Make A Nila Launch Event

29 NOV 2014

Make A Nila Launch Event

Mr Sam Tan, Minister of State, Prime Minister’s Office & Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth,

Mr Tan Kian Chew, Group Chief Executive Officer (NTUC FairPrice),

Mr Nicholas Fang, Chef de Mission of Team Singapore for the 28th SEA Games,

Mr Tng Ah Yiam, Deputy Chief Executive Officer (NTUC Fairprice),

Distinguished guests and friends,

Good afternoon to all of you, and a warm welcome to the official launch of the Make-a-NILA programme.

  1. We are less than 200 days away and our hosting of the 28th SEA Games on Singapore’s Golden Jubilee year will give a whole generation of Singaporeans that have yet to witness these Games on home soil a lifetime experience for years to come.

  2. For SINGSOC, the 28th SEA Games is about Celebrating the Extraordinary, and this is not just about the number of medals we win, but to Celebrate the Extraordinary journeys of our athletes, coaches, officials, volunteers and fans… it is about celebrating the extraordinary as a community and with the community.

  3. It’s our turn to host the SEA Games and we want the people to be part of the Games. We want them to co-create the Games with us. We want the people to own the Games. So, in our planning, we took deliberate efforts to create opportunities for the community, where we are able to collectively create a new legacy of memories for generations to come. Today’s launch of the Make-a-NILA programme is one of the best examples of this focus.

  4. As you will see and experience for yourselves, the Make-a-NILA programme is a way for everyday people in different walks of life to be a part of a medal winning experience. With Make-a-NILA, individuals in Singapore are able to personally design, sew and decorate the 28th SEA Games Official Mascot NILA for a medal winning athlete at the Games.

  5. With each stitch and embellishment, you show your support for the Games, creating a one-of-a-kind mascot, a heartfelt gift for each medallist at the Games. Hopefully, each participant who makes a NILA can get a chance of being part of the victory ceremonies at the Games, and present his or her creation to a winning athlete.

  6. The Make-a-NILA programme will require over 4,500 creatively designed NILAs which will be presented to athletes at the victory ceremonies at the 28th SEA Games. Over the next few months, members of the public can look forward to additional Make-a-NILA roadshows which will be conducted at ActiveSG Sport Centres, shopping malls, and selected NTUC FairPrice outlets. I would like to take this opportunity to thank NTUC FairPrice for its generous support of our Make-a-NILA programme; this is above and beyond their already significant support for the 28th SEA Games. Truly, this is a testament of a Community in action, and the power of the Games to bring the Community together.

  7. Today as you enjoy the launch festivities and try your hand at making a NILA, I hope that each and every one of you will have an extraordinary experience to take away, and know that your efforts will be part of the medal winning experience for the 28th SEA Games.

  8. Thank you.