From snooker to chess, football to rock climbing, Public Service Officers showcased that whether a sport is played individually or in a group, team spirit can make all the difference – making victories even sweeter.

Public service 11-A-Side Football Tournament (5 and 12 May 2024)

Played at Temasek Polytechnic across two Sundays, the 11-a-side football tournament was a fantastic opportunity for players to meet and reconnect with colleagues from other ministries. Ministry of Education’s team manager, Mr Abdul Nasir Abdul Razak, commented the dedication of the Civil Service Club (CSC) staff who organised the event, which saw the participation of 26 teams from 16 agencies.

In the Division I category, despite the physical and mental toll of returning from a Singapore-Malaysia bilateral games event a day before, MOE’s team triumphed over MHA, emerging as champions after a nail-biting final match with a score of 2-1. “For our players to be able to play back-to-back competitive matches is a true testament to their commitment and dedication. The penalty shoot-out in the finals particularly stood out, as MOE keeper Kevin Teo was outstanding between the posts and for converting the match-winning penalty,” said Mr Nasir.

“It’s always great to start the football calendar by winning the first tournament of the year, considering the quality of many of the other ministries,” he added. “The team’s rotation to blend experienced players with some young blood helped us to play to our fullest strength.” 

In the Division II category, the final between Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth ended in a tense penalty shootout. MOM won by 3-1.

Mr Mohd Faisal Md Ashim, MOM’s team manager, shared that the team engaged in weekly futsal sessions for around two months prior to the tournament. As 12 May was Mother’s Day, many team members had to reschedule lunch or dinner plans. The tournament faced further delayed due to multiple lightning warnings. “Despite some players needing to leave to fulfil family obligations, they promptly returned to complete the tournament.” 

Their hard work and sacrifices paid off with the gold medal, which was celebrated at MOM’s townhall meeting, where Second Permanent Secretary Mr Jeffrey Siow announced the win. “Mr Siow was also part of our winning team,” revealed Mr Faisal. “Despite hailing from diverse departments, we were all deeply motivated and had unwavering confidence in each other’s capabilities and our shared determination to succeed for MOM.”

RESULTS

Division I
Champion: Ministry of Education (3)
Second Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (6)
Third Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (9)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (1)

Division II
Champion: Ministry of Manpower
Second Place: Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth
Third Place: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Fourth Place: Government Technology Agency

Public Service Chess Competition (20 April 2024)

On 20 April, CSC @ Tessensohn was filled with tense strategy and calculated precision as the Public Service Chess Competition took place, with Mr Lau Wah Ming, CSC Executive Committee member, gracing the event as Guest-of-Honour.

Dr Jeevarajah Nithiananthan from champion Ministry of Health (MOH) noted that winning the tournament was a pleasant surprise, given the challenge of assembling a team. MOH was the last entry out of 22 teams from 11 agencies – a record turnout for the Public Service Chess Competition. 

“We do have players but serving MOH and primarily looking after society at large, we are always hard-pressed to submit a viable team due to important public health obligations —even over the weekends,” said Dr Nithi .“Therefore, as usual, we had no preparation or training!”

While chess is typically a solo game, playing in a team added pressure as players were keen not to let their side down. “However, the nature of our work and public expectations are even more demanding and I guess that helped us all to manage the stress at the chessboard,” Dr Nithi added.

Overall, Dr Nithi was pleased by the growing popularity of chess within the Public Service. “What was equally memorable was the huge turnout with more than 100 players, and the tournament featuring a cohort of far stronger players than any of the previous years,” he said. “Coming up on top was, of course, the icing on the cake.” 

RESULTS

Champion: Ministry of Health
Second Place: MINDEF (1)
Third Place: Attorney General’s Chambers
Fourth Place: Ministry of Education (1)

Public Service 10-Pin Bowling Competition (4 to 25 May 2024)

Last year’s winners, Ministry of Education (MOE), came back to sweep the overall championship spot again at the Public Service 10-Pin Bowling Competition. It took place at Westwood Bowl, CSC @ Bukit Batok with CSC Executive Committee member, Ms Tanya Fong, as Guest-of-Honour. 

The ever-popular sport saw 125 teams from 25 agencies competing, with an especially close fight in the Men’s Final. “It was a mix of relief and surprise when we found out that we had secured both the second and third spots, which was just enough for the overall win too,” said Ms Lim Fong Yee of MOE. 

Defending the ministry’s STAR Games overall champion status for another year was a great feeling. “While we were down on the overall points heading into the Men’s Final, our teams persevered and put in a hard fight for every pin,” said Ms Lim.

While training tended to be on each bowler’s own, the MOE team also made it a point to play with and against each other in bowling leagues such as the MOE League and the Public Service League. “This helps with the team aspect of the game, as many of us are familiar or friends with each other both on and off the lanes,” explained Ms Lim.

Ms Lim anticipated a significant challenge in replenishing the team’s ranks with younger players, as many of the current bowlers were reaching their golden years. “Shout out to any young MOE bowlers who are keen to join us – please contact me for more information!”

