Singapore might not yet be the great sporting nation we aspire to be, but there are sports such as tchoukball that we have become really good at.
So good, in fact, that our women’s team is now number one in the world after beating Chinese Taipei in the Asia Pacific Championships earlier this year.
While not yet an Olympic sport, tchoukball is currently played in over 80 countries.
And as Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Mr Edwin Tong shared in a Facebook post, tchoukball is a remarkable underdog story locally, rising from obscurity 16 years ago to make Singapore a top tchoukball nation today.
Tchoukball in Singapore
The achievement of our tchoukball team marks one of Singapore’s biggest sporting moments since Joseph Schooling won the gold medal at the 2016 Rio Olympics.
As for the lack of fanfare surrounding the sport, the odd spelling and hard-to-pronounce name might have relegated tchoukball to the fringes of mainstream consciousness.
However, there is no doubt that tchoukball’s success epitomises the Singapore Spirit of shared pride, values, dreams and aspirations.
Despite limited resources, noted Minister Tong, the tchoukball community has shown strong perseverance to exceed expectations.
“At the Government level, we have also been supporting Tchoukball Singapore, and we will continue to do so.”
“The Singapore Sports Institute will provide gym facilities and sports science to our tchoukball athletes, and SportSG will offer its support when we host the World Youth Tchoukball Championships and the Southeast Asia Tchoukball Championships this July,” added Minister Tong.
Shaping a nation through sports
Winning medals is great, but the aim of promoting a sporting culture in Singapore goes beyond cultivating world-class athletes.
At a community level, sports act as a unifying force, throwing open doors and forging camaraderie among people who might not have much in common.
It is also a way to build resilience and tenacity, as exemplified by our SportCares movement to uplift at-risk youths and persons with disabilities (PWDs) through sports.
Meanwhile, individual participation in sports helps us to lead healthier and happier lives, which is part of our Healthier SG vision to deliver preventive health.
For these reasons, the People’s Action Party is committed to ensuring that sports remain inclusive and accessible for all Singaporeans, regardless of age, fitness level or skill.
As Singapore enters the mid-way point of Vision 2030 (our national sports blueprint launched in 2013), we are already witnessing the fruits of the labour envisioned all those years ago.
Nestled within our housing estates are parks, community centres and ActiveSG facilities that provide residents with the spaces and opportunities to indulge in sporting endeavours.
All of these are born out of the Super Sports Club concept from the Masterplan to strengthen and extend the reach of sports within communities.
With a reliable and far-sighted Party that stays true to its word on delivering promises to Singaporeans, sports will continue to remain inclusive and accessible to all.
More importantly, as we continue to cultivate our passion for sports and throw our support behind Team Singapore, there is no doubt that sports can become a common language that will unite, inspire, and serve as a means to create a shared national identity.
Photo Source: Tchoukball Association of Singapore/ActiveSG/Edwin Tong via Facebook