tabla!-Tamil Murasu Integration Cup

DARK clouds had hung low over the Singapore Island Country Club's New Course since noon on July 30. Braving occasional showers, around 100 golfers played the entire afternoon with the aim of building bonds of friendship.

When the game ended in near darkness, the winner surprised everyone to set an example of what winning is all about.

S. Vikkash Babu, 18, told the organisers that he had just turned professional and hence it is only right that the magnificent Integration Cup, donated by Tamil Murasu chairman S. Chandra Das, be given to an amateur golfer.

That winner turned out to be Jasni Sabar in a field of Singaporeans and expatriates.

For Jasni, the unexpected win turned out to be a special Hari Raya surprise.

He was not aware that he was the winner and he had rushed off home after the game to welcome some friends who had come visiting. As a result he could not be present when his name was called to be presented with the Cup at the Integration Night Dinner event which followed.

The second and third prize winners were Mohamad Hanafi Khan and S. Murali respectively.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan was the guest of honour at the event, which saw around 300 guests, including the golfers treated to sumptuous food and great entertainment.

In his address, Minister Balakrishnan spoke about the importance of immigration and the challenges involved.

Explaining the challenges involved, the Minister said: "Even as we want to and need to maintain open borders we need to recognise this reality that Singapore is not an empty slate, there is a people, a nation of Singaporeans and if we are to maintain open borders, native Singaporeans must feel secure because an insecure host can never be a hospitable host, and therefore membership must have its privileges.

"We are trying to navigate this tightrope of maintaing openess on the one hand and providing a sense of security and recognition to local and native born Singaporeans so that they can also welcome all of you with open arms."

He said the Integration Cup golf tournament was best suited to build bonds of friendship between citizens and newcomers.

"Golf is a very laborious time-consuming game but the larger point behind it all is that unless you invest time interacting, playing, you can never really build relationships, so I want to thank tabla! and Tamil Murasu and Mr Patrick Daniel for organising this, because this event is one of the many things that we need to provide opportunities for interactions for relationships to be built, for contributions to be made for trust to be earned and I just want to end by saying this is absolutely essential if we are to keep Singapore alive," said Mr Balakrishnan.

Earlier, welcoming the gathering, Mr Chandra Das said: "This event is now a part of our community's calendar, and we've been able to bring together a good cross section of our community each year."

Played for the third consecutive year, the Integration Cup, which is followed by gala dinner and entertainment at the Integration Night, is an annual event held every year on July 30.

It is aimed at bringing together the Singaporean Indian, expatriate Indian and other Singaporean communities to network, bond and create new friendships through a common interest - golf.

Speaking of this, the managing director for UBS Singapore Vijai Krovvidi said: "The Integration Cup is a very good platform to integrate and bring the communities together.

UBS is delighted to be the presenting sponsor for the third year. Singapore's role as a thriving cosmopolitan city is enriched by the diversity of the various communities coming together to forge new friendships and networks." Chief executive of RSH Limited Kesri Kapur who attended the dinner with his wife was also all praise for the event. RSH was another big sponsor of the twin events, donating a large number of sporting goods. CEO of Modern Montessori International Group Dr T. Chandroo appreciated the attempt made by tabla! and Tamil Murasu in helping newcomers to integrate.

"We have to consistently and persistently keep doing it to make it a real success. It provides the platform as a meeting point, where you get to meet old friends and make new ones. The golf is just the beginning. The mingling, networking and socialising at the dinner after really helps create lasting friendships and through that, business relationship can develop," he said.

Mr Henry Ow, who won the prize for Nearest to Pin Hole was one happy golfer who went home making new friends. Said Mr Ow: "I made some new friends. Golfing is a great way to make new connections and this event was a good experience."

India's high commissioner to Singapore Vijay Thakur Singh, who attended the dinner, said events like these add yet another strength to efforts of integration.

Other highlights of the night included a performance by Chinese Singaporean brothers playing traditional Indian instruments and two Bollywood dance performances by the group Malaysian Punjabi Bhangra (MPB) from Kuala Lumpur.

Brothers Krsna Tan, on the sitar, and Govin Tan, on the tabla, better known as Flame of the Forest, were the first non-Indians to win the National Indian Music Competition organised by the National Arts Council in their respective categories.

They received tremendous applause for their fusion music.

The dancers of MPB rocked the stage to songs from Hindi movies Chennai Express and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela.

Lead dancer Simranjit Singh told tabla!: "Our dance is for all occasions. It is important to our Indian culture and the Bollywood dances merge Western and traditional dance."

The emcee for the night was funny man K.P. Sandhu, popularly known as KP. He had everyone in stitches with his witty one-liners and engaged eight members from the audience in a stage act.

Four women and four men were paired to re-enact comical scenes from movies of four different languages - Chinese, English, Tamil and Hindi - to accompanying music.

An auction was also held with proceeds going to the Singapore Indian Education Trust.

The items included a crystal statue of Goddess Lakshmi from Lalique, intricate handmade carpets from Eastern Carpets, a bottle of Glenlivet XXV from Pernod Ricard and a Claude Bernard watch from Crystal Time were up for grabs.

A total of $19,300 was raised from the auction.

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