President Report : 
 

Petanque till today is still a relatively obscure sport that in not known by the general public. The minority who has heard of it generally perceive it as a slow-paced sport that is played by the senior citizens. Sports Boules Singapore (SBS) seeks to address this lack of understanding / misconception by popularizing the sport with two main objectives in mind: 1) Sports for Excellence and 2) Sports for Life

The past FY (2005/2006) has seen SBS take small yet very positive steps towards achieving that double-barreled dream.

In terms of Sports for Excellence, SBS is proud to celebrate the unprecedented achievements of its athletes at the 23rd SEA Games 2005 held in Angeles City, Philippines – 2 Bronzes. Though somewhat insignificant in comparison to what some core sports have achieved, it means a lot to our NSA that functions on an annual budget that barely qualifies for a platinum credit card! Other significant achievements include 2 Nation Cup Gold medals at the Asian Championships 2005 held in Japan.

In terms of Sports for Life, SBS has a healthy working relationship with the Peoples’ Association and conducts regular Learn-to-Play sessions which are well attended and received. SBS is also embarking on an ambitious project, in partnership with Central Singapore, to organize the inaugural 3G Challenge, an event that seeks to provide a platform for the different generations and races to do a sport together.

We recognize the importance of building a base of young players to take the sport of Petanque forward and have stepped up our efforts to break into schools. We have been rewarded with a healthy growing number of youths training at our Centre of Excellence. FY 2005/2006 also witnessed the staging of the 1st NPCC Inter-School Petanque Competition.  

With so many significant small steps taken forward, we have also opened a can of worms for the year ahead. SBS needs to address challenging and daunting issues like adequate number of courts and qualified coaches to accommodate the increasing number of players. The Bronze medals at the SEA Games have whetted our appetite for better performances at subsequent SEA Games and the World Championships. It is with great determination that I promise to lead SBS towards our bright future. 

Anthony Ho
President, Sports Boules Singapore  (2005 - 2009)

* President Foreword 2005