Neon jersey-clad players sped around Kovan Sports Hub’s futsal courts during HealthServe’s Futsal Friendship Cup, a tournament that aimed to integrate migrant workers with locals by having them play on the same team.
HealthServe is a non-profit organisation that supports the well-being of migrant workers, and this tournament commemorates 20 years of its service. It started as a single general-practice clinic providing free health care to migrant workers and has now expanded to include dental care, mental health resources and community outreach events.
Ms Melody Wong, senior manager of communications and also one of the organisers at HealthServe, said that this tournament was four months in the making.
“We collaborated with the Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), now there are so many of us, so we should work together, because we are all looking to get the same goal,” said Ms Wong, 49.
For some of the migrants, this was their first time playing this sport, like septic coordinator Selvaraj John Peter from Tamil Nadu.
“I’ve played cricket many times before, but this is my first time playing futsal. It’s nice to play with my friends,” said Mr John Peter, 33, who is also an ambassador with MWC to help integrate incoming workers.
Every team consisted of eight players, four migrant workers and four locals, with a total of 128 participants who played, and several others who came to support. Free water, electrolyte beverages and food were provided.
Mr Benjamin Gerard Jose Byrne, 35, who is known as The Smiling Afro, was one of the local representatives and the captain of his futsal team. “There are not a lot of events like this in Singapore, where we can actively participate with the workers, so I think all events that these groups plan should be like this,” he said.
Out of the 16 teams, the S$800 Capital Land vouchers for the winning team were won by the team Namor. Donning orange jerseys, they beat the team Bumblebee via penalty shoot-out, 5-4.
Mr Selvarasu Rajashekar, also from Tamil Nadu, is a safety coordinator and has loved playing all sports since he was a child.
“I’ve been working in Singapore for 12 years, and this is the first time I’m seeing so many people mixing here,” he said.
“We all met today for the first time, but on the field we feel like friends and family,” said Mr Rajashekar, 35.
