| Past Events - Year 2008 |
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Vesakhi Mela 2008Vesakhi Mela 2008 (fun fair) was held on Sunday, 20th April 2008 at the Singapore Khalsa Association. Dr Ng Eng Hen, Minister for Education and Second Minister for Defence graced the occasion as the Guest-of-Honour. The theme of the Mela was "Forging Family Values in our Multi-Racial Society". This theme is in concert with the aim of enhancing family values in Singapore's multi-racial environment. There were many fun filled events and hands-on elements in the programme such as SKA Idol, Little Champs talent search, musical performances, Punjabi folk dances (Giddha) and the ever vibrant Bhangra Dances was the highlights of the day. A cultural corner was set up to provide a glimpse of the interior of a typical house in a Punjab village and another area was set show casing the various traditional Punjabi musical instruments. Explanations of all the exhibits were provided in English in order for the different races to understand the significances of the various exhibits. Overall, the intent was to provide all visitors with an educational and experiential experience of Punjabi/Sikh culture. The Games carnival was held from 8am to 3pm at the Balestier Plain Grounds. Sporting activities like soccer, hockey and netball had a record number of teams participating. The games have a truly multi-cultural feel and everyone enjoyed themselves. There were also traditional Punjabi sports such as Kabbadi and the inter Gurdwara Tug of War which was held in the afternoon prior to the cultural events.The Guest of Honour was invited to witness both these events. Fun-fair and food stalls including kids club games area were also set up. Overall, as in the case for previous years, it was a colorful, enriching and enjoyable event in a bustling fun filled environment for one and all, including young children and families.
Cultural & Social EventsAwarness on Punjabi CultureSKA Culture Section & the SKA Ladies Wing organized an "Awareness on Punjabi Culture" at the Asian Civilisations Museum on Saturday 29 March 2008. It was an opportunity to showcase and introduce our Punjabi Culture and craft to other organizations and societies. Hands on exhibit and stage performances were the highlight of the programme.
Training on Punjabi CultureThe Culture & Social Committee engaged a Punjabi Professional Teacher, Ms Gurpinder Kaur from Punjab, India to uplift the awareness on Punjabi/Culture within the Sikh Community in Singapore. Classes were conducted from 24th Feb to 13th Apr 2008. She conducted classes on traditional dances and other Punjabi craft work for adults and childrens. The classes were conducted at SSEF Centres, Sikh centre, Khalsa Kindergarten and at SKA. All these were showcased during the Vesakhi Mela 2008 celebrations.
Sports Events57th Gurdwara CupSKA sent a contingent of 80 plus participants and officials for the 57th Gurdwara Cup held at Seremban (Malaysia), from 4th to 7th June 2008. SKA took part in Hockey (seniors & veterans), Soccer (seniors & juniors), Netball and Golf. Mr Gopal Singh, SKA Chairman Building & Facilities was the Chef De Mission. SKA were Champions in Netball, Soccer (senior) and Runner's up in Soccer (juniors) and Golf.
BMS SoccerSingapore Khalsa Association and Silat Road Sikh Centre jointly organized the Bhai Maharaj Soccer tournament on Sunday 15 June 2008 at Henderson Secondary School. The response to this event continues to be very encouraging. 60 teams comprising 600 players participated in the tournament, with Gurdwara Sahib Yishun clinching the championship.
Soccer NFL Division OneThe Tessensohn Khalsa Rovers took part in the FAS NFL Division One league and emerged sixth.
5th Young Khalsa LeagueThe event was kicked off on 9th March 2008 by Guest of Honour Mr S.Thavaneson,Chief Executive Officer of Sports Equipment PTE LTD. A total 27 Teams participated in 5th Young Khalsa League 2008. Family members and Friends of the league participants were present to witness the opening ceremony. The games were played on weekends and on Public Holidays. The games were enthusiastically supported by the parents/family members of the youth players. The finals of the knock out were played on 16th April 2008. Guest-of-Honour, Mr Jasminder Singh Gholia, Main Sponsor for the 5th Young Khalsa League, gave away the prizes to the winners.
Professional Networking GroupThe Professional Networking Group (PNG@SKA) was launched under the aegis of the Singapore Khalsa Association. There are a large number of Sikh professionals working in both the private and public sectors in Singapore. Some of these Sikh professionals have achieved a great deal of success and have carved a niche for themselves in their respective professions whilst there are young Sikh professionals striving for success in their careers. PNG@SKA helps create opportunities for Sikh professionals to interact, exchange ideas, network and build links between different professional groups. The PNG Group organized a networking session on Saturday, 14th June 2008 and Guest speaker was Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed who gave a very interesting speech on "Punjabis without Punjabi". Professor Ishtiaq Ahmed was a visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Institute of South Asian Studies, National University of Singapore. Prof Ahmed focus on the concern about the Punjabi Language and also dwell on the shared historical heritage between East and West Punjabi.
Professional Networking GroupLast year was indeed an eventful, exciting and rewarding one for all of us. We met most of the objectives that we laid out for ourselves, and feel proud that our Committee contributed towards making a difference for the ladies of our community. Of the events that we organized, four are worthy of mention. Firstly, we successful organized Shawa Punjabaney, a fund-raising walk in conjunction with the International Women's Day on the 7 March 2008. The event was a huge success, with over 550 ladies participating in the event. The aims of this project were to raise funds for:
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