Cousins Gillian Teng and Tan Yan Yeng often hang out together, singing karaoke songs, swimming, running and playing captain's ball. All in the name of fun.
But they will get their first taste of competing officially as team-mates when they participate at this year's Singapore National Games (SNG).
Teng, 28, and Tan, 19, will be taking part in an adventure race on Aug 6, along with Tan's sister Yan Mei, 21, and Teng's friend Cristal Toh, 26.
The race is a new event included in this year's SNG, which is part of GetActive! Singapore, a week-long sporting festival held in the National Day week from July 30 to Aug 7.
Tan, an undergraduate at Singapore Management University, said of Teng: "We go out a lot together; we're really close. When she plays games, she is more of a thinker but she can get quite persistent.
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Games sign-ups extended to July 15
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Registration to take part in the Singapore National Games has been extended to July 15.
The July 30-Aug 7 Games will feature 16 sports and five disability sports across 16 venues.
They are: archery, athletics, badminton, basketball, bowling, canoe marathon, dragonboating, floorball, futsal, five-a-side hockey, sepak takraw, swimming, table tennis, tennis, volleyball (indoor and beach) and adventure race.
The para-sports are: archery, boccia, tenpin bowling, swimming and table tennis .
Interested participants can sign up at www.myactivesg.com
"But it'll be fun to see the competitive side of my cousin."
Teng, however, wants to enjoy their first sports event together regardless of their final placing in the race.
The editor at a consulting firm said: "We're not going there to chiong (compete for the win). We just want to do the obstacles together, help and encourage each other, and maybe we can laugh at each other too."
The quartet have to overcome 13 obstacles, including one that requires them to cross a canal on a cargo net, along a 3.5km course that starts at Yio Chu Kang Stadium.
Toh, a social worker, said: "It sounds like it will be a different experience, unlike the usual running races."
Tan added: "I think it's interesting because of the obstacles. We've never tried anything like that before. I hate running so I think this is more cool."
The aim of holding the event around the vicinity of Yio Chu Kang Stadium is to explore ways to make the area more lively.
Senior director of ActiveSG, Ng Eng Soon said: "Our tennis courts, swimming pool and squash courts are heavily used.
"We're trying to make our stadium more user friendly. It's hard concrete, too bare and scorching hot in the day.
"There are open spaces which are a bit under-utilised in the surrounding area. So we want to explore the concept of (having) a park with a stadium to allow more people to come in and enjoy (the facility)."
