It was a day filled with fun and runs for Swedish and Norwegian families in Singapore. Organised by the Norwegian Seamen’s Church and the Church of Swedish in Singapore, the Idrettsdag was an opportunity for all members of the Scandinavian community to outdo one another in different sports.
The Sports Day took place at the Serangoon Stadium and began at 10am, just as the sun started sending out its heat waves. The weather stayed just as pleasing allowing both the children and adults, of around 400 participants this year, to enjoy the activities prepared.
Kicking off the event with an aggressive and fun aerobics session, most of those present were seen dancing and moving according to the rhythm of the music following the aerobics leader.
The event began, with the children category first, and even with the sun furiously shining down on them there was no deterring the young ones’ spirit. They were determined to win and were obviously trying very hard to beat their competitors.
Among the items lined-up for them were athletics, soccer and long jump.
Helene Nolebring, whose 15-year-old son participates in the activities, said that this event is a healthy competition for the Norwegian and Swede children.
When asked how she found out about the event, she said, “Everyone knows, it’s an annual event which is great fun.”
She concluded confidently saying that “Sweden will surely win.”
The father of an eight-year-old, Kjetil Gulliksen, said the sports day is a very good arrangement especially for the children as it encourages healthy competition.
“It allows Sweden and Norway to mingle with each other through games,” he said and ended up by saying “I’m sure Norway will win.”
The church representative, Lise, explained that the purpose of the event is not the competition; there were no ranks because at the end of the day, “Everybody is a winner.”
