10 great tips for paintball!

Just came back from a tournament and thought that perhaps I can jot down some of the things which went through my head this weekend so more people can benefit from our experiences:

1)     Always stick to the game plan. We spent time off the field talking about the biggest game plan to counter our opponents but how many players can actually stick to what is instructed of them? The game plan involved the entire team coming together to put off the greatest offense or defense and all it takes is one player to disregard the game plan and everything falls apart. So in future, if there is a game plan, do your best to stick to it. The plan involves the team and not just the individual. Of course, there is room for you to do other stuff but do your best to follow the game plan.

2)     Be versatile. To be a good player, one has to understand the fundamentals of playing in different positions in the field. Yes, when you first started the game, there is often than not a preferred position which you want to be in but that does not mean that you have to stick to that position all the time. As the game progresses, you are required to do more than just playing behind the same bunker. Being able to play in all positions and in all bunkers not only allow you to understand the roles and responsibilities of each playing position but also help you to step up to the role in critical time of the game.

3)     Understand the objective of paintball. How can you win games? Firstly, you can eliminate all opposing players in the field. Secondly, you can hang the flag or in the case of race-2 you push the buzzer. Assuming you ran out of paintballs or you ran out of air in your tank or your marker is down, how can you still win the game? The answer is obvious; you hang the flag or press the buzzer. So if you are behind a bunker and not wanting to go for the flag or the buzzer what will become of you? A sitting duck I say. You are not contributing to the team and thus not able to win games. In summary, do something and don’t just sit there. Human shield perhaps.

4)     Gun skills. Treat the marker as though it is part of you. Be comfortable with holding the marker using both hands. Think of it as part of you and so allows for great maneuver.

5)     Don’t take more than 3 seconds to load your paintballs. Learn to load your marker while shooting. Learn to load your marker without putting it down. Learn to load your marker fast. Simple principles to holding down a lane and not wanting your opponent to bump while you are off guard. Remember when your marker is out there shooting, you are suppressing your opponent and higher possibility of winning games than not shooting.

6)     Be sneaky sneaky. Yes, the sneakier you are the more kills you get. Keep shooting at your opponent will definitely stop them from moving up to the next bunker. By stopping them from doing that, you can never get the elimination that you want. Understand when to shoot and when not too shoot. Constant shooting doesn’t necessary means its good. When you create opportunity for your opponents to move, you lure them into your kill zone and that is when you make the hunt.

7)     Be a hunter who can also be a prey. Lure your opponents and hunt them down. Change your technique when necessary. A hunter needs to prey but he too can sometimes be the bait. Players need to understand their roles at each course of the game by seeing the bigger picture behind the team’s win. When in good position to become bait, it is often good to make a hunter out of your teammate and let them make the kill.

8)     Understand the rules. A player can only play the game better if he/she understands every single rule in the game. Just as any sport, you need to use the rules to your advantage. Likewise in paintball, understanding the rules will allow the player to fully appreciate everything there is to the game and thus change their decision of the game play according to their advantage. Where time is a factor to win games, one need to plan and play out their strategy according to the game duration.

9)     Open your eyes and listen. Use your ears and listen to your coach and supporters. They are always out there giving you vital information to close the game. Don’t hesitate to move when you are instructed to do so, make sure you follow to your coach instructions. As they say, the outsiders’ view is always clearer.

10)  Read your opponent’s game. Don’t just sit in the pits and do nothing. Spend time observing each and every team which you are going to play. Observe how your opponent team breaks out, do they play the snake? Do they stack up at home? Do they have corner runners? Do they run up the middle? Observe and take notes, especially observing every movement of your opponent. Reading your opponent’s move can give you the upper edge.

There you have it! 10 great tips for your next outing! Have fun!

Rumours and news for Singapore paintball

1) A few local paintball teams are getting ready for the Singapore Paintball Series 2012 Leg 1 in June 2012 by securing their paintball markers with Paintballers World. This is a sign that more teams from Singapore will be playing in international paintball events in 2012-2013.

2) Top local paintball team, Red Sevens secures a $5000.00 cash sponsorship through Cherry Credits and will be participating under the banner as Cherry Credits Red Sevens. A completely new team will be featured and will compete as early as March. A few new players will be introduced by April 2013.

3) PBW made an announcement last week featuring a paintball sponsorship program for up to 5 special individuals. Having supported local teams such as The Outlaws, Blitzkrieg, Heartbreakers, A.C.E.S and Red Sevens, this sponsorship program will be awarded on individual basis. Keep a lookout for more news on the facebook page of Paintballers World.

4) At least 9 local paintball teams will be participating in the Johor Paintball Straits Paintball Cup 2012. More information can be found on http://www.facebook.com/groups/sirjohorcup/.

5) Not much news has been heard about the Singapore Paintball Series 2012 Leg 1 as the SPS Committee is looking out for a new venue for the event. If all things goes well, the local community will be introduced a totally new venue with great view of the Singapore skyline.

Cherry Credits signs Red Sevens paintball team!

This is an historical milestone for Singapore paintball as Red Sevens paintball team becomes the first paintball team in Singapore to secure a corporate cash sponsorship from a top leading Asia micropayment company, Cherry Credits for the year 2012. We jumped on the opportunity to interview Ben Seow who is a founding member of the Red Sevens to find out more about this sponsorship and how this initiative can change paintball sports in Singapore.

