The Community Counts Down To The Inaugural Singapore National Games 2012

The Community Counts Down To The Inaugural Singapore National Games 2012

Close To 5,000 People Are Expected To Play in 10 Sports Across The Island To Ignite Passion, Bond and Build Friendship in the Games!

Singapore, 15 August 2012 - With 16 days to go to the start of the inaugural Singapore National Games (SNG), Steering Committee chairmen, Mr Lim Teck Yin, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Singapore Sports Council (SSC) and Mr Yam Ah Mee, Chief Executive Director (CED) of People's Association (PA), rallied the community to support and cheer on their neighbours of all ages, races and estates at the Games, from 1 to 9 September 2012. More details of this milestone community sporting event were also shared by the SNG Organising Committee today.

2. Commenting on the Games as the start draws closer, Mr Lim Teck Yin, CEO of SSC said, "The first-ever opening ceremony of the Singapore National Games represents a significant milestone in the history of Sporting Singapore and it is a reflection of the growing popularity of community sports in Singapore and the way it bonds people and brings the community together. We look forward to watching Singapore's sporting spirit in action and wish our community athletes all the best at the Games!"

3. Sharing his thoughts on the Community Games 2012 held from 15 April to 15 July 2012 that led to the first edition of the SNG, Chief Executive Director of PA, Mr Yam Ah Mee said, "The Community Games has successfully seen over 1,000 teams comprising residents from both public and private estates of all ages, races and backgrounds enjoying and competing in the seven sports as a community while forming relationships. I am sure the strong community spirit will continue throughout the SNG as we see more sporting heroes from the different communities coming together to participate in the friendly games."

SNG Opening and Closing Ceremonies

4. The SNG opening ceremony will be held for the first time at Punggol Waterway on Saturday, 1 September 2012. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong will join an estimated 6,000 community athletes, officials and Singapore residents, to officially declare the opening of the first-ever national level multi-sport Games. The opening ceremony presents an opportunity for all participants, volunteers and supporters from 15 clusters across Singapore to come together to welcome the Games.

5. The SNG 2012 will come to a close on Sunday, 9 September 2012 at Bishan Stadium. President Tony Tan will grace the closing ceremony with interactive and fun games to engage the athletes, supporters and residents who have been connected through the Games.

Pre-SNG Engagements

6. Leading up to the Games, an island-wide Baton Relay will be held in conjunction with the One Community Walk (OCW), organised by the PA, the Community Sports Club Council and the Community Sports Clubs (CSCs), on Sunday, 26 August 2012. The OCW aims to foster community bonding by bringing residents of different ages, races and living in all estates together. A baton relay team, comprising 20 baton bearers will be walking a distance of about two to three kilometers in each constituency. In total, 1,740 baton bearers from 87 constituencies will kick off at the same time at the OCW. This signifies the community's involvement for the Games and encourages all community athletes and officials to bond and build friendships through sports.

7. To heighten the mood and celebrate a special five-day countdown to the start of the SNG, a 'Spot-the-Nila' contest will be held via SNG Facebook from 27 to 31 August 2012, where the public is invited to spot Nila or any of the 15 cluster mascots around Singapore and get a chance to win an exclusive SNG souvenir. Details of the contest are available at the SNG Facebook page at www.facebook.com/NationalSchoolGames.

Strong Support for SNG from Community

8. Since the announcement of the SNG 2012 in November 2011, close to 10,000 Singapore residents participated in the seven sports in the CG, which serve as the qualifying round for the SNG in the years it is held. Of these, more than 300 teams have qualified for the SNG. In total, the SNG will see close to 5,000 participants competing across 10 sports, as well as 3,000 volunteers in various capacities to ensure the smooth-running of the event.

9. Republic Polytechnic is one of the strong supporters of the SNG, with more than 1,000 students being deployed as volunteers for the Games. Said Mr Ganesh Kalyanam, Director, Office of Student and Graduate Affairs, Republic Polytechnic, "Republic Polytechnic (RP) believes in the holistic education of our students. To participate in sports or to volunteer in a national sporting event, whether it is logistics support, event management, reporting, or even through dance celebrations, the Singapore National Games provide an opportunity for RP students to engage with the dreams and goals of Singaporeans."

10. The Games has also seen strong support from Sunrise & Company Pte Ltd, a local distributor for popular sports brands Yonex and Mikasa, who have committed to being the Main Sponsor and Official Partner for the 2012, 2014 and 2016 editions of the Games. In addition, Fraser & Neave (F&N) Foods, manufacturer of isotonic drink 100Plus, has also agreed to be the Official Beverage sponsor. In addition, Fraser & Neave (F&N) Foods, manufacturer of isotonic drink 100Plus, is on board as the Official Isotonic Drinks sponsor.

11. The event today also presented the official 15 customised cluster mascots designs, based on Nila, the Games' official mascot. An Inter-Cluster Mascot Customisation Contest held from April to May this year where each of the 15 clusters submitted their entries adapted from the original Nila design by adding on accessories and graphics that showcase the unique identity of each cluster. After a round of public voting, the designer from Pasir Ris-Punggol GRC won the first prize of S$1,500, followed by Aljunied GRC in second place (S$1,000) and Chua Chu Kang GRC in third place (S$500).

