Seniors take flight in first drone soccer tournament

SINGAPORE – At Compass One mall, drones buzz inside an inflatable arena as five seniors on each side grip video game-like controllers, eyes fixed on the opposing goalpost.

The objective is simple: score as many goals as possible in three minutes while stopping the other team from doing the same.

Over three days in late July, more than 200 seniors from 24 active ageing centres (AACs) formed 29 teams in Singapore’s first Silver Drone Soccer Tournament. Drone soccer is a team sport where players pilot lightweight drones inside protective spherical cages, scoring points by having them fly through an elevated hoop.

The event reflects growing interest among seniors in technology-based activities, part of a broader push to keep them active and engaged while building social bonds.

“We organise many different activities, but this one has shown exceptional take-up and retention rates, particularly among older men,” says Helen Kuan, president of Jia Ying Community Services, which operates two AACs in Hougang.

She adds that seniors find the sport great for building hand-eye coordination and mental agility, while also remaining inclusive for those with mobility challenges.

Vincent Lee, 68, a retired operations director, first encountered drone soccer at PCF Sparkle Care Active Ageing Centre (Care) @ Eunos in July 2025, after enrolling in an eight-session introductory course with his wife.

Despite his background as an electrical engineer, he found the sport challenging.

“We have to make sure our eyesight and hand movement synchronise and stay sharp,” Lee said. “But what I enjoy most is that it is a team sport. The two strikers and three defenders must work together as a team.”

His team was an unlikely one. The six neighbours had never met before and got to know each other only through drone soccer, training once a week at first before stepping up to twice weekly sessions as the tournament approached.

Nerves were evident on the day of the finals. The team’s defender Sally Ang, 62, said she had not slept well for days.

“I was so nervous for this tournament,” she said. “The controls are very sensitive and we sometimes end up attacking our own team members.”

In the finals, Sparkle Care Eunos faced THK Active Ageing Centre @ Toa Payoh 15 in a best-of-three format.

The opening match proved costly. One minute into play, Lee’s drone ran out of battery.

“No more battery ah?” he asked, gesturing to his teammate Eddy Ooi, 72.

“We only have one striker now.” Reduced to a single striker, Sparkle Care lost 19-16.

During the five-minute technical break, Lee steadied his team. “It’s okay, we will win the next two rounds,” he told them.

Sparkle Care did just that, taking the second round by eight points before claiming the decider through tight teamwork, with players communicating through synchronised movements rather than words.

“In the second and third matches, we got back on our feet,” recalled Ooi, a semi-retired counsellor and music teacher.

The tournament’s guest of honour was Mr Tan Kiat How. The Senior Minister of State for Digital Development and Information and for Health joined senior participants, venue partners and agency representatives in a friendly match before presenting the prizes.

The winning team received $1,500 in vouchers and a trophy.

For Lee, however, the biggest prize was the friendships forged over months of training.

The Silver Drone Soccer Tournament is a flagship initiative supported by the FUN! Fund, a $1.35 million community impact fund launched in 2022 by the Agency for Integrated Care and Community Foundation Singapore. Alongside drone soccer, five other innovative initiatives, ranging from magic workshops to coding to immersive sensory experiences, have reached over 5,000 seniors across more than 130 AACs and nursing homes.

“FUN! Fund is really about helping our AACs try out new things,” says Paul Tan, CEO of Community Foundation Singapore, adding that programmes they support are geared towards encouraging seniors to be active, connect with others and keep learning.

Jia Ying Community Services, in collaboration with the Association of Drone Soccer Singapore, was the first to introduce drone soccer to seniors.

What began as a centre-based initiative has since expanded with support from the FUN! Fund and is now adopted by over 39 AACs and nursing homes.

When the emcee invited the first-place winners to the stage, Lee’s team walked up to the podium. They accepted their trophy and received bouquets of flowers from family members who had come to support them.

The six teammates embraced and patted one another on the back. “Let’s go for a good meal to celebrate!”