Play Inclusive 2026 Opening Ceremony on 26 July 2026

Ms Linda Prebhash, Board Member and Interim Executive Director, Special Olympics Singapore,

Mr Marcus Tan, Chief, Sport Development Group, Sport Singapore,

Partner organisations, principals, teachers, athletes, volunteers,

Distinguished guests

Introduction

1. Good morning! I am excited to be here with all of you today.

2. As Linda mentioned, this year marks the ninth edition of Play Inclusive. That’s a huge milestone.

Play Inclusive is a Growing Movement

3. Play Inclusive started in 2018 with a simple but powerful belief that people of different abilities can come together through sport - like what we have today, a lot of great achievements across different abilities. Since then, Play Inclusive has grown to become Singapore's largest inclusive sport festival.

   1. This year, we have a record number of 1,600 athletes and unified partners competing, this is 30% more than last year. You should be proud of what you have achieved.

   2. We have close to 700 volunteers from Team Nila, schools, corporates and public agencies here today. Thank you for giving your time, energy and effort for being here with us.

4. This remarkable growth reflects the years of commitment from SportCares, Singapore Disability Sports Council, Special Olympics Singapore, MOE, families, volunteers and many community partners. All of you are important in making this happen, and of course, the many months and weeks of preparation leading up to today.

5. We also have many partners who have worked with us on this event to reach out to the community — National Library Board, National Youth Council, Enabling Services Hub, and our partners like Special Needs Trust Company, and Inclus.

6. To everyone present today, a genuine thank you from the bottom of my heart. You represent a growing community who believe that sport should be for everyone – that is my personal belief as well.

Inclusion as a Way of Life through Sport

7. While Play Inclusive has grown in numbers, its true success is measured by the lasting impact it leaves on each and everyone here, our participants and athletes – the friendships built, the confidence gained, and the sense of belonging they take away.

8. To achieve this, every aspect of Play Inclusive is thoughtfully designed to ensure meaningful participation – from ability-based divisioning, to the role of our unified partners, and coaches who help athletes of different abilities play, learn and succeed together. This impacts our participants in real and meaningful ways.

9. I will share a couple of examples and meaningful stories.

10. One example is the partnership between students from Tampines Meridian Junior College and Cerebral Palsy Alliance Singapore, who trained together for unified football.

    1. Over months of training, the students built genuine friendships that extended beyond the game, encouraging and uplifting one another on and off the field. That is what sports is about.

    2. Don’t just hear it from me. Zahirah, Letitia and Firzanah from Tampines Meridian Junior College shared that football became “not just about competition, but also about connection, encouragement, and creating happiness through the sport we love."

    3. Their experience reminds us that when people of all abilities play together, sport becomes more than just a competition. It because a place where we can grow, friendships can form, and everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.

11. I’ll share another story. We see the same spirit in Wilbur, a Boccia player from Hillgrove Secondary School.

    1. When Wilbur first joined Play Inclusive last year, he was unsure whether he could play Boccia. With encouragement from his mother and his Special Needs Officer, Mdm Pang, he agreed to give it a try. He is very courageous in taking that first effort.

    2. Wilbur also needed a suitable Boccia ramp to compete, and it was not easy to acquire one. Mdm Pang worked with the school’s Design and Technology team to build a boccia ramp tailored to Wilbur’s needs. Different parties came together to make Wilbur’s dream happen, and that marked the beginning of Wilbur’s Boccia journey.

    3. Since then, Wilbur has been training with the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and went on to represent his team at the Tiger Balm National Youth Boccia Championships. That’s no mean feat.

    4. Wilbur’s journey reminds us that inclusion is not just about giving someone a chance. It is about removing barriers so that everyone has the opportunity to reach their potential.

Everyone Has a Part to Play

12. Every act of inclusion matters. Each action, however small, shapes a future where inclusion is part of everyday life.

13. It is especially encouraging to see our youth take the initiative to champion inclusion.

    1. Guided by their lecturer, Ms Cookie Tan, a cohort of ITE College Central students from the Higher Nitec in Sport Management programme applied for the Enabling Sports Fund which we had launched last year to support community-led disability sports programmes.

    2. The students have since launched their “Step-Together” programme, where they are trained to design inclusive skills training and guide persons with disabilities to build fundamental movement skills, creating more opportunities for them to participate in sports within the community. Our youths are also stepping up to empower the community.

    3. Some of them are here today to conduct sports try-outs for members of the public and participate as unified partners for floorball and badminton this year. If you see them later, do give them a shout out as well.

    4. This shows us that inclusion is not built by programmes alone, but by people who choose to take that step and make space for others.

14. We want to encourage more to do the same, whether it is creating new opportunities or simply choosing to include others in sport and in everyday life. This is how we strengthen Singapore and the community, by looking out for one another.

Closing

15. As we look ahead to Play Inclusive's 10th anniversary next year, our aspiration is not simply to make this event bigger. It is to deepen inclusion.

16. To all our athletes and unified partners: you are the heart of this movement. Give your best, cheer hard and enjoy every moment you share today. And of course, have fun.

17. Thank you.