Volunteers Honoured For Making The Singapore National Games A Success

Volunteers Honoured For Making The Singapore National Games A Success

SNG Mascot Nila Takes On the Role as Sporting Singapore Mascot

Singapore, 17 October 2012 - The inaugural Singapore National Games (SNG), which was held from 1 to 9 September this year, exceeded expectations in participation numbers, bonding the community and forging friendships. The success of the Games would not have been possible without the tireless contributions of the 3,000 volunteers.

2. "Under the sun or in the rain, early in the morning or late in the evening, the volunteers were always there to make sure that all the events ran smoothly," said Mr Lim Swee Say, Minister, Prime Minister's Office and Deputy Chairman, People's Association (PA). "The time and effort put in by the volunteers had certainly contributed to the successful staging of the Games. More than that, their enthusiasm and passion had certainly made a difference in bonding the community through sports."

3. To highlight their exemplary participation, the Organising Committee also accorded the SNG Most Supportive Volunteer Organisations award to the top five participating entities, which included Republic Polytechnic (RP), National Volunteer & Philanthropy Centre (NVPC), Members Church of God International Singapore, Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central and Singapore Polytechnic (SP).

4. "We are very honoured and happy to have received the SNG Most Supportive Volunteer Organisations award. We have a firm belief in volunteerism and foster a culture that promotes that amongst our students on the campus. SNG has provided a great opportunity for our students to learn more life-skills and gain more practical experience, which will add value to their portfolio when they graduate from RP," said Yeo Li Pheow, Principal and CEO of Republic Polytechnic.

5. "We are very glad to have participated in SNG and it was really fun seeing all the community athletes battle it out on a friendly basis. I learnt about managing people and some pointers on organising sporting events. I will definitely want to be a part of the next SNG," said 19-year-old, Lim Shi Qi.

6. 24-year-old Lim Hao Hiang Joey agrees. "Even though it was hard work, I found it very rewarding and a good learning experience volunteering at SNG. There are so many considerations when you are organising events of this scale. To do proper planning and to be ready for the unexpected lessons learnt for life. Thank you SNG for organising such a fantastic Games and for this appreciation night."

NILA the Sporting Singapore Mascot

7. Mascots have a way to make people smile, rouse crowds and add a fun touch to any sports event. Nila, the SNG mascot was a hit with many people as he went out and about the community in the lead up to and during the Games. In recognition of his popularity with the public, Nila was appointed as Sporting Singapore's Mascot, which will see him making public appearances at sports events in Singapore.

8. Nila was designed by 19-year-old Visual Communications and Media Design student, Beatrice Cho, from Singapore Polytechnic who entered the SNG mascot design competition in April this year. A delighted Beatrice said, "I'm so honoured to have my design be used long-term as a mascot for Sporting Singapore. This is definitely unexpected and it is such great news to know that my design has got this far. I hope that Nila will continue to be a character that resonates with Sporting Singapore and I am very thankful for the opportunity to be part of this."

9. The SNG is jointly organised by the SSC, the PA and its grassroots organisations, the community sports clubs, 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. The SNG aims to bridge communities in Singapore, where people of all ages, races and estates can participate and bond through competitive sports.

About the Singapore Sports Council
The Singapore Sports Council aims to transform the nation through sport, by inspiring people and uniting communities. As the national sports agency, we work with a vast network of public-private-and people sector partners to create access, opportunities and capabilities for individuals to live better through sports. As detailed in the Vision 2030 Live Better Through Sport recommendations, our mandate goes beyond driving participation and winning medals. At SSC, we use sport to create resilient, tenacious people, an appreciation for teamwork, a commitment to purpose, strong united communities and national pride.

About People's Association
The People's Association's mission is to build and to bridge communities in achieving one people, one Singapore. We do this through our network of 1,800 grassroots organisations, five Community Development Councils, the National Youth Council, National Community Leadership Institute, Outward Bound Singapore and Water-Venture. More information at www.pa.gov.sg ↗ (opens in new tab).

About Community Games
The Community Games (CG) 2012 is a multi-sports competition to be held across the island from April to July, bringing the Games to the heart of the community and connecting residents of different ages, races and living across estates. The CG 2012 will serve as the qualifying round for the inaugural Singapore National Games which will be held from 1 to 9 September 2012.

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.