Pickleball players speak up after Stomp report, call for more indoor courts
Following a recent report on a resident's frustrations over pickleball noise near Block 14 Kampong Arang Road, some players have come forward to give their side of the story.
The original complaint came from Stomper Kel, a resident of One Fort condominium, who said the sound of daily pickleball matches from the courts beside Katong Community Centre are driving residents 'crazy'.
Kel, who works irregular hours, said games often run from early morning until late at night and have affected her mental wellness.
She has approached her Member of Parliament and the Marine Parade Town Council (MPTC), which has since placed advisories and plans to put up signs asking players to limit games between 9.30am and 10pm.
Now, pickleball players say there's another side to the story.
One Stomper alleged that the resident who had complained had also shouted vulgarities at the courts.
"You have not heard the side of the story where the complainer has screamed profanities like 'chao c*** b**' at the top of her lungs towards the courts," she said.
"I think she's contradicting herself by saying she supports an active lifestyle but has screamed multiple profanities down at the courts.
"There are daily noises coming from the construction nearby from 8am to 6pm, so how is knocking around a few balls worse off?"
The enthusiast added that she has witnesses from the pickleball group who have seen the outbursts and said she may record them if they happen again.
Kel told Stomp: "Yes, I did utter the F-word twice, however, I did not shout any vulgarity as I know it is useless.
"I am not the only resident who is upset. I was told by one of the pickleball group's members that eggs were thrown down during one of their games."
The Stomper reiterated that she is not asking for a ban but for "fairness and compromise".
"It's no joke having to bear with it for prolonged periods," she said.
"There are comments that mention I should move to the mountains if I want peace and quiet, they don't know we had peace before they invaded.
"These people like to play at people's backyards, how would they feel if it's the other way around? Talk is cheap."
Another player, Stomper Stacey, said the root cause of the issue is the shortage of proper facilities.
"We are urging the government to make available sufficient indoor courts or dedicated courts such as those at Delta and Jurong Town," she said.
"While we empathise with residents complaining about the noise, proper facilities are not enough to cater to the demand.
"I feel it is unfair to complain if it happens within 9am to 10pm. The rule of thumb is to respect peacefulness when people are turning in to rest for the night.
"It is the same if there's ongoing construction - what would a complaint bring if the construction complies with all regulations? Wouldn't that be even louder?"
The debate over pickleball noise has been simmering in Singapore for months.
In February, a Marine Parade resident said he was losing sleep due to daily matches, while players defended the sport as part of the neighbourhood's "routine" and credited it for bringing back the "kampung spirit".
In June, tensions escalated when a pickleball player was nearly hit by a stone allegedly thrown from a condominium unit in Telok Blangah.
