Singapore – Singtel is on a mission to get everyone rallying behind Team Singapore at the coming SEA Games. Singtel had earlier announced its commitment as the SEA Games’ Official Multimedia Partner, with sponsorship of over S$15 million worth of next-generation multimedia solutions and technology infrastructure.

Singtel will shine the spotlight on our Team Singapore athletes and the people who have been their guiding lights, with a glimpse into these behind-the-scenes personalities. Members of the public will hear the inspiring stories of the heroes behind each successful athlete.

“In addition to our sponsorship and multimedia support for the SEA Games, we want to recognise the many extraordinary people that are at the heart of the Games,” said Mr Yuen Kuan Moon, CEO Consumer Singapore, Singtel. “We want to focus on – and rally the nation to cheer for – every single person who has in some way or other contributed to the SEA Games. This includes the everyday Singaporeans working in the shadows, who share a common dream with our sportsmen and women, and who are as deserving of recognition.”

“The Singapore National Olympic Council is delighted to partner Singtel in their quest to rally Singaporeans to cheer for our Team Singapore athletes, as well as the people who have inspired them. As Team Singapore athletes and officials prepare for the final stretch leading up to the SEA Games, the support from the nation will certainly give them the added encouragement to strive for the best,” said Mr Chris Chan, Secretary-General, Singapore National Olympic Council.

Celebrating the Extraordinary

Six Team Singapore athletes – Adam Swandi (Football), Jasmine Ser (Shooting), Joseph Schooling (Swimming), Russel Low (Basketball), Tong Kah Mun (Gymnastics) and Vera Tan (Wushu) – share their stories about the people who have made personal sacrifices, and who have gone the extra mile to support them on their SEA Games quest.

Vera has nominated her physiotherapist Hwee Koon as her extraordinary person, touched by how she always takes time out to treat any injury she sustains, sometimes even long after the office has closed.

Shooter Jasmine shares how her sister Adrienne – who first got her into the sport of shooting, and then became her biggest fan – tirelessly drives her to and from the range, and the airport when she travels for training and competitions.

Russel from the Basketball team tells us about Uncle Koon, who works at the stadium where he trains. For as long as he can remember, Uncle Koon has been there before dawn every morning, preparing the equipment for training.

These inspiring tributes have been compiled into a series of short videos, which will be available online, on Singtel TV, on screens at Singtel shops and at events across the island.

To encourage the younger generation to draw inspiration from these stories and emulate these values beyond the sporting scene, a contest for secondary schools, junior colleges, polytechnics and ITEs will be held from now till 20 May. Students can participate by submitting a video on the person – or people – in their lives that has inspired them to achieve extraordinary things. To enter, they simply upload the video to Youtube with the hashtag #inspiringSG. The top three submissions will win a cash prize, SEA Games tickets and merchandise for themselves and their schools.

Enjoying the Games live, on the Go and with your community

As the Official Pay TV Broadcaster, Singtel will deliver an immersive experience of the SEA Games to Singaporeans island-wide across multiple platforms. From 5 to 16 June, the public can share the moments of glory, pain and perspiration as top athletes in the region challenge their physical and mental limits. Singtel TV subscribers can catch the action for free on two dedicated channels (Channel 134 and 135), with live feeds and specially customised programming.

For those on the move, the Games will also be available on the Singtel TV GO mobile app for free to everyone in Singapore. The app can be downloaded via Google Play and the Apple App Store with no subscription required.

To enable the community to come together to support their favourite athletes, live screenings of the Games will be held at community centres across the island.

Cheering for Singapore with unique data insights

As Singaporeans go online to share their views and show support for Team Singapore at the events, Singtel will be aggregating and analysing these activities, conversations and sentiments, to derive unique insights.

For the first time in Singapore, Singtel will be able to draw on information from Internet platforms – websites, blogs, videos, social media and more – to show what the community is discussing and reading regarding Team Singapore. It will identify and rank the audience’s interests by trending associations, such as a specific topic, athlete or sport. This is called the Singtel Cheer Aggregator.

Powered by Amobee Brand Intelligence insights – the Singtel Cheer Aggregator, using data analytics, tracks not just what people say on social media platforms, but also the content they consume from across millions of webpages, tweets, postings, articles and videos.

“Singtel Cheer Aggregator will reflect the collective support from within the community and present it in a visual way. The technology is able to provide a 360-degree view of both online and on-ground activities without the need for tags or hashtags,” said Mr Yuen. “We look forward to seeing the swell of support as fans join in and root for Team Singapore every step of the way.”

The live data will be showcased on Singtel TV, at the Sports Hub and on Singtel’s SEA Games microsite.