It was a dark and stormy night, but the inaugural Darts competition organised by the NUS STARS (Staff Talent in Athletics and Recreational Sports) got off to a rousing start on 6 March 2024. With over 60 staff gathered from across the various academic, research, executive and administrative departments at NUS, the atmosphere was convivial but tinged with a sense of anticipation and friendly competition as teams of three vied for the top prize.
“It’s a good breather,” said Shirlyn Ong, a career advisor from the NUS Centre for Future-ready Graduates who appreciated the chance to unwind with colleagues after work. “We registered for this competition because we wanted to do something different together.”
The downpour did little to dampen the spirits of Dr Krishna Singh. “I signed up by myself and asked the organisers to slot me into a team. The event is a great way to interact with people from other parts of NUS,” said the research scientist and fellow from the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore (SERIS).
Reigniting the sporting spirit amongst NUS staff
The NUS STARS programme was launched by the Office of Human Resources (OHR) in July last year to promote an active lifestyle through competitive sports, and to forge a sense of camaraderie amongst NUS staff.
Dr Janson Yap, Chief People Officer at OHR, explained, “Staff wellbeing is increasingly an important factor for NUS. Our view of wellness is holistic, and encompasses social, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Participating in sports and recreational activities has been shown to elevate these dimensions. At NUS, we want you to be at your best so you can hit the mark at work and in life.”
Sandy Lu, from the Office of Finance (OFN), agreed. “I joined the badminton competition organised by NUS STARS as a solo player last year. It was a great experience so this year, I pulled together a team of three from different sections of OFN to participate in the darts competition together.” Sandy left with more than a feeling of satisfaction, winning second prize in the lucky draw.
Sandy Lu (right) who participated in the NUS STARS badminton tournament last year, roped in her colleagues Jeannette Low (middle) and Sherry Sim (left) from the Office of Finance to form a team for the Darts competition.
The evening also ended especially well for Dixson Lim, Swensson Chua, and Wu Shangnan from University Campus Infrastructure. The trio emerged as the overall darts champions after a gruelling three hours of competition held over five rounds.
Swensson, who was also one of the winners of the lucky draw, said, “We manage the facilities for NUS Medicine and Science. It can be quite demanding at times, but this is part and parcel of work. Events like these are pretty good – good for relaxing, and good to get to know other colleagues.”
Shangnan, who joined NUS early last year, had this advice for new hires, “Be cheerful, be positive, be open to joining such events.”
“And most importantly, pick the right darts,” Dixson added.
Greater variety of games for 2024
To encourage participation, the NUS STARS programme has been broadened to include a variety of sports. For instance, a bowling tournament was organised for the first time earlier this year on 19 January.
Together with his teammates, Niel Romuga, a principal consultant from NUS Information Technology, won third place at the bowling event. “It was a good experience and quite well-organised. Transport was provided from campus to the venue. When we saw that the darts tournament was happening in March, we immediately signed up as a team.”
More than 70 staff participated in the first STARS event of the year, a bowling tournament in January. Prizes were awarded to the highest scoring teams and individual highest scorers, but the main draw was the opportunity to get to know people from other NUS departments.
“We want to encourage more staff to participate in these activities. We also want to show that we can work hard – and play hard – as a team,” said Derek Wong, an engagement manager at OHR who leads the NUS STARS committee.
If you are keen to try out something new this year, or want to meet other members of the wider NUS staff community, there will be more sporting events – like futsal and running – in store for you! Find out more on the NUS STARS microsite here.