Workers, church group bond over cricket

A make-shift cricket pitch on an empty plot of land in Sengkang made the National Day weekend very special for a group of migrant workers and members of the Mar Thoma Syrian Christian Church in Singapore.

Three teams of workers, mostly from the Indian sub-continent, and a team from the church had a fun-filled day of cricket and comradeship on Aug 10 to mark SG50. It was the first time the church was engaging in migrant worker outreach through a friendly cricket match. It was the church's way of encouraging migrant workers to mix with the local community and to welcome them into Singapore society.

The workers' teams were from the Kienta Cricket Club, the East Lodge Cricket Club and the Expo Cricket Club. The Kienta Club emerged the champion. The vicar of the Mar Thoma church, Rev John G. Mathews, who was also part of the church team, said: "The cricket match offers a unique opportunity for the church and its members to connect with the migrant workers and to show love and appreciation to them for their many contributions to Singapore."

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