S’pore National School Games: Meet the coaches who are the guiding hands in their sport
Sign up now: Get the biggest sports news in your inbox
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE – Behind the tears and triumphs at the National School Games are the many individuals who work behind the scenes to give student-athletes a chance to compete and shine in their sport. The Straits Times speaks to four coaches who have spent decades nurturing, mentoring and developing young players in cricket, football, hockey and softball.
‘Joga Bonito’, winning mentality key to success, says Meridian football coach Fabio da Silva
Football coach Fabio da Silva’s teams have won a total of 16 National School Games titles.
ST PHOTO: LUTHER LAU
For close to two decades, Fabio da Silva’s Brazilian roots have shaped his football coaching methods.
That includes the “joga bonito” mantra (Portuguese for play beautifully) as he provides his young players the freedom to express themselves up front while instilling a winning mentality in them.
Those are key traits of teams under the tutelage of da Silva, who has won a total of 16 National School Games (NSG) titles – nine in the A Division with Meridian Junior College (MJC) and seven in the B and C Divisions with Meridian Secondary School.
Coach, mentor, nanny – MGS softball coach Elaine Chua wants to instil lifelong values
Methodist Girls’ School softball coach Elaine Chua has spent 19 years with the school, winning multiple titles.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Cutting an imposing figure on the field, softball coach Elaine Chua is often seen screaming instructions at her charges during games.
A self-described “coach, mentor and nanny”, the 44-year-old led Methodist Girls’ School (MGS) to the B Division championship this season and most recently guided the C girls to a runners-up medal against Nanyang Girls’ High School.
Chua has won multiple titles with them across both divisions since working with them from 2005 – they were C Division champions in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2022, 2023 and B Division winners from 2017 to 2019, 2023 and 2024.
School hockey coach Nordin Manaff inspired by charges’ passion, success
Nordin Manaff has won 25 National School Games titles across all divisions with Crescent Girls’ School, Victoria School and Victoria Junior College.
ST PHOTO: GIN TAY
Nurturing and developing players from scratch is a tough task for any coach, but it is a challenge that hockey coach Nordin Manaff relishes.
The 58-year-old first took the helm at Crescent Girls’ School in 1993, before taking over at Victoria Junior College (VJC) two decades later. In 2018, he also started working with Victoria School’s hockey teams.
Between them, the teams have won 10 A Division and 15 B and C titles during his tenure. The former national player, who has coached the national women’s indoor hockey team since 2019, finds imparting his skills and knowledge to beginners the most fulfilling part of his career.
Coaching ‘makes me forget my age’, says ACS (I) cricket coach Sarika Siva Prasad
Sarika Siva Prasad, 65, has been coaching cricket at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) since 1998.
ST PHOTO: ARIFFIN JAMAR
Cricket coach Sarika Siva Prasad is trim, fit and sports a head of black hair – the moustached senior easily looks decades younger than 65.
He has been coaching Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) cricketers since 1998, a job he credits for keeping him youthful and on his toes.
“Although I’m 65 now, I don’t feel that age because my whole life I spent with youngsters. It keeps me really happy, it makes me forget my age and enjoy what I’m doing,” he said.
