced measure to deter the crowd from infiltrating the premises, following the failure of methods such as implementing barriers or tapes in place.
The harsh decision to shut off the courts was reached after residents were spotted flouting maximum group size measures in the basketball courts, and participating without the use of masks.
Instances of loitering, littering and “noise pollution” also seemed to be prevalent.
And yet, even though the situation in Tampines has all but been “done and dusted”, one can’t help but wonder:
“What about the other areas in Singapore?”
After all, Tampines is just one of the many towns present in the nation. And if it’s liable to face such “jurisdictions”, what about one of the more infamous spots to have graced the international spotlight:
Yishun?
Yishun Basketball Court Will Be Closed at Night Due to ‘Noise Pollution’
Well, it seems that the basketball-lovers of Yishun will, too, soon be nursing itchy hands at night.
According to Mothership, the town council has cut off access to one particular basketball court in Yishun, after supposedly receiving reports of “noise pollution”.
As such, the court will be sealed off to the public after 10pm., and are reopened at 8am daily.
In a series of photos posted on Facebook, an evidently irritated basketballer showed the extreme measures that are taken during the sealed period.
On one end, the hoop was instilled with a metal grill and padlock.
On the other, a fan cover adorned the hoop, complete with tied netting.
Seemingly unaware of the council’s decision, the user appeared to be infuriated at whoever took matters into their own hands.
However, it appears that Netizens were still doubtful, with one proving sceptical to the very end.
A 34YO “old-virgin” S’porean was desperately looking for a boyfriend and surprisingly, she really found one online. But the intentions of the man will make you cry. Prepare tissue paper to watch this video based on real events:
And the doubtful Netizen followed up with further ‘evidence’:
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While speculative, it appears that the user was irate, not with the measures in place, but because of the hoops’ blockage even amidst the ‘legal’ timing.
Meanwhile, other Netizens took the opportunity to make a series of jokes.
Though whether they are the irate user’s cup of tea is another question altogether.
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Response
According to Mothership, Nee Soon Town Council has since responded to the matter at hand.
Apparently, the hoops at the Yishun Nature Park basketball court were made unavailable due to noise disturbances after 10:00 p.m.
The council had reportedly received complaints from residents pertaining to ‘noise pollution’ after 10:00 p.m.
“We received feedback from residents regarding ongoing noise from the court after 10pm which has caused disturbance to them resting at night,” it said.
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As such, the hoops are sealed from 10pm to 8am daily, and reopen at 8am
A notice has also been issued at the venue to inform users of the measure.
You can clearly see it in the aforementioned picture.
Not The First Instance In Yishun
But why do some people think it was due to COVID-19?
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Because the one that’s closed off is a different court; one that is also in Yishun but it sheltered.
Sometime back, a basketball court at Blk 110 Yishun Ring Road was closed off from use.
According to Zaobao, authorities received complaints about teenagers playing at the sheltered basketball court till wee hours at night.
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In addition, those who were playing at the basketball court were also smoking and chatting amongst themselves.
There were purportedly even times when groups of 20 to 30 people were sighted at the basketball court.
As such, the court was closed due to a blatant violation of safe distancing measures.
And even before that, another sheltered basketball court located beside Blk 165 Yishun Ring Road was also closed off to the public.
This basketball court is near the court located at Blk 110.
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It was barred from use two weeks before the court at Blk 110 was closed on 19 Sep 2020.
According to Zaobao, the tapes used to cordon off the court has been damaged.
In order to prevent residents from using the court, the movable basketball frame was then covered and shifted to one side of the court.