12. The Singapore National Games is jointly organised by the Singapore Sports Council, the People's Association and its grassroots organisations, the CSCs, as well as the National Sports Associations of the 10 participating sports namely, Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Dragon Boat, Football, Netball, Sepak Takraw, Swimming and Table Tennis. It aims to bridge our communities where people of all ages, races and estates can participate and bond through competitive sports.

Annex A: Fact Sheet on SNG

The Singapore National Games 2012 (SNG) is a new biennial multi-sports festival that bridges community participation and sports excellence, and will offer residents of all ages, races and from different estates the opportunity to be part of Singapore's exciting sporting landscape. From the Sunday sports enthusiast, the arm-chair commentator, to the serious athlete, all can now play, compete, support and volunteer.

The inaugural SNG will see community teams pitting against each other in ten sports. The SNG will be jointly organised by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), People's Association (PA) and its grassroots organisations, the Community Sports Clubs, as well as the National Sports Associations (NSAs) of the ten sports. It aims to be a meaningful and memorable sporting festival that ignites passion, builds character, and connects people and bonds Singaporeans.

The Community Games (CG), which is organised annually, will serve as the qualifying round for the SNG in the years when it is held. For 2012, CG was held from April to July and the SNG will be held from 1 to 9 September.

The ten sports featured in 2012 are: Athletics, Badminton, Basketball, Bowling, Dragon Boat, Football, Netball, Sepak Takraw, Swimming and Table Tennis. To bring the competitions to the heart of the community, the 2012 Games will be held at various venues around Singapore, including Sports & Recreation Centres, Community Clubs, schools, the Bedok Reservoir and the Singapore Sports School. Teams will be formed according to geographical clusters. Winners will each be awarded a medal, with trophies being awarded to the winning teams.

Participation is open to Singapore Citizens as well as non-Citizens, including Singapore Permanent Residents. National athletes are also eligible to compete. However in general, National athletes and non-citizens may only make up at most 20% of the team size, or one member of the team, whichever is higher. In order to encourage wide participation from all age groups and races, as well as residents living in both public and private estates, team composition for all sports have been formulated through discussion with the respective NSAs. With various team mix requirements, it is intended that more enthusiasts with different abilities will be able to be part of this nation-wide competition.

Earlier this year, close to 10,000 residents took part in the annual Community Games, which served as the qualifying round for seven out of the 10 participating sports for the SNG in the years when it is held. To date, more than 300 teams made up of Singaporeans, permanent residents and expatriates who reside in Singapore have qualified to compete in the Games come September. From 1 to 9 September, we will be seeing close to 5,000 community athletes competing in the SNG.

For full information (full listings, venues and dates) on the Singapore National Games, please visit SNG official site.

Annex B: Fact Sheet on Clusters and Teams

The Singapore National Games will see close to 5,000 community athletes from 15 clusters competing across 10 sports from 1 to 9 September 2012. Each cluster will be led by the respective Head of Delegation.

Annex C: SNG Baton Relay

The Singapore National Games (SNG) Baton Relay is held in conjunction with the annual One Community Walk, a nation-wide mass walking event organised by the People's Association, on Sunday, 26 August 2012, at 8.00am.

Approximately 1,740 Baton Bearers representing 87 Constituencies will be passing a custom-made baton within their constituencies, while covering a total distance of approximately 174 kilometres across Singapore. After the baton has been passed to the final representative in each of the 87 constituencies, a message will be read out to signify the community's support to the community athletes participating in the upcoming Singapore National Games 2012.

Together with the One Community Walk, the event will see the participation of about 100,000 Singapore residents.

SNG Baton Relay - Baton Design

The SNG Baton represents the elements of Unity, Passion, Community Togetherness and Bonding.

The four metal strips in gold, silver, bronze and black rising from the base of the baton symbolises the all C.A.R.E (Channels, Age, Race, Estate) concept of the Games. The seamless and smooth flow of the flames represents the various paths taken by the athletes in the different sports and also signifies the harmony and strength in the bonds formed within the community, a core objective of the SNG.

The baton holder at its base is the heaviest part of the baton?s structure which symbolises the importance of a firm foundation and a solid anchor needed to build a nation.

Annex D: Spot-the-Nila Contest

Celebrating a special five-day countdown to the start of the Singapore National Games 2012, 15 cluster mascots will be making appearances around Singapore from 27 to 31 August 2012. Each of the mascots has been customised with accessories and graphics, based on the original Singapore National Games (SNG) mascot, Nila, to showcase the unique identify of each cluster participating in the SNG.

To take part in the 'Spot the Nila' Contest, Singapore residents will need to capture their encounters with Nila and share the photograph on the official SNG Facebook fan page. Fans can also listen for daily hints on the whereabouts of the mascots on MediaCorp Radio station 987FM during the station's evening segment from 4.00pm to 8.00pm.

The first 10 fans to submit their photographs to the SNG Facebook fan page each day will each win an exclusive SNG goodie bag. All winners will be notified via private message on how to collect their prizes.

About the Community Sports Clubs
The Community Sports Clubs (CSCs) are part of the PA network of grassroots organisations. There are 87 constituencies in Singapore and there is a CSC in each constituency. The 87 CSCs are managed by volunteers who work with the PA to organise sports activities to facilitate the residents' participation and involvement as to build an active, vibrant and socially connected community where residents are bonded and communities are connected through community sports.