Sport Singapore looks to nurture and strengthen volunteer engagement from an early age

Sport Singapore’s Little Team Nila initiative aims to strengthen volunteer engagement and nurture sport volunteerism from the young with preschoolers alongside teachers and principals  among the 1,600 cheering on athletes at the World Aquatics Championships - Singapore 2025.

In their first engagement since the programme was announced in March 2025, Little Team Nila volunteers brought cheer and energy as they rallied behind Team Singapore and other athletes at the Aquatics event.

Unveiled at Team Nila’s – Singapore’s national sport volunteerism movement – 10th Anniversary Dinner in March 2025, Little Team Nila was created to strengthen the movement by introducing children aged five to 12 in preschools and primary schools to sport volunteerism and the joy of meaningful participation in sporting events - from cheering on Team Singapore athletes, to supporting sporting events in areas such as medal ceremonies.

Between 14th July and 1st August 2025, the enthusiastic attendees from 26 PCF Sparkletots Preschools (PCFSP) brought heart, spirit and cheer to the World Aquatics Championships – Singapore 2025 (WCH 2025) as part of Sport Singapore’s (SportSG) Little Team Nila programme. The Championships marked the young volunteers’ vibrant debut, where they, supported by the infectious rhythms of volunteer-led cheering squad Team Nila Beats, lit up the stands and demonstrated the programme’s mission: to nurture a passion for sport and volunteerism from an early age. The Little Team Nila volunteers were a roaring presence at 20 competitive events over 10 days, cheering on athletes competing in water polo, diving, artistic swimming and swimming events at the OCBC Aquatic Centre and World Aquatics Championships Arena.

Following their heartwarming debut at the WCH 2025, Little Team Nila volunteers are set to light up even more of Singapore’s biggest sporting events with their infectious cheers, such as the Toyota World Para Swimming Championships – Singapore 2025, the AFC Asian Cup football matches, and the Mirxes Nations Cup by Netball Singapore. In total, over 5,000 Little Team Nila volunteers will bring their boundless energy and joyful presence to these events in 2025.

Tan Hock Leong, Chief, ActiveSG, SportSG Toyota World Para Swimming Championships – notes “Volunteerism is not just for adults. Through Little Team Nila, we’re empowering our youngest citizens to play an active role in our sporting community, instilling values like teamwork, pride, and service from an early age. These past few weeks, Little Team Nila volunteers have been a constant presence at many Championships events, powerfully demonstrating how even our littlest supporters can uplift the atmosphere and make a real impact. Through Little Team Nila, we look forward to building a stronger, more inclusive sporting ecosystem, where every generation can contribute meaningfully to Team Singapore’s journey and our constant stream of sporting events and offerings.”

SportSG will continue to expand Little Team Nila to more preschools and primary schools in the coming months.

Empowering the Next Generation Through a Shared Vision
PCFSP is the first partner to join Little Team Nila. This partnership strengthens the long-term collaboration between PCFSP and SportSG, sharing a common goal of nurturing active and happy children with a love for movement and active play. Key initiatives under this partnership include the Nurture Kids programme, which develops physical literacy among preschoolers, and the SportSG-PCFSP Active Innovator Campaign, enabling early childhood educators to explore innovative strategies to integrate fundamental movement skills into their classes.

Earlier this year, students from five PCFSP centres were part of the line-up of schools participating in the ‘Trash to Treasure’ initiative, during which approximately 100,000 waste aluminium cans were transformed into 5,000 medals as part of the community programmes at WCH 2025.

To cheer on alongside Little Team Nila volunteers from PCFSP on their final day of volunteering, Victor Bay, Chief Executive at PCF and Tan Hock Leong were also in attendance on 1st August at the World Aquatics Championships Arena and OCBC Aquatic Centre to support the athletes, including those from Team Singapore. This further underscores the strong partnership between SportSG and schools in promoting early volunteerism and sports appreciation.

Bay added “It’s incredibly heartening to see our young ones cheering on Team Singapore and discovering the joy of giving through sport. Initiatives like Little Team Nila show that it’s never too early to nurture values such as purpose, compassion and community spirit. What makes this collaboration with SportSG especially meaningful is seeing our PCF Sparkletots children embody these values. It reminds us that character building starts early and with the right guidance, even preschoolers can inspire a nation.”

Through initiatives like Little Team Nila, SportSG continues to create inclusive, intergenerational pathways that foster national pride, social cohesion, and a lifelong passion for sport.

For more information on Little Team Nila, visit http://go.gov.sg/ltn. Schools that are interested to find out more about the programme may also write in to Team_Nila@sport.gov.sg.

Image top. Little Team Nila volunteers cheering on the athletes at the World Aquatics Championship – Singapore 2025 (WCH 2025). Credit: Team Nila Photographer, Arivalagan Anbumani; Image below: Mr Tan Hock Leong Chief, ActiveSG, Victor Bay Chief Executive, PCF “grooving” to the GetActive! Singapore (GASG) Workout 2025 - Dance of the Nation alongside the Little Team Nila volunteers. Credit: Team Nila Photographer, Chew Poh San