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Sports and games in colonial Singapore: 1819–1867

2012; Taylor & Francis; Volume: 15; Issue: 10 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1080/17430437.2012.744205

1743-0445

Nick Aplin,

Sports Analytics and Performance

The first 50 years of colonialism in Singapore (beginning in 1819) provided a foundation for the spread of team games that occurred in the second half of the century. The pursuit of athleticism and the games ethic, associated with activities emerging from British Public Schools, would dominate the later sports scene in Singapore. With the added necessity of ensuring health and fitness to combat the tropical environment, games were gradually introduced to other sectors of the predominantly migrant population. This article outlines the evolution of sport (often termed ‘amusements’ by the British settlers) within the context of rule by the British East India Company. Individual games and recreational pursuits were the rule of the day. The small British and European contingent brought the legacy of country games and traditional sport with them, meaning horse racing, hunting, shooting and to a lesser degree fishing. Not surprisingly sailing proved to be the first systematically organized outdoor activity. Indoor games such as billiards and chess also prevailed. The first organized open-air game was probably fives – a relative of rackets and squash. Some indigenous games were present, notably ‘sepak raga’ played in a circle form (bulatan). The first sports organized for the general population took place during the New Year festivities, when land and sea sports provided a rare occasion for the people to participate in boisterous fun. The first clubs of any standing emerged in 1826 the Singapore Yacht Club, in 1842 the Sporting Club and in 1852 the Singapore Cricket Club. Association football had yet to be codified in England, so any games of that sort may have included elements of the handling game that was to become rugby. Racket games such as lawn tennis would be introduced in the 1870s. The establishment of modern sports to Singapore can be linked to the early and middle periods of the nineteenth century and as such it would appear that Singapore (along with settlements such as Penang) was a pioneering location for sport in South-East Asia.