Sport has a unique power to transcend boundaries, and nowhere was this more evident than on the historic turf of Balestier Plain.
In a display of cultural harmony, the Ceylon Sports Club (CSC) along Balestier Road came alive on May 9, hosting a joint Tamil and Sinhalese New Year celebration. It served as a joyous gathering that united diverse communities.
The event drew about 120 guests, including members of the four recreational clubs that share the iconic Balestier Plain: Singapore Indian Association, Singapore Chinese Recreation Club, Singapore Khalsa Association, and CSC.
Gracing the event, Member of Parliament for Jalan Besar GRC Shawn Loh reminisced about his childhood days playing football in the futsal courts in the area.
Highlighting the unique bonds forged on the sporting field, he noted the strong solidarity among all the clubs along Balestier Road.
The shared heritage between the Tamil and Sinhalese communities took centre stage through a curated feast reflecting Sri Lanka’s culinary diversity.
Guests were treated to traditional delicacies such as kool, a unique Jaffna seafood and palmyra sprout porridge; kokis, a Dutch-influenced coconut milk snack beloved by both communities; and watalappam, a Malay-influenced sweet pudding infused with spices like cinnamon and cardamom.
For many, the club remains a second home that transcends generations. Retired sales and event coordinator and long-time club member Mrs Logarani Ampalavanar, 68, a third-generation CSC member whose family migrated to Singapore around 1898, fondly reminisced about her childhood gatherings at the club where her family would bring homemade snacks.
Emphasising the significance of the event, she said the club hoped to bring the community together by creating a space for people of all ages to interact and connect. Mrs Logarani added that food is a universal language that brings people together, and that the large-scale event was organised to foster unity while sharing a meal with the community.
Club Vice-President Indra Iswaran, 77, added that the festivities marked a successful revival of the CSC’s combined multi-racial celebrations, which had seen a lull in recent years due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
This spirit of unity was further cemented on the pitch with the inaugural Solidarity Cup friendly cricket tournament. The seven-a-side, five-overs format saw three teams – Taproban, Old Lions and Sunlove – battling it out, with Sunlove clinching the top spot.
Mr Nagaratanam Elangeswaran, 44, who secured the victory for the team by hitting a six on the last ball, dedicated the win to Sunlove, where he works as a coordinator. He added that the event provided a wonderful opportunity to learn about each other’s cultures by playing alongside fellow Tamils and Sinhalese.
Echoing this sentiment, Associate Professor Suranga Nanayakkara, 44, a CSC committee member who played for the Old Lions team, said the vibrant atmosphere brought him joy despite his team’s loss. Recalling the enthusiastic cheers echoing in Tamil, Sinhalese and English, the vice-dean at the NUS School of Computing said the tournament achieved its purpose of bringing communities together through sports.
As CSC gears up to celebrate its centenary in 2028, this combined New Year celebration aligns with its broader vision of being an inclusive sports hub. The club actively expands its outreach, successfully hosting cricket matches for transient workers and fielding a women’s cricket team composed of domestic helpers.
To preserve this legacy, the club has launched a fundraising drive. Funds, kick-started by the sale of specially designed club T-shirts, will be channelled towards installing boundary nets and floodlights, as well as refurbishing the clubhouse.
