by Benedict, Sponsorships Director, UPA(S)
The sport of Ultimate has grown tremendously since we became a Registered Society in 2000, and especially so in the past decade. For those who began playing pre-COVID, you might recall the muddy fields and exposure to the elements whether it was for practices or competitions. These days, we are proud to host our practices, competitions, and events at (mud-free) pristine fields at venues such as Our Tampines Hub and Marymount CC – such privileges would not have been possible without our continued engagement and partnership with ActiveSG and other public sector stakeholders.
We need to look no further than the National Team Program for evidence of our commitment to sporting excellence. Through the hard work of so many over the years, the NTP has evolved into an elite programme with respectable finishes at regional and international competitions, including podium finishes at the two most recent World Under-24 Ultimate Championships. These endeavours have led to a world ranking of No. 10 as of 2024, second in Asia only to Japan. These are notable accomplishments, but we are cognizant that Singapore still has untapped potential.
As we look to continue fostering this growth, it has become increasingly clear that partnerships are vital to amplify our presence and complement our on-field achievements.
With that purpose in mind, we began our efforts in 2024 to centralize partnership engagement at the organizational level. This transition towards organization-level partnerships and away from a partnership model fronted by the NTP is a recognition of the scale of the sport across grassroots, schools, and club levels; that we can and should bring the best partners to our entire community and vice versa. We are fully focused on building on the progress of the past 24 years and creating a sustainable community of stakeholders. Needless to say, the NTP will continue to be a core pillar of our strategic vision; the program comprises the top athletes that Singapore has to offer, and for many, it is the face of Singapore Ultimate and we want to continue developing a winning mindset.
Photo by Michael Toh
Working with the right partners and stakeholders will be pivotal in achieving our goals. Sponsors provide much-needed funding for the NTP and local programs, and elevate the performance of our National Athletes. Sponsors can become strategic partners in key projects and accelerate our ambitions. A personal priority of mine as Sponsorships Director has been to work with local brands/companies with a distinctly similar mission – punching above our weight and making a name for Singapore on the international scene.
A key pillar for us is the engagement of community through an expansion of our events calendar. In 2024, we kickstarted the Coaching Course which is currently available for a $125 NTUC grant but can soon be 100% subsidized through SkillsFuture. The Oxford 4x4 League, a 4v4 competition organized in conjunction with UPA(S) partner Oxford Orthopaedics, will enter its 2nd edition. In September, we will hold our 2nd Beach Nationals, as part of building a strong foundation for a beach program over the next 3 to 5 years. The upcoming Corporate Ultimate Challenge on October 12, our inaugural event catered towards the corporate grassroots scene, will offer a more recreational atmosphere to the usual competitive tournaments that most players may associate the sport with. Altogether, these events represent the means to engage the community across all skill levels and demographics, and provide a growing number of avenues for partnership.
Pre-adulting workshop held with Planners Inc.
In closing, we want to express gratitude to our partners this year, who have been incredible in shaping the journey. Our national teams are exceptionally thankful to SportSG for the funding through the Athletes’ Inspire Fund. Our collaboration with Trio Ultimate, The Sporting Edge, and Greatest Bags prepared our National Athletes with equipment they need to compete at the highest level. Planners Inc., a financial consultant firm, held a pre-adulting workshop to prepare our WJUC (U20) athletes for the transformative years ahead of them.
As we continue to build out our events calendar and anticipate the celebration of our 25th anniversary next year, there is a huge opportunity ahead of us and we are excited for our future collaborations.
The Ultimate Players Association (Singapore) is the body responsible for the governance of flying disc sports in Singapore. These sports include Ultimate, Beach Ultimate and Disc Golf.
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