Since inception in 1968, Singapore Pools has been committed to supporting various social causes, including the sports.
50% of our first-year surpluses in 1968 was handed to the then Ministry of Social Affairs to fund the construction of the first National Stadium which was built as a means to boost sports promotion in the country and to host international and regional sporting events. Back then, Singapore Pools also supported sports development by hiring sportspeople in need of understanding employers to give them time off to hone their physical skills. This arrangement allows athletes to have sufficient time to train for their games. Among our hires were the footballers who scored Singapore's winning goal at the Malaysia Cup in 1975, the late Dollah Kassim, as well as well-known names such as Quah Kim Lye, S. Rajagopal, and Lim Chiew Peng.
A photo of National Stadium back in the days
P.C. Suppiah, our former Olympian and ex-employee was one of the many athletes that benefitted under this employment arrangement. He used to hold the record for 10,000m under 32 minutes and recalled his most memorable moment when he ran without shoes during the Olympics.
Suppiah used to train in the afternoon while juggling his role as a field supervisor at Singapore Pools when he was 21 years old. Back then, Suppiah went around the island to check on the TOTO booths. With 43 years of service to our organization, he leveraged his expertise as a sportsman to assist in organizing various internal sports events for the company. An example of one such event was the company’s sports day at Bedok Stadium where Suppiah took on the role as organizing chairman and planned the event for over 200 Singapore Pools staffs.
The support extended beyond providing monetary allowances for Suppiah during his international and Master meets. He also benefited from flexible work arrangements that allowed him to excel in both his professional and sporting career.
(Left) P.C. Suppiah preparing for his race & (Right) P.C. Suppiah at a event with colleagues in 1990
Today, we continue to remain committed to supporting staff with their sporting careers. Joanna Chan, a Team Singapore rower, and Senior Executive in our Risk and Compliance Division is supported with flexible working hours, sports leave, and supportive teammates.
As a Senior Executive in the Risk & Compliance team, she helps to oversee how Responsible gaming messages are being carried across to all our channels as part of our ongoing commitment to fostering responsible gaming practices. Joanna enjoys flexible working hours arrangement to facilitate her training hours before and after working time. Moreover, her teammates at work also readily step in to cover her responsibilities while she competes and represents Singapore at international competitions.
Singapore Pools provides 21 days sports leave, in addition to annual leave to national athletes employed by us. This allows Joanna to better manage her work, personal life, and sporting career.
(Left) Joanna Chan in her rower suit & (Right) Joanna having lunch with her colleagues
As an organization, we are happy to support our employees so they can pursue meaningful careers whilst balancing their own sporting commitments and personal aspirations. We would like to give a big thank you to our Team Singapore colleagues Suppiah and Joanna for their work here at Singapore Pools and advancing our nation on the world sports stage!