With major events looming, S’pore tchoukball buoyed by solid displays at Geneva Nations Cup

SINGAPORE – A strong showing by Singapore’s age-group teams at the Geneva Nations Cup has given encouragement to local tchoukball, especially with major competitions like the Asia-Pacific and world championships on the horizon.

At the Dec 13-20 event in Switzerland, Singapore emerged from an international field including powerhouses Italy and the hosts to win the men’s Under-21 and boys’ U-16 titles.

They claimed silver in the senior men’s, women’s U-21 and mixed U-16 events, besides three bronzes in the mixed Open, senior women’s and girls’ U-16 categories.

For Tchoukball Association of Singapore (TBAS) secretary-general Delane Lim, the promising results were the fruits of its long-term systematic planning to promote the sport at the grassroots level.

He said: “These breakthroughs are strong indicators that Singapore tchoukball is moving in the right direction.

“Success at the age-group level shows that our systems are beginning to align, from coaching and athlete development to structured competition exposure.”

He noted that the association has focused on strengthening school and club pipelines, creating clearer age-group progression from youth to senior teams, and investing in coach education to ensure alignment and consistency across all levels.

Lim, who is also the International Tchoukball Federation president, highlighted the effectiveness of the Direct School Admission sports programme and the national development training system.

Both have helped in building a deeper pool of talent to keep Singapore competitive both regionally and internationally over the next decade.

In Geneva, the Singapore side who clinched the men’s U-21 gold won three out of four group-stage games before beating Italy 62-56 in the semi-finals and the Swiss U-18 boys 57-46 in the Next Generation final.

Ryan Ng was also named the Most Valuable Player. He cited it as a recognition of his hard work and commitment and also a reflection of the trust that his teammates and coaches have in him.

The Temasek Polytechnic student, 17, added: “Coming up against strong international opponents was significant because it tested us against different playing styles and a high level of competition.

“We think this team showed that we can perform well under pressure and compete beyond our local level and it also gave us valuable experience and confidence.

“(It helped) us understand where we stand internationally and what we need to improve moving forward.”

Similarly, Lucas Chua, a member of the boys’ U-16 team, is encouraged by their performance as they finished on top of the podium in their first appearance at the tournament.

The Chua Chu Kang Secondary School student believes this bodes well for the sport, with players getting exposure at higher levels.

The 14-year-old said: “We performed really well as a team during the tournament. Everyone understood their roles and supported one another, especially during the tougher matches.

“We stayed focused, trusted our training and kept encouraging each other, both on and off the court. As the competition went on, we grew more confident and connected as a team, and that made a big difference.”

Lim, heartened by the emergence of young talent, said Singapore are aiming for podium finishes, notably in the U-16 and U-19 categories, at the 2026 Asia-Pacific meet and the world championships in 2027, which the Republic is bidding to host.

Noting the high expenditure involved in preparing the teams – the recent campaign in Switzerland cost almost $250,000 – he called for more financial backing, especially from the corporate sector, as Singapore aim high on the world stage.

Lim added: “By combining clear performance targets with long-term, athlete-centred planning, we believe Singapore tchoukball is well positioned to compete strongly and sustainably at both the regional and world levels.”

Ryan shared that optimism, adding: “The success of each age group team on the international stage reflects strong new developments, effective coaching and a strong growing depth of talent.

“It gives confidence that Singapore can remain competitive and continue improving at the senior level.”