Over 700 staff from Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and its fellow invited agencies like Central Provident Funds Board (CPFB), Workforce Singapore (WSG), and Skillsfuture Singapore (SSG) came together on a hot and exciting Friday afternoon for their inaugural Sports Day at Our Tampines Hub, organised by Civil Service Club (CSC).  As with every Sports Day, it was a time to take time off work and bond with colleagues through fitness activities and build rapport within the organisations.  CSC worked with the MOM planning committee for the event at Our Tampines Hub, due to its large capacity allowance and state-of-the-art equipment.  

Roaring cheers amidst a colourful rainbow of teams

Amidst the bustling crowd at Our Tampines Hub, the sports hall provided the perfect set with air-conditioning, big screens and a 2nd level where comfortable seats for spectators and supporters provided them with a view of the entire arena where the telematches were to be played.  CSC was able to provide the perfect venue and setting, as well as engage the right events management company to host, all within two short months of discussion with the MOM planning committee.

The day’s programmes were to have an assortment of telematches that aptly divided teams into eight different colours and animal mascots, each representing a different division - LRWD Tal Tigers, HG Lions, FMMD Sharks, CPFB Cheetahs, SWDA Silver Backs, ACE Rhinos, OSHD WSHC Gators and WPD Wins Falcons.

To warm everyone up, there was a mass workout that drew joyous smiles and warmed up all the participants for what was to come.  As a spectator, it was great to see different coloured teams uniting for a mass workout.  Mr Yan Rong, one of the supporters for Team LRWD Tal Tigers, said that it was a great opportunity to see and interact with colleagues across different divisions. 

Mr Kevin JW Lim, who was part of Team CPFB Cheetahs, said “It was a fun and well organised event. The energy throughout the day was great and it was a wonderful opportunity to bond with colleagues, as well as connect with staff from MOM. Thank you to MOM for welcoming CPFB to their inaugural Sports Day, we had a fantastic time being part of it!”

He also added “I really enjoyed the team cheer battle. It was exciting to see everyone come together to support their teams, and the cheering really brought a strong sense of camaraderie and team spirit to the event.”

Let the games begin

What came next was both a great start to the telematches and a great way to sound off on each team’s distinct personality, with each team introducing their team cheers and animal mascots.  A feat that definitely led the boisterous and lively crowd to cheer even louder from the stands, with waving team flags, signs, pom poms, cheer sticks and animal ear headbands.  There was even a Chinese drum set spotted in one of the teams!  Animal mascots also made their appearances while the teams cheered.  It was truly an immersive and exciting start to the games.

This was also not your average sports day with athletic sports.  There were no relay runs, no passing of batons or high jumps.  Instead, with fun titles like “Giant hungry hippos”, “Mega beer pong” and “All hole in one hockey”, these were just some of the innovative games that really tested the team bond and coordination.  

Photo credit: Kevin Wong

“Giant hungry hippos” had one player pushing a trolley where different players took turns, lying on their stomachs, being pushed to a pit of balls, and using pails to scoop up as many balls as possible, and depositing the balls back at their stations. 

“Mega beer pong” used the classic party game and enhanced it with players lining up to take turns throwing huge neon balls into giant red bins set up at least 3 metres away.    The cheers were deafening and the supporters went wild whenever there was a score.  

The games were all planned for players of all ages and fitness levels in mind, with no specificity to any athletic requirements.  Hence, it was truly well-rounded and inclusive.   

Photo credit: Kevin Wong

And every setup in between games were handled by efficient staff who ensured safety and swiftness so the programmes could continue without a hitch.  The lively emcee also made sure that the atmosphere was constantly fun and adrenaline filled, egging on the participants and supporters.  Mr Kevin Wong, who was part of team SWDA Silverbacks, expressed how well organized and coordinated the emcee was with the staff to make the games a success and produce a good event to get the MOM family bonded.  

Mind full of health

For those who were not participating in the telematches within the sports hall, there were manned stations set up outside, a collaboration with ActiveSG, along the corridor of the sports hall that allowed participants to find out about their health and level of fitness.  Stations gauged participants cardio (stationery cycling), power (jumping on the spot), agility (tapping on lit prompts on the floor), balance (balancing on a static board while looking at a virtual screen in tuned to the board’s movements) and strength (bar pulling and holding).   

Mr Kevin JW Lim commented that “The ActiveSG booths were also a great touch, giving participants the chance to try out different activities and get their health analyses done.”

Ms Inez Leong, a CSC member who has attended past CSC events such as Member’s Day said the Sports Day was fun.  She was there to support Team ACE Rhinos, and also enjoyed the ActiveSG stations.  

All in all, it was a truly memorable Sports Day for the participants and supporters.  The planning committee is grateful for CSC's partnership in making it happen. Through this collaboration, CSC brought its hallmark dedication to fostering cohesion, fun, and work-life balance, creating shared experiences that truly brought MOM staff together. 

The MOM planning committee is proud to have CSC as a valued partner and look forward to continuing to build a vibrant and connected MOM community together!

Maintaining work-life balance and striving 

At CSC, we think it’s important for a work-life balance, and to maintain a healthy mind and body to be able to perform at your best. Hence, CSC not only lets members enjoy the facilities at our clubhouses, we can also organise events for corporate bulk members from sports day to team bonding. From celebrating milestones to active lifestyle activities.  CSC helps our corporate bulk members be able to grow and maintain that balance.  

Mr Kevin JW Lim said that having access to clubs like CSC “gives public officers a good avenue to destress, bond with colleagues, and enjoy quality time with family outside of work, which helps with overall morale and work-life balance”.

Join our Civil Service Club corporate bulk membership programme now to discover a whole menu of programmes for your team bonding, or event needs such as Sports Day or Fun Carnival. Your staff will also enjoy CSC membership and be able to access our clubhouse facilities and amenities, events and activities that cater to diverse needs and interests.  Contact membership@csc.sg for more information.