Cricket, competition, Kerala cuisine and pulsating music came together in a lively celebration of sporting talent and community spirit at the Naval Base Kerala Library (NBKL) Sports Spectra Cage Cricket Tournament 2026 on Oct 18.
Held at The Cage @ Carlisle, the tournament attracted around 300 players and spectators, transforming the indoor venue into a carnival where cricket shared the spotlight with food, entertainment and family bonding.
Fifteen teams, comprising 12 men’s and three women’s sides, competed in 32 matches, with several encounters producing nail-biting finishes.
Media5 Orchid retained their men’s championship after defeating Kairalee Tuskers in a closely contested final.
In the women’s division, Kairalee Singapennu claimed the title, overcoming NBKL Merlion Strikers in another thrilling encounter.
Richie Abraham, an accounts officer and Media5 Orchid player, was delighted with his team’s achievement.
“Winning the NBKL title back-to-back in 2025 and 2026 feels amazing and proves all our hard work truly paid off,” he said.
“Playing in this tough tournament was intense, with every game pushing us to give our absolute best. Lifting that trophy together with my teammates for the second year in a row is a moment I will never forget.”
He thanked Media5 Entertainment Factory and Orchid International for forming the team and praised the organisers for conducting a well-run tournament.
For Kairalee Singapennu captain Nima Manaf, a project manager, the women’s triumph was particularly emotional.
“Winning the NBKL cage cricket title is an absolute dream, especially since most of us stepped back onto the pitch after years away from the game,” she said.
“What makes this trophy so special isn’t just the win, but the incredible courage, grit and belief we showed.”
She added: “I couldn’t be prouder to lead this extraordinary group of women who proved it’s never too late to play like champions.”
Tournament director Mahesh Menon said the competition was conceived to offer Singapore’s Malayalee community something different from its usual cultural gatherings.
“There are plenty of cultural and arts festivals in our community, so we wanted to do something different,” he said.
“We wanted to bring sports lovers together for a properly competitive tournament, and with it the camaraderie of Malayalees in Singapore.”
The response exceeded expectations, with more teams seeking entry than the organisers could accommodate.
“The real challenge was finding a suitable time and a facility with proper infrastructure that could host all the matches, while accommodating everybody’s schedules,” Mahesh said.
He described both finals as last-ball thrillers, adding that several earlier matches were decided in their closing deliveries.
A significant development was the introduction of a separate women’s competition.
For the previous two years, the organisers had required each team to include at least one woman player.
“This year we ran a separate women’s tournament, and it became a hit,” said NBKL president Sudheer Govindapillai. “It changed the flavour of Sports Spectra completely, and it is a big step towards bringing more Malayalee women onto the sports field in Singapore.”
Beyond cricket, traditional Kerala food, music by AAFAT and entertainment created a family-friendly atmosphere.
“We wanted families to come, not just men playing cricket or women playing cricket,” Mahesh explained.
Paradise Biryani operated a food stall, while RANZ Middle East sponsored a lucky draw featuring an iPhone 18 Pro Max, generating considerable excitement among the spectators.
Mahesh credited sponsors and community partners for actively contributing to the event’s success.
With demand growing, the organisers plan to expand Sports Spectra into an annual competition featuring a rolling trophy.
Bowling and football tournaments are also being planned.
For Mr Sudheer, the biggest achievement was seeing Malayalee teams compete seriously for sporting honours while strengthening community bonds.
