SEA Games 2015 Blog

Edmund's Story
Edmund Wong, SEA Games Special Projects Director

Sport is part of my DNA. I was very active in sports during my school days and used to play competitive sports such as soccer, rugby and handball in university. But I can hardly play any now due to my brittle bones except for some occasional social rounds of golf!

I am a firm believer in sport's ability to educate. Be it through playing the sport or just being a spectator, it can inculcate many good values in children. Since young, I have encouraged my son to take part in different sporting activities so that he can be fitter and stronger, while learning the spirit of determination, loyalty and friendship.

My son and I recently watched the Suzuki Cup held last October at the National Stadium, and he was really hoping that Singapore could win all the matches. However, he went home very disappointed when Singapore lost to Thailand and Malaysia. I thought it was an opportune time for me to share with him the meaning of loyalty. I said, “When your team fails, it does not mean you stop supporting them because your continuous encouragement and loyalty to them will inspire them to excel and achieve more.” I really hope that when he grows older and faced with tough situations like this, he will remember what I shared.

I joined Deloitte in October 2014 and I have been on the engagement team helping the SEA Games Organising Committee plan the Games since then. I am proud to share that the Committee has been working very hard to deliver an event by Singapore, for Singapore and for all in Southeast Asia. The Committee is leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to create a WOW experience for every group involved in the Games – the athletes, the supporters and the wider Singapore community and supporting organisations.

I am also very proud to be part of the Deloitte family because of the strong support that we have been providing to our athletes and the sports fraternity. This support was first made evident to me when Deloitte took up the challenge of being one of the first sponsors of the inaugural Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games (YOG) back in early 2009. At that time, I was working for the Games Organising Committee but I enjoyed the collaboration with Deloitte tremendously. I was given the opportunity to join the Deloitte UK staff to attend the Olympic Immersion Course in preparation for their role in the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games. In addition, I learnt a lot from the experiences shared through the Deloitte network on how to support large scale multi-sports events such as the London Olympic Games, as well as the Vancouver Winter Olympic Games. After the inaugural YOG, I went on to volunteer at the Nanjing YOG 2014 for almost a month, and it was a wonderful and memorable experience.

At the upcoming SEA Games, we have more than 200 Deloitte volunteers that will be part of the Games, and many more will be supporting in other ways. Collectively, the Games volunteer team is called “Team Nila”, as Nila the mascot for the SEA Games represents the values of Courage, Passion and Friendship. I urge all the volunteers and supporters to put their best foot forward to deliver the best for Singapore. The courage, passion and friendships that we demonstrate to everyone we meet on this journey can make a big difference in the experience. It is through the hard work and good attitude of everyone that we can help create that WOW experience!

Finally, to our Team Singapore athletes in Deloitte – keep up the good work and continue to do your best in the Games. You are an inspiration to everyone and a role model to all the young aspiring athletes and sports supporters out there.

Edmund