SINGAPORE: Former Singapore national footballers, including Aide Iskandar, Nazri Nasir, Malek Awab, Aleksandar Duric, and Team Singapore jiu-jitsu athlete Fiona Toh, joined members from the financial community over the weekend, as they raised nearly $132,000 in the SGX Cares Bull Charge Charity Futsal event held at Kick Off! in Kovan.
Eric Chua, Senior Parliamentary Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth, and Ministry of Social and Family Development, were present at the event as the guest of honour. A total of 34 teams participated in the charity futsal event, including an all-women team and youth players who battled it out on the pitches for a good cause.
Other former Lions participating in the charity futsal event were Isa Halim, Lionel Lewis, and Razali Saad. They were joined by a team of celebrities consisting of Charlie Goh from Ah Boys to Men and CNA news anchor Steve Lai.
“SGX once again had invited the former Singapore players to compete and also to conduct a football clinic for the charitable organisation. We as former players felt privileged and encouraged to give back to the community and this was one way we could do it. Thanks to SGX for an amazing event and it was a great experience for us,” said former Singapore national captain Aide to The Independent Singapore.
The funds raised at the Charity Futsal tournament will support underprivileged children and families, persons with disabilities and the elderly. In partnership with the Community Chest, all fundraising proceeds will be channelled to the adopted beneficiaries for 2023: AWWA Ltd., Autism Association (Singapore), Fei Yue Community Services, HCSA Community Services and Shared Services for Charities.
“We are grateful for such a strong turnout year after year. It is a great opportunity for our corporate sponsors, partners and beneficiaries to bond together over sports. This is especially meaningful as we mark 20 years of fundraising which has evolved over the years. Besides our flagship corporate events, we have a number of ground-up SGX Cares initiatives including colleagues shaving their heads for charity and introducing artificial intelligence (AI) to seniors and children through art,” shared Pol de Win, SGX Cares Bull Charge Organising Chairperson and Head of Global Sales & Origination, SGX Group.
To round off the 20th year of fundraising, the Bull Charge Charity Run will be held in person on 27 Oct 2023 at Marina Barrage. The Festival Village, suspended for the past three years due to COVID-19, will return this year.
For Asian Games-bound jiu-jitsu Team Singapore, athlete Toh is pleased to contribute to this meaningful charity event and recounts her first-ever experience playing futsal.
“It was very meaningful to get together and participate for a good cause. It felt good to win, mainly thanks to my teammates. They were great players and I had fun playing with them. It was actually my first time playing futsal, so I was trying my best not to be in the way. I’m thankful that my teammates were very encouraging as well given how green I am to the sport,” expressed Toh, who is leaving for Hangzhou, China, on Tuesday.
Toh explained to The Independent Singapore that she regularly donated to World Vision monthly via their child sponsorship program, whereby they select a particular child to sponsor.
“This helps empower vulnerable children and allow them to enjoy their rights. Being a female myself, I found it extra meaningful to support young vulnerable girls and empower them through this.”
Toh, who was a volleyball player during her school days, made the switch to jiu-jitsu and represented Singapore at the 2019 SEA Games, added, “I feel proud to represent Singapore once again, and look forward to participating in the upcoming Asian Games.”