Parent stops bringing kids to Heartbeat@Bedok tennis classes over exhaust fumes concerns

A parent has raised concerns about persistent exhaust odours and fumes at the tennis courts in Heartbeat@Bedok, claiming the issue has been affecting players for months.

Stomper Yeo, who used to bring his children to ActiveSG tennis lessons every Sunday, said he started noticing the problem sometime before Chinese New Year.

"The smell was not apparent before CNY 2026, but took a turn for the worse during this period," he told Stomp.

According to Yeo, the courts are sometimes engulfed by a strong exhaust smell, particularly around lunchtime.

"We can even see white fumes or smoke during meal preparation time. The whole court will be filled with an exhaust smell even when no visible fumes are seen."

The concerned parent has since stopped bringing his children to lessons there. "We are not returning already," he said.

He acknowledged that the fumes are not visible in photos and videos shared with Stomp, but maintained that he has “personally seen white fumes before”.

Issue not adequately addressed, says Stomper

Yeo said he and other parents have raised feedback with various agencies, including SportSG. However, he feels the issue has not been adequately addressed.

"The ActiveSG coach also complained about the exhaust and even encouraged parents to complain to the building management," alleged Yeo.

He added that the coach had mentioned one student previously felt unwell during class and had to stop participating, although Yeo did not witness the incident himself.

Yeo believes the courts should be closed or lessons should be moved elsewhere if safety assurances cannot be made.

"This is physical exercise. Players can inhale extra fumes during exertion," he said.

"If the authorities cannot provide a public statement that the court is safe to use, they should probably close the court or reschedule classes to other venues rather than toy with public health and safety."

SportSG: Air quality within acceptable ranges

In response to Stomp's queries, a SportSG spokesperson said on June 22 that it received the Stomper’s feedback earlier this year and immediately worked with the facility's management agent to mitigate the issue.

The spokesperson said the exhaust systems underwent thorough servicing and additional deep cleaning, while an air quality expert was engaged to assess conditions at the courts.

"The findings confirmed that the air quality measurements at the venue were non-toxic and well within acceptable ranges."

SportSG added that it would continue monitoring the situation.

"The safety of our members remains our priority. We will continue to monitor the air quality at these tennis courts and ensure that the tenants at Heartbeat@Bedok carry out the necessary maintenance of their exhaust equipment."

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