A Fiesta Of Heritage And New Beginnings At SCC ~ Merlion Wayfarer's Walking Singapore

The Singapore Cricket Club (SCC), the premier sports club on the Padang – which will soon be gazetted as a national monument – will be commemorating Singapore’s Bicentennial with two weeks of events and activities while at the same time raising funds for sports development under the auspices of SportCares.

A Fiesta of Heritage and New Beginnings

Themed “A Fiesta of Heritage and New Beginnings”, activities will pay tribute to Singapore and the Club’s heritage while also heralding a new era in nation building.

From 11-26 October, SCC will be organising a series of cultural and food events that celebrates Singapore’s and the Club’s own diverse heritage.

The celebrations will start with a modern Asian four-course dinner created by Celebrity Chef extraordinaire Eric Teo, with each course paired with wines from the Commonwealth (11 October).

The SCC Peranakan Fiesta on 18 October will feature a Straits Chinese buffet feast prepared by The Peranakan’s Chef Raymond Khoo. Local night “street” stalls at the Club’s Courtyard will sell batik patchwork pieces, rattan bags and print crafts among other items. The Peranakan Voices (TPVs) choir and band from The Peranakan Association Singapore will provide live entertainment.

The entire Clubhouse will be open to members of the public on the SCC Family Day and Open House on 20 October, when families can enjoy pony rides, bouncy castles, bubble soccer and various F&B and games stalls. Members of the public can also book special-access Club tours.

Kavin Jay, one of Southeast Asia’s most sought-after comedians, will headline the SCC Comedy Night on 23 October, with popular local boy Sam See and rising star Qam taking to the stage for a fun-filled night of hilarious stand-up comedy.

Of special significance to SCC is the participation of Chef Paul Askew – a pioneer of excellent modern British cuisine and the Chef Patron of the Art School Restaurant in Liverpool, UK – in the club’s events.

Chef Askew spent part of his childhood in Singapore with his parents who were SCC members, and often visited the club with them to play lawn bowls and have dinner. This would be a homecoming of sorts for Chef Askew as he returns to Singapore and joins SCC in commemorating Singapore’s Bicentennial. He will be conducting a cooking demonstration at a special four-course Luncheon paired with wines on 22 October, as well as preparing an exquisite dinner for the SCC Heritage Charity Ball on 25 October.

“Singapore provided me with one of my first and greatest inspirations to become a chef,” said Chef Askew. “I travelled with family from very early on and was exposed to the markets and hawker centres of Singapore which, with its vibrancy of colours and flavours, was literally like being in Aladdin’s cave – it’s like the New York of Asia!”

Excited to cook for the SCC’s own Bicentennial events, Chef Askew continued, “When I sit down to create a menu for such a special occasion, I try to choose dishes and ingredients that are celebratory in their nature and fitting to the event. I want to share my repertoire of flavours, colours and textures, with some British colonial elements mixed with Singaporean highlights from the local markets.”

The final event of SCC’s Bicentennial celebrations is the SCC Football Carnival on Saturday, 26 October, on the Padang, in partnership with SportCares, the philanthropic arm of Sport Singapore.

The morning will start with a children’s football clinic for SportCares constituents and SCC members conducted by Chelsea Football Club International Development Centre (CFCIDC). In the late morning, SCC will host an Under-14 seven-a-side mini football tournament for SportCares football teams from its development programmes. The winning team will be invited to compete in the 2020 edition of the SCC International Soccer7s Tournament (6 – 7 June).

Fundraising for SportCares

The SCC Heritage Charity Ball and SCC Football Carnival are especially meaningful events that SCC is organising as part of its commemorative activities for the Singapore Bicentennial, as the club is also raising funds for SportCares.

Using sport as a force for social good, SportCares leverages sport experiences to make a positive difference to the lives of the vulnerable and under-served communities in Singapore. In addition to persons with disabilities and special needs and seniors, SportCares designs and delivers sport-based development programmes that engage children and youth at-risk – this includes football, rugby, swimming, athletics and floorball.

SCC has already started raising funds for SportCares through various activities but the SCC Heritage Charity Ball will be the main fundraiser. SCC will be conducting charity auctions during the night and hopes to raise a significant amount for SportCares. The St. James’s Place Charitable Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the St. James’s Place Wealth Management Group which is the event title sponsor of the Ball and gold sponsor of SCC’s Bicentennial commemorative events, will be matching funds raised at the Ball up to a maximum of S$50,000.

Meanwhile, the SCC Football Carnival will provide another platform for SportCares’ constituents to play, interact with others and learn to be better versions of themselves through sports.

“SCC has a strong sporting background dating back to 1852 and therefore it is all the more meaningful that as we go forward we will play an even bigger role in supporting sports development beyond our Club. We believe that sports can inspire and enable our children and youth and build stronger communities,” said SCC President Sher Baljit Singh. “These are also the goals of SportCares and we are privileged to have the opportunity to support their good work.”

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong has kindly agreed to grace the Club with his presence at the Visitor’s Dinner to be held at the end of the year when SCC will bestow him with the honorary title of “Visitor”; during which time Prime Minister Lee will also receive the cheque on behalf of SportCares for all funds raised by SCC’s Bicentennial Celebrations. The SCC honorary title of “Visitor” has to date only been bestowed upon then-Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew (1970) and then-Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong (2007).

All the events will be held at SCC, save for the Heritage Charity Ball which will take place at the InterContinental Singapore in Bugis. The events open to members of the public include the Cooking Demonstration & Luncheon with Paul Askew, SCC Family Day & Open House, SCC Heritage Charity Ball, and the SCC Football Carnival.

SCC is privileged to have the title sponsorship support of Maitri Asset Management for all its Bicentennial events, Qatar Airways as its official airline partner and Royal Plaza on Scotts as its official hotel partner. SCC is also grateful for its gold sponsors St James’s Place Wealth Management Group and Vapor, and bronze sponsor Lorna Whiston Schools.

For more information and to register, visit scc.org.sg/sccbicentennial/.

About Singapore Cricket Club (SCC)

Established in 1852, the Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) is the premier sports and lifestyle club in the heart of the city. The club is a gazetted building framed by a breathtaking blend of historic and modern buildings, with the iconic soon-to-be-gazetted Padang field at its doorstep. Across time, SCC has been a magnet for Singapore’s sporting fraternity.

The story of the Singapore Cricket Club is a fascinating microcosm of the story of Singapore itself. The club’s transition from an elite, colonial sports club to an open, multi-racial club playing a leading role in both the sporting and social life of the wider community mirrors changes in the nation as a whole.

Here, just about every popular field game is played: from cricket, naturally, to soccer, hockey, rugby, tennis, lawn bowls, netball among others.

To accommodate its ever-increasing number of sports enthusiasts, the SCC has leased another field in the Dempsey district. Across its two fields, the Club plays host to sports at all levels – from friendlies to interclub and national leagues, as well as international signature tournaments that bring in big name teams. The latter includes the SCC International Hockey 6s, the SCC International Rugby 7s, SCC Cricket Twenty20 and SCC International Soccer7s.

The camaraderie built on the field extends to the Clubhouse where wining, dining and socializing facilities cater to a diverse and distinctive community of members. The Club is reputed for its fine dining and local fare options, topped with impeccable and personalised service. All this in venues that have been refurbished with great care to retain its architectural splendour dating back to its early beginnings.

The Club’s packed calendar of events is reflective of its mix of members – celebrating Singapore’s many festivals, commemorating milestone events and creating events that bring friends and families together.

More information about the Singapore Cricket Club can be found at www.scc.org.sg.