Igniting Passion, Inspiring Change: New Programme Unveiled to Develop Future Volunteer Leaders

●     New Team Nila Leadership Programme to develop potential sport volunteer leaders for the future.
●     Team Nila Cheer Squad – ‘Team Nila Beats’ to be the heartbeat of Team Singapore. 
●     Close to 400 sport volunteers recognised at Team Nila Awards for outstanding contribution and commitment in 2023.

Singapore, 24 February 2024 – Team Nila, Sport Singapore’s volunteer force held its annual awards ceremony today, recognising 397 outstanding volunteers who have earned the Gold, Silver and Bronze awards [1]in recognition of their contribution and commitment in 2023. This is up from 305 awards given out in 2022, with the main increase in the Bronze category, signifying more volunteers coming forward to give back through sport. In 2023, about 5,500 Team Nila volunteers contributed close to 150,000 hours across 126 sporting and community events. These sport volunteers provided operational support at major sporting events and assisted with selected ActiveSG sport centre programmes. Our sport volunteers supported the National Day Parade (NDP) 2023 show segment and marching contingent, as well as assisted with the NDP air safety teams and was the key workforce at the National Day Heartland Festivals at five sites across Singapore.

New Leadership Programme for Team Nila Volunteers
Sport Singapore announced a new leadership programme to identify and groom potential Team Nila volunteer leaders. The programme will provide training to equip suitable volunteers with the essential skills and competencies needed for effective leadership. These potential leaders will focus on confidence building and be trained to excel and to lead in functions such as sport competition management, event logistics and manpower coordination. This is to develop leaders who are competent and confident in rallying and managing effective volunteer teams. The training combines a blend of e-learning and in-person workshops to develop vibrant groups of empowered Team Nila leaders.

The introduction of the leadership programme is timely, with the increased number of major sport events announced, including the World Aquatics Championship in 2025, the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games and ASEAN Para Games in 2029, which will require support from sport volunteers.

In addition, a new Team Nila Volunteer Training Roadmap was also announced, aimed at equipping all volunteers with the necessary skills set for a diverse range of deployment opportunities. The comprehensive training includes online and in-person sessions that emphasise functional and technical skills, as well as collaborations with partners such as the SGSecure Programme Office and the Singapore Civil Defence Force for the Responders Plus Programme and the Red Cross Academy for Psychological First Aid. Upon completion, volunteers will receive certificates, recognising their commitment to skills development and basic ability to respond and assist to emergencies whilst on duty.

Roaring with Pride with Team Nila Beats and New Team Nila Apparel
In 2023, members of Team Nila cheered Team Singapore athletes to victory at the SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games in Cambodia, and at the World Cup 2026 Qualifiers where our Lions took on Guam and Thailand. Members of the Team Nila cheer squad played a vital role in creating a rousing home ground atmosphere for Team Singapore athletes.

In supporting our athletes, ‘Team Nila Beats’, a volunteer-led cheering squad was formed as the heartbeat of Team Singapore. Team Nila Beats will rally Singaporeans to unite and passionately cheer on Team Singapore athletes towards success. Members will undergo training and cheering practices to create a lively and positive ambience at selected Major Games and competitions featuring Team Singapore.

Guest-of-Honour, Mr Edwin Tong, Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Second Minister for Law commended Team Nila volunteers’ commitment to give back: “Team Nila brings people from all walks of life together, united by a common passion for sports and the desire to serve the community. Our volunteers not only give their time and energy, but also their commitment and dedication in supporting sports activities in our communities. Their resounding cheers at competitions and matches motivates our athletes to go stronger and reach further. With the new leadership programme and training roadmap, as well as more organised cheerleading efforts, I believe our volunteers will continue to grow and make a greater impact on our sporting scene. My heartfelt congratulations to all the award winners!”

At the Awards event, Team Nila unveiled revitalised uniforms and apparel. The new line will enhance identity, through a standardised volunteer t-shirt design as well as practical apparel items, suitable for use during volunteering activities.

"Team Nila has seen incredible growth over the years, and the suite of new training programmes is an effective way for Sport Singapore to ensure all volunteers have the knowledge and practical skills to support the major games Singapore will be hosting, such as the World Aquatics Championships in 2025. To further strengthen the Team Nila identity, we introduced a new uniform featuring a lion emblem symbolising national pride, courage and resilience, values upheld by both our Team Singapore athletes and by Team Nila volunteers”, shared Mr Tan Hock Leong, Chief ActiveSG, Sport Singapore.

Close To 400 Team Nila Volunteers Recognised at The Awards Ceremony
Among this year’s award winners are gold recipient Lim Hwee Leng, a 53-year-old team leader who volunteered an astounding 525 hours combined. Bronze recipient Sim Shi Dian Pearly, a full-time teacher was recognised for her dedication, achieving close to 100 volunteering hours on the weekends. Ms Pearly constantly shares her volunteering efforts with her students and encourages them to give back to the community.

Mdm Rohaniah Mohamed, a 63-year-old Team Nila silver champion is always on the lookout for new volunteering opportunities. She maintains a young-at-heart philosophy and participated in the NDP cycling show segment contingent in 2023. This year, she put her hand up to rally Singaporeans to cheer on Team Singapore with Team Nila Beats.  Mr Vijaikumar s/o Rangabashayam, 50 years old, received the silver award. He started only in 2022 but has since been involved with the NDP Marching contingent and volunteered as Team Liaison Officer in 2023.

The awards ceremony was also attended by special guest, Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Culture, Community and Youth & Social and Family Development, accompanied by Mr Kon Yin Tong, Chairman of Sport Singapore and Mr Alan Goh, CEO Sport Singapore.

Volunteer opportunities for 2024 are now available on go.gov.sg/teamnilavolunteer. For more information, do visit go.gov.sg/teamnila.

[1] Awards criteria – Gold: 360 hours, Silver: 180 hours, Bronze: 90 hours or more