Team Nila - a national movement for sports volunteerism

Ladies and Gentlemen,

1. It is so good to see so many of you here this evening! It is Chinese New Year period, and tomorrow is a special day for the Chinese. It's the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, known as Ren Ri or the birthday of every human being. So happy birthday to all of you and happy Chinese New Year! 
   

2. Tomorrow is also a very special occasion because tomorrow marks the 100-day countdown to the 28th SEA Games. So we do not have much time left! I know the organisers are getting very anxious, and they are working very hard. Just about three months away, (the Games) something that we are all preparing for.
   

3. We're also meeting for a special reason today, and that's to thank all of you, our sports volunteers. We are doing this for the first time – this Sports Volunteer Night. We have been recruiting for volunteers two years ago. I am very overwhelmed by the response of Singaporeans, friends and all of you. More than 17,000  volunteers have signed up, far exceeding our target.  So many thanks to all of you for stepping forward to make a difference. 

4. Volunteers make a huge difference to any sporting event. I have been to some of the major Games last year – the Commonwealth, the Asian Games. And in all these Games, you see volunteers on the ground working hard and really making a crucial impact in the running of the Games. The work that you do, may not be visible. It is not often in the public limelight but is essential to the athletes, so that they can focus on their competitions, and essential in creating a good experience for all who come for the Games. We value and treasure your work and your contributions. 

5. Some of you, or maybe many of you, may already have some experience at the YOG. In the Youth Olympic, our sports volunteers were affectionately called “the Purple Army” because of the colour of their uniforms. We decided for the SEA Games, you will be given a uniform. The tee shirt is purple – to keep to the tradition of “the Purple Army”, and the pants is khaki pants. But we thought it will be good to have a new name for our volunteers. We have discussed among ourselves, consulted some volunteers and volunteer leaders. We have decided that for the SEA Games, the volunteer team will be called “Team Nila”.

6. It is appropriate because Nila, as all of you are aware, is the mascot for Sporting Singapore and the SEA Games.  It also represents the values of Courage, Passion and Friendship that we hope all of you, as volunteers, will embody.  

7. I know all of you exhibit these qualities, because I've spoken to some of the volunteers and they have many inspiring stories. We have volunteer as young as 8 years old, Charlotte Ng, our youngest SEA Games volunteer. 

8. Our most senior volunteer Mdm Seah, I met her just now, is 84 years old this year! Her daughter asked her how many days would she like to volunteer, as she is mindful that her mother is already 84 years old, so doesn't want to tax her too much. But her mother said: “Everyday! I want to volunteer everyday!” So this is the spirit of our volunteers, they have courage and passion. 

9. You see in some of our volunteers too that they have to go through challenges. I met just now, a lady Ms Lee Seow Ser, who is recovering from breast cancer. She has just completed her treatment, but she is not deterred from stepping forward to volunteer just because of her cancer. She is continuing, and looking forward to contribute her skills in digital media. She wants to give back, to volunteer and serve.

10. There are also many opportunities for all of you, as you volunteer, to make friends. This is the other value that we talked about – friendship. With this volunteering experience, I am sure you will make many friends among yourselves, and I hope you will also make new friends with the athletes and the officials, the people coming from the region, from ASEAN for the SEA Games.

11. I also met another volunteer just now, 40 years old Mr Loke Hon Wah was a volunteer in the 1993 SEA Games. He was 18 years old then, in junior college, he took time off during the June period and was a liaison officer to the Thai athletics team. He doesn't speak Thai, but he was a good host, and made friends. He befriended a Thai athlete, and continued the friendship. The Thai athlete came back to Singapore two years after the Games for the Sheares Bridge Run, our volunteer Mr Loke helped to host him. Since then, they have continued their friendship for 20 years! The pair has been keeping in touch through Facebook in recent years.

12. Courage, passion and friendship – these are the values of Team Nila. I'm confident all of you will help to uphold these values. When you do so, you will have the opportunity to create a positive experience for Singaporeans and our friends from the region. You will have the ability to make this the best possible SEA Games for all of us. 

13. Recently, there were a few Chefs de Mission from the Southeast Asian countries who came to Singapore. I met them, and told them candidly, that: Singapore is not going to be able to put up the biggest or the grandest SEA Games. We are actually the smallest country in Southeast Asia, we do not have the scale and size of the other countries. So we are not out to organise the biggest or grandest Games, but I think we can make the most special, and meaningful Games for Singapore and our regional friends. 

14. I am confident that we can create that special experience because of all of you. You will make the difference for us. We can make this the best possible SEA Games for everyone. 

15. Finally, I just want to say that what we're doing is not just about preparing for the SEA Games. We are starting something we hope will go much beyond the SEA Games, that will have an impact for longer time. We want to create a national movement for sports volunteerism, that goes well beyond the SEA Games. That's why Sport Singapore will continue to engage with all of you after the Games. We hope you will all stay active, participate and volunteer for the different sporting events. Your energy and your excitement will help to build up a stronger sporting culture in Singapore.

16. So this Sports Volunteer Night will not be a one-off event. We will do it every year, may not be in USS again. But I do know after the SEA Games, you will be invited to come back to Universal Studio, to thank all of you. And the rides will be open then!

17. This is what we are hoping to achieve – create excitement, gear up for the SEA Games, but go beyond the SEA Games and build a stronger sporting culture in Singapore with all of your help. Thank you very much for making a difference. Happy Chinese New Year, have a pleasant evening.