RESULTS

Women's Catergory
Champion: Ministry of Education (2)
Second Place: Ministry of Defence (1)
Third Place: Ministry of Health (4)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Health (3)

Active Agers' Category
Champion: Ministry of Defence
Second Place: Ngee Ann Polytechnic
Third Place: Ministry of Education (4)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Health (1)

Men's Category
Champion: Ministry of Home Affairs (1)
Second Place: Ministry of Education (6)
Third Place: Ministry of Education (5)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Defence (4)

Overall Positions
Champion: Ministry of Education 
Second Place: Ministry of Defence 
Third Place: Ministry of Home Affairs
Fourth Place: Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Public Service Rock Climbing Competition (20 April 2024)

Preparation was key for the champion rock climbers at the Ministry of Defence (MINDEF), who followed a rigorous training schedule focusing on technique, strength, strategy and mental readiness. The Public Service Rock Climbing Competition took place at Ground Up Climbing at CSC @ Tessensohn, with CSC Executive Committee member, Mr Azhar Yusof, as the Guest-of-Honour.

Thirty-four teams from 10 agencies battled it out on the climbing walls, with MINDEF taking home the overall champion position and being named men’s open champion five times in a row.

Mr Randy Yeo, MINDEF’s team representative and the tournament’s fastest male climber, emphasised the importance of feedback and support during intense training sessions. “One challenge was the change in environment during the finals, which was a result of the bad weather,” he recalled. “I drew energy from my teammates’ encouragement and reminded myself of our shared goals, recalling that we are able to overcome all challenges as ‘change is the only constant’. Together with my teammates, I focused on my breathing, trusted our training and dug deep to find the strength to push through.”

His favourite moment from the competition was celebrating the overall champion title with his MINDEF teammates: “Seeing their faces light up with joy, relief and pride was truly special. It was a moment that reminded me that success is sweetest when shared with others who have become like family.”

RESULTS

Women's Category
Champion: Ministry of Education (1)
Second Place: Ministry of Defence (2)
Third Place: Ministry of Defence (1)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Defence (3)

Men's Category
Champion: Ministry of Defence (1)
Second Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (2)
Third Place: Ministry of Education (1)
Fourth Place: Ministry of Defence (3)

Overall Positions 
Champion: Ministry of Defence
Second Place: Ministry of Education
Third Place: Ministry of Home Affairs

Public Service Snooker Competition (29 April to 29 May 2024)

Taking place at the Snooker Zone (Toa Payoh), this year’s Public Service Snooker Competition saw 130 participants from 18 teams and 10 agencies, with the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) (1) emerging victorious.

“It’s satisfying to be crowned champion for nearly two decades,” said MHA team representative Mr Leslie Ng Choon Leng of the ministry’s long-running achievement. “The commitment and self-sacrifice of our players, and their team spirit, pushed us through all these years.” 

The team faced numerous challenges, such as balancing their time and energy between work, family and training, and the lack of a clubhouse facility for regular team practice. Despite these hurdles, their years of experience and synergy as teammates ensured their success. “I always enjoy playing with my long-time teammates, as well as their company and laughter,” said Mr Ng. “The majority of us are in our 50s.”

He further quipped: “While I’m clueless about how to attract younger players to the team to continue our glorious achievement, as long as we are still passionate about the game, we’re all prepared to play until we can’t hold a cue anymore!”

RESULTS

Champion: Ministry of Home Affairs (1)
Second Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (4)
Third Place: Housing and Development Board
Fourth Place: Land Transport Authority (1)

Public Service Tennis Competition (30 May 2024)

For one evening, Heartbeat @ Bedok served up some smashing tennis, with Guest-of-Honour Mr Goh Tua Soon, Director of Sports at the Civil Service Club, presiding over a tournament that featured 18 teams from 12 agencies. 

Mr Colin Gomes, the representative of the champion team, Ministry of Defence, credited their extensive experience training together as a key factor in their victory. “We’ve had more or less the same players for the last 10 to 15 years,” he said. “My doubles partner and I have been playing together for about eight years, after my former partner retired. Because we know each other well, we are more open to checking each other’s mistakes. If it’s a new partnership, you might not know how much to share with the other person about what they’re doing wrong.” 

During their minimum once-weekly evening training sessions – which began around four months before the tournament – the team planned and tried out different playing strategies to determine what worked best for them. 

In a sport that requires as much mental concentration as physical exertion, it was sometimes difficult to focus after a long day at the office. “That’s where teamwork comes in,” shared Mr Gomes. “Your partner can remind you to let go of work just for two hours, and play.” 

Balancing training with family and work commitments, especially at an older age, can also be challenging. “But everyone, including our reserves, was committed to showing up week in, week out. It was a joy to see their commitment to the game and the team,” said Mr Gomes.

RESULTS

Champion: Ministry of Defence
Second Place: National University of Singapore
Third Place: Ministry of Home Affairs (1)
Fourth Place: Temasek Polytechnic (1)

Bond with your Public Service colleagues through sport, by signing up here for the next Public Service STAR Games.