SINGAPORE: The Singapore netball fraternity has welcomed a new president, Trina Liang-Lin, following its association’s 2023 Annual General Meeting on Sep 22. She takes over from Jessica Tan, who has been at the helm since 2012.
According to Netball Singapore, two other names were submitted for elections for the four positions during the AGM. They are Marsiling-Yew Tee Member of Parliament Hany Soh and Lee Min Li, a former national netball player and a senior general manager for netball at the Singapore Sports School since 2007.
Tan (president), Tan Zing Yue (vice-president), Gaby Hochbaum (honorary secretary) and Lye Puat Fong have relinquished their position from the board in Netball Singapore at the recent annual general meeting as they have reached the maximum tenure allowed under the association’s constitution.
Liang, who works in the finance industry as a fund manager for a US$7 billion (S$9.5 billion) firm specialising in green real estate investments in Asia, hopes that she will be able to bring her professional financial expertise and benefit the local netball scene. Apart from her financial experience, she has also worked on political campaigns in Singapore, most notably for Tony Tan’s 2011 Presidential Election campaign and Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong’s election strategy team, focusing on campaign strategy and speeches.
“I am deeply honoured to step into this role and take on the responsibility of leading Netball Singapore. My early experiences with netball in secondary school and university instilled a deep love for the sport and its values. I look forward to collaborating with the talented team at Netball Singapore and all our stakeholders to propel the sport to greater heights in our nation,” said Liang after assuming her first four-year term as Netball Singapore’s president.
Liang is not only active in sports or netball but in other social causes, too. This is evident through her work in and commitment to gender equality through her appointment as Singapore’s representative to the G20 for Women appointed by the Ministry of Finance, and she also co-chairs ACCORD for National Service, an appointment by the Ministry of Defence.
The 53-year-old is also the current President of Women in Sustainability and Environment (WISE) Singapore, dedicated to environmental and women’s causes. Her leadership qualities were exemplified in her presidency role at the UN Women Singapore, the Financial Women’s Association Singapore, and her contributions to the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations and BoardAgender.
One of the immediate tasks of the new committee and her leadership would be the Mirxes Nations Cup scheduled for Oct 22 to 28 at the OCBC Arena, Singapore Sports Hub. It is one of the major netball competitions in the region, which pits Singapore’s talent against international opponents.
This year will see six teams battling for the title, with Singapore sending two teams, the Singapore Opens and the A Teams. The competition will be played in a round-robin format, with top-ranked teams such as Sri Lanka, the Cook Islands, former champion Papua New Guinea (39), and Canada vying for top honours.
“Together, we will build a vibrant and inclusive future for netball that embraces elite performance, mass participation, technical excellence, and international opportunities for all our national teams, especially our young talents,” added Liang.
The Singapore Opens team comprises the national players who competed in the recent Netball World Cup. They also welcomed the return of Lee Pei Shan and Singapore’s most-capped player, Charmaine Soh, who was sidelined for a year due to an injury.
The Singapore A team was established in 2020 to serve as Netball Singapore’s developmental squad and predominantly comprises under-23 players. The team also have players from the Opens squad who are seeking more regular playing time or are returning to the national setup after a hiatus from competitive action.
Below is the full list of the Netball Singapore board.
President: Trina Liang-Lin
Treasurer: Melissa Aw Yong
Assistant Treasurer: Soh Kok Leong
Board Members: Sharmaine Chan, James Walton and Lionel Lewis, Hany Soh, Lee Min Li