What began as a simple birthday celebration for a young cricket enthusiast has blossomed into one of Singapore’s most heartwarming community sporting initiatives.
The second Migrant Worker Premier League concluded on July 12 at the United World College South East Asia (UWCSEA) East Campus in Tampines, where 10 teams comprising more than 110 migrant workers battled for honours after six weeks of competition.
Behind the tournament is not a large organisation or corporate sponsor, but the Ramnarayan family, whose passion for cricket and commitment to giving back have created an annual event that is changing lives, one Sunday at a time.
The final day saw prize presentation to several winning teams and outstanding players. The closely contested championship match – in which Royal Strikers beat No Fears by 41 runs – and third-place playoff - which was clinched by NDtians – showcased an impressive standard of cricket while highlighting sport’s unique ability to bring people from different backgrounds together.
The story began in 2024 when brothers Neel and Jay Ramnarayan noticed migrant workers regularly playing cricket on uneven patches of grass while travelling to their own cricket training sessions.
“They said, ‘Wouldn’t it be fun if we could play with them in a proper format?’” recalled their father, Rajiv Ramnarayan, who is in commodity trading and moved to Singapore from Mumbai 11 years ago. “For their birthday we organised a one-off match with migrant workers. They enjoyed it so much that they asked, ‘Why don’t we make a league out of it?’”
That single birthday match evolved into an eight-team tournament last year at The Cage in Dempsey. This year, the event expanded to 10 teams under the newly established charitable organisation, United Willow, with matches held over six consecutive Sundays at UWC East in partnership with Scorpien Cricket Academy.
For Rajiv, the tournament is about combining his family’s love for cricket with meaningful community service.
“It was an opportunity for us to combine our kids’ passion with doing something community-led that has an impact,” he said. “When we started, it was a homegrown effort. We were cooking meals at home. My wife (Gayatri Govitrikar, a company director), my kids and our helper were all involved. It has grown steadily because people saw the value of what we were trying to do.”
The tournament provides migrant workers with something many rarely experience – organised cricket on quality facilities complete with proper pitches, umpires, live scoring, medals, trophies and prize money.
“Sunday is their day off,” Rajiv explained. “This becomes a stress buster for them. They get to play with friends in a well-organised competition, receive recognition through medals and awards, and simply enjoy the game they love.”
The winning team received S$1,600, while the runners-up earned S$1,000. Individual awards for the best batsman, best bowler and other standout performers carried cash prizes of S$200 each.
Vengat Murali, 34, captain of Royal Strikers and a migrant worker from India, said it was thrilling to play in the tournament. “We gathered all our friends and co-workers and formed the team,” he said. “We played on a proper pitch with rules, and it was very competitive. We were treated well by the organisers, who gave us a good lunch at the end.”
The tournament remains largely funded by the Ramnarayan family, including Rajiv’s wife Gayatri Govitrikar who is a company director, although friends contributed towards meals this year. Fresh food for players was provided by KRSNa Meals, while noted Singapore coach Sarika Prasad’s Scorpien Cricket Academy partnered in staging the event.
Sarika said the tournament holds special meaning for him because it reminds him of his own early days in Singapore.
“It gives me a sense of belonging because in my first year in Singapore, I was a migrant worker too, working as a ship builder. I can relate to what it is like to be away from family for long periods. It makes me happy to be associated with them through this game and to put so many smiles on their faces,” he said.
Former Singapore cricket captain Chetan Suryawanshi praised both the initiative and the quality of cricket on display.
“It is heartening to see young boys giving back to the community in this way,” he said. “Rajiv and Gayatri deserve credit for instilling these values in Neel and Jay. I was also impressed by the standard of cricket. There is significant talent within the migrant worker community, and many of these players have the potential to strengthen Singapore’s local T20 cricket.”
He added that players such as Thilipan Omaidurai, Surendran Chandramohan and Ramesh Kalimuthu have already progressed to represent Singapore, expressing hope that more deserving cricketers from the migrant worker community would be given similar opportunities.
Migrant worker S. Mani Kandan, who has been working in Singapore for 15 years, praised the boys’ initiative, which he said gave migrant workers the opportunity to spend their days off enjoying a sport they love.
“Some migrant workers just stay in their dormitories, even on their off-day. But now many of them have a chance to play cricket. This is very good, and we are all very happy,” he said.
Looking ahead, Rajiv hopes the league will continue to grow.
“We’ve built momentum over the past two years,” he said. “With more institutional support, we can expand to more teams and make it even more professionally run. But anyone who loves cricket can contribute simply by coming down to support the players. It’s a wonderful way to get to know a community that contributes so much to Singapore but often remains behind the scenes.”
