Team Nila Celebrates 10 Years of Bringing Singapore Together through Sport Volunteerism

• Volunteers and the community enjoyed a fun-filled carnival at Bukit Canberra ActiveSG Sport Centre, as part of a series of celebratory initiatives held in recognition of Team Nila’s contributions.

• Team Nila Gallery Locker Display exhibition highlights Team Nila’s legacy and accomplishments across the last 10 years.

• Estimated 10,000-strong volunteer workforce needed to support SG60 events including  World Aquatics Championships 2025 and World Para Swimming Championships 2025.

Singapore, 8 March 2025 – More than 5,000 people comprising volunteers, families, corporates, agency partners and the wider community came together today for the inaugural Team Nila Carnival to mark 10 years of sport volunteerism. The event celebrated Team Nila’s contributions, with plans to further empower existing volunteers and encourage more people to join the Team Nila community as part of the SG60 festivities.

The Team Nila Carnival was attended by Guest-of-Honour Mr Lawrence Wong, Prime Minister (PM) and Minister for Finance; as well as special guests Ms Grace Fu, Minister for Sustainability and the Environment and Minister-in-charge of Trade Relations; and Mr Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary (SPS), Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth (CCY) & Ministry of Social and Family Development. PM Wong, Minister Fu, and SPS Chua engaged with the Team Nila volunteers at the event, expressing gratitude for their contributions to Singapore’s sporting landscape over the past decade.

PM Wong was Minister (CCY) when Team Nila was launched in 2015 and contributed to Singapore’s successful hosting of the Southeast Asian (SEA) and ASEAN Para Games. Under Minister Fu’s stewardship as Minister (CCY) from 2015 to 2020, Team Nila continued to grow and make an impact, including supporting the early COVID-19 battle in 2020. Today, Team Nila is a 50,000-strong volunteer force, serving as a key pillar of Singapore’s sporting ecosystem.

Mr Alan Goh, CEO, Sport Singapore (SportSG), said, “Team Nila plays a pivotal role in bringing Singaporeans together through sport volunteerism. In the last 10 years, Team Nila has not only grown in numbers, but also in its depth and breadth of support. Today, Team Nila is a dependable and skilled volunteer force that leads and organises many events and programmes for our sports fraternity. We look forward to celebrating 10 years of Team Nila with the rest of Singapore in this very special SG60 year. We will continue to create more growth opportunities for our long-time volunteers, and welcome new volunteers with the many exciting initiatives in store in 2025.”

Team Nila has been instrumental in promoting a culture of giving and social cohesion through sport, providing support across five giving platforms – ActiveSG Sport Centres, Sporting Events, Academies and Clubs, SportCares and Active Health. Over the years, it has played a vital role by providing SportSG with day-to-day support at various sport centres and Active Health Labs, working with different segments of the community through programmes such as Play Inclusive and Play-Ability, and supporting world-class sporting events in Singapore such as the World Table Tennis Singapore Smash, Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon, and HSBC SVNS Singapore. Those with expertise in areas such as event photography, coaching and social media also give their time to the many events, thus playing a valuable role in contributing to the overall success of SportSG’s programmes and activities. Beyond the area of sport, Team Nila volunteers have also contributed at a national level and beyond, marching in the National Day Parade, putting together care packs during the COVID-19 pandemic, and even packing and sorting donation items for the victims of the 2023 earthquake in Turkey.

Some of these milestones and achievements were showcased in the Team Nila Gallery Locker Display, the centrepiece of the Team Nila Carnival which pays tribute to a decade of volunteer dedication. The exhibition featured photos of Team Nila’s contributions, hard work and commitment over the years, and details of significant milestones – including its presence at key events, support of Team Singapore in local and overseas competitions, and its service beyond the area of sport – that have transformed Team Nila into the volunteer force for good that it is today.

The display also showcased Team Nila’s t-shirts from across the last 10 years, with a spotlight placed on the revitalised Team Nila uniform unveiled in 2024. Featuring a lion emblem symbolising national pride, courage and resilience, the uniform has become an identifiable symbol of Team Nila at sporting events and programmes across Singapore. The uniform was signed on-site at the carnival by PM Wong, Minister Fu and SPS Chua, before being framed and displayed as the final touch to the exhibition.

Following its unveiling at the Team Nila Carnival, the exhibition will be making its way around Singapore for the rest of 2025, allowing the wider community to learn more about the impact that Team Nila has had on sport and sport volunteerism in Singapore in the last decade.

Team Nila Stepping Up in SG60 and Beyond

As Singapore gears up for SG60 with an exciting sporting calendar, Team Nila volunteers will continue to be at the forefront and play a key role in fostering a sense of belonging and pride within our community. A 10,000-strong volunteer force is estimated to contribute 250,000 hours towards supporting these major events, namely the World Aquatics Championships 2025, World Para Swimming Championships 2025, and the annual GetActive! Singapore National Day celebration through sport.

Plans are afoot to empower Team Nila volunteers to contribute meaningfully to SG60 initiatives and beyond. They include upcoming initiatives such as Project Reignite – a monthly engagement effort to strengthen volunteer engagement and encourage more to get involved, as well as expanded leadership and training pathways to equip volunteers with the necessary skills and experience.

Other Highlights of Celebrations

The Team Nila Carnival was a vibrant celebration filled with interactive zones, sport tryouts, fun-filled activities, and creative workshops designed to bring the community together. It was also an opportunity for Team Nila volunteers to enjoy the day along with friends and family – for them to relish in the celebrations, specially put together as a show of appreciation for their hard work.

Team Nila volunteers at the carnival also received their Team Nila friendship bands, which were included as part of the event goodie bag. Created by communities around Singapore, these unique, upcycled bands were made from decommissioned Team Nila t-shirts, and are a symbol of the wider community’s support and appreciation for Team Nila. Announced last December by SPS Chua, this initiative saw SportSG staff, public agencies, corporate partners and members of the public creating over 4,000 friendship bands for the volunteers ahead of the carnival.