Play Inclusive 2025 Brings Together More Than 2,200 Participants as Part of Efforts Under Disability Sports Master Plan

• Interactive learning journeys and unified tennis tryouts introduced to deepen engagement with the community.

• More than 2,200 participants, including 1,200 athletes and unified partners, participated in the two-day event, comprising inclusive sports competitions and tryouts.

• Over 500 volunteers from Team Nila, schools, corporates, and public agencies supported the programme.

GOH Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry taking a group photo with partners and participants at the Play Inclusive 2025 Opening Ceremony. (Credit: SportSG/Lawrence Loh)

Singapore, 23 August 2025 – Play Inclusive, Singapore’s largest inclusive sports competition, returned for its eighth edition this year, bringing inclusive sports experiences to more communities than before. Held on 22 and 23 August 2025^[1], the two-day event brought together more than 2,200 participants. This includes 1,200 athletes and unified partners^[2] in the various sports competitions, as well as students and members of the public who participated in the learning journeys, tryouts, and activities across multiple venues at the Singapore Sports Hub. Over 500 volunteers from Team Nila, schools, corporates, and public agencies supported the programme, showcasing the growing reach of inclusive sports across the nation.

As a key strategic move of the refreshed Disability Sports Master Plan announced in 2024, the aim is to more than double Play Inclusive’s outreach from 1,200 to 3,000 participants by 2030. This will create more opportunities for communities to connect, compete and celebrate one another through sport.

The main highlight of the event – the inclusive sports competition – which is culmination of a three-month training period^[3] for athletes and their unified partners, featured a total of 10 sports this year, including badminton, basketball, boccia, floorball, football, goalball, soundball, wheelchair rugby, and football and basketball skills challenges (See Annex A for the sports competition offerings and its target group).

Play Inclusive 2025 was officially declared open by Guest-of-Honour Ms Low Yen Ling, Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry. In celebration of SG60 this year, the SG60 Voices of Inclusion flag was unveiled during the ceremony. Created with contributions from mainstream and special education schools, the flag symbolises Singapore’s journey towards a more inclusive society, reflecting unity and a collective commitment to inclusion in sport and society.

Deepening Engagement through Inclusive Sports Experiences

Unified tennis tryouts were offered for the first time in partnership with ActiveSG Tennis Academy, where sighted participants experienced simulated visual impairments and also participated in wheelchair tennis. This immersive format helps foster empathy and understanding among participants, and serves as a preparation for the inclusion of unified tennis in next year’s competition offerings. In addition to tennis tryouts, this year’s inclusive sports tryouts line-up also include athletics, basketball, boccia, cornhole, floorball, javelin and soundball (See Annex B for an overview of the venues and key activities).

For the first time, specially curated and interactive learning journeys were conducted for mainstream schools, involving nearly 300 participants across various levels — from primary and secondary to tertiary institutions. During these sessions, participants tried out inclusive sports such as boccia and soundball, spectated various unified competitions live, and also visited partner booths by ActiveSG, Active Health, National Library Board, Enabling Services Hub and National Youth Council to learn more about the needs of differently abled community and importance of sports, health and inclusiveness.

Mr Marcus Tan, Chief of Sport Development Group, who oversees Sport Singapore’s philanthropic arm SportCares, said, “Play Inclusive is more than a competition — it’s a platform that brings people together to experience and celebrate inclusive sport. In this SG60 year, the event reflects the spirit of unity and inclusion, as engagement grows across schools, corporates, volunteers, and the wider community. Through initiatives like the learning journeys and unified sports activities, we are creating opportunities for everyone to connect, learn, and participate — helping to build a Singapore where inclusive sport is truly a lived experience for all. We hope to expand its reach to even more communities in the years ahead, supporting our broader goal of enabling more people to experience the benefits of inclusive sport.”

Dr Teo-Koh Sock Miang, President of Special Olympics Singapore and Singapore Disability Sports Council, said, “Play Inclusive, as a national initiative to promote unified sports, continues to serve as a vital platform for fostering understanding, inclusion, and shared learning. Through strategic collaboration with Ministry of Education, corporate and volunteer unified partners have opportunities to train alongside athletes with special needs from special schools, outreach disability sport programmes and other allied social service agencies. We continue to be heartened to witness the consistent display of empathy, teamwork, and sportsmanship among all participants, reaffirming the transformative power of unified sports.”

Growing Support from Partners

Play Inclusive continues to see strong support from a diverse range of stakeholders, including schools, corporations, and sporting organisations. More than 90 partners — ranging from schools, adult disability organisations, and corporate groups — came today for this year’s event, reflecting a continued and shared commitment to advancing inclusive sports in Singapore. This is more than twice the number when the event was first launched in 2018, where there were 38 pioneer partners on board.

Liz Nur Hannah Binte Loqman Nul Hakim, 13, from APSN Katong School, said, "I enjoy playing sports like basketball and volleyball, so I am very happy to take part in Play Inclusive this year. It gives me the opportunity to make new friends and interact with students from other schools. Through the training sessions, I also got to practise and improve my basketball skills, for example learning how to shoot into the hoop, dribble while running, and keep my eyes forward while playing, instead of focusing on the ball. I am grateful to my teammates from Bedok View Secondary School for sharing these useful tips and always being supportive."

Hannah’s unified partner Tan Yixin Lovelyn, 15, from Bedok View Secondary School, said, "I joined Play Inclusive for the first time this year, and it’s been such a fun experience. Basketball has always been a big part of my life, but playing with Hannah and the team has taught me so much. I’ve seen her grow in confidence, especially in her communication, and moments like when one of our teammates scored and everyone cheered really showed me how powerful sport can be in bringing people together."

Play Inclusive is co-organised by SportCares, Special Olympics Singapore, and Singapore Disability Sports Council, with the support of participating schools from the Ministry of Education. It is one of the key highlights of GetActive! Singapore 2025, to bring Singapore residents across all backgrounds together to celebrate National Day through engagement in sports and ultimately encourage Singaporeans to stay healthy and lead healthier lives. This year, the event is held across various locations at the Singapore Sports Hub, including the OCBC Arena, Kallang Tennis Hub, OCBC Square and for the first time, at Kallang Football Hub.

For more information on Play Inclusive 2025, kindly visit  https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/getactive-singapore/play-inclusive. For more information on GetActive! Singapore 2025, kindly visit https://www.activesgcircle.gov.sg/getactive-singapore.

[1] 22 August was a closed-door event where participants were classified into different divisions, based on their type and degree of impairment. The main event, featuring the inclusive sports activities and public engagements, is held on 23 August.

[2] Unified partners refer to persons without disabilities who team up with athletes with disabilities or individuals who may require additional support to compete together, promoting inclusivity while facilitating connections and interactions between people of all abilities.

[3] Each team will train together for a minimum of four sessions, with the flexibility to continue with as many additional sessions as they wish.