1) Ok... go straight to the point, what's the deal with Cherry Credits?

A: Cherry Credits is a leading company in Asia which manages global micropayment solutions on online platform. As a top industry organization, Cherry Credits wanted to initiate its Corporate Social Responsibility initiative and paintball was selected due to its focus on teamwork and strategies which have similarities to the online gaming platform. Red Sevens as one of the top paintball teams in Singapore was chosen to represent its brand.

2) Let us know the specifics... what is in this sponsorship deal?

A: Let's just say that we have got a few paintball events covered for 2012 and the team will be adopting the name of "Cherry Credits Red Sevens" in 2012. But it doesn't mean that we will get to play for free... though we will be getting a new customized jersey in the promotion and marketing of our sponsor's brand.

The winning team from 2011.

3) Red Sevens which was the Overall Series Champion for Division 2 in Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) 2011 did not attend the first leg of MPOC 2012 in January... what actually happened?

A: After winning both overall championship titles in the Singapore Paintball Series(SPS) and MPOC Division 2 in 2011, the team is currently undergoing a complete restructure. In 2011, the team participated in all legs of MPOC, SPS and Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) and cost of participation and time of travel has taken a toll on everyone. As soon as the season was over, everyone went back to their daily routine. Work, studies, money and family were some of the main reasons why players left but I guess these are the norms in every team. In paintball, it is common for players to come and go, we'll just have to recruit more players into the team.

4) So...when will we be seeing the Red Sevens on the field again?

A: With the revamp, we will have a couple of new faces this year. The team was build in the direction where each and every player in the team has a good foundation in the fundamental basics of paintball. Our new players whom we have been working with in the past 1 - 2 months are acquiring these skill sets before they are picked for games. These progressions will be carefully monitored and critiqued upon. We hope to instill the newer players with more game experience before sending them to the real stage. We will most probably formed a mix team in the Division 3 ranks to initiate these new players and make an assessment of how far we will go from there. Following on, we will proceed to Division 2 which is where the team should be playing.

Zac Schick was newly recruited to Red Sevens and will be representing the team in 2012.

5) We were under the impression that Red Sevens was going Division 1 in 2012.

A: Yes, the MPOC organizers announce about our possible promotion to Division 1 in 2012. In fact, this request was put forth in 2010 for the 2011 season but we were not ready for the bigger stage. In the early 2011, we had some players who left the team which was the reason why we couldn't give Division 1 a go. The same thing happened again this year... and so we had to stay in Division 2. Hopefully, we will have a Division 1 team in 2013.

Training in progress for new players of the Red Sevens

6) How many players are there in the Red 7 roster?

A: In 2011, we had a roster of 20 players but as of now, perhaps about 10 players. Half of the Red Sevens team had to deal with life issues and couldn't compete as much as they would like to in 2012.

7) Back to the sponsorship with Cherry Credits. Tell us, why do you say that this is historical for Singapore?

A: Paintball is not a mainstream sports in Singapore. Mainstream sports in Singapore are widely recognized by corporate companies and governing organizations. Major sporting events held in Singapore are often supported by a big corporate brand such as the OCBC Cycling and the Standard Chartered Marathon. With this sponsorship and due recognition from Cherry Credits, we are taking the first step in getting the involvement of corporate companies to promote paintball. We have hopes to leverage on this sponsorship to create awareness for the sport so that more people are aware about paintball sports and clear doubts about paintball being a dangerous activity that can only be played in a forested environment. With greater awareness, we are hoping to garner the support of more corporate companies to support the local paintball scene so that more local paintball teams can follow our footsteps to gain recognition and support. This might also create an opportunity for governing authorities to review the current regulations that are binding the progression of this sport.

8) Cash sponsorship is never an easy feat. Tell us more about this.

A: I couldn't agree more. Getting cash sponsorship is never an easy task but it is not entirely impossible. The way to go about doing this is to manage your paintball team as professional as possible. Every team wants the best for themselves but not all are willing to do their best in getting these sponsorship. By that I mean drafting a good sponsorship proposal. A good proposal sets the tone right for everyone. All sponsors want to know how the team can best represent their brand whether they are on or off the paintball field. A team has to be playing enough tournaments to gain recognition and in order to do that, the team has to put in a considerably amount of time in training before competing. When competing, the team has to win. No sponsor would want to sponsor a non-winning team and in order to win, team has to train. It is a chicken and egg story but many fail to see that.

Red Sevens winning the Singapore Paintball Series 2011 as Overall Champion

9) What are the plans for Red Sevens in 2012?

A: Revamp, Restructure and Reconstruct. The team was formed in 2006 and 6 years on, we are going into a new phase. We are currently recruiting players to form a D2, D3 and D4 team in each of the category. And if we do well in 2012, we will try for a D1 spot in 2013. We do have some major plans lined up from now to end of the year and if all goes well, we will create many more historic milestones.

10) Tell us more about these milestones.

A: I prefer to keep mum and see what happens from here. It is going to be very interesting, I promised.

11) Any last words?

A: Anything is possible. Never say never. Keep the hopes high and continue doing what you think is right. There are ups and downs but the sun will still rise after every night. Stay positive.

Interview conducted by Jane Koh

All photos belong to rightful owner. Photos from www.residentevilchef.com

Singapore paintball regular updates...

31 Dec 2011 - Local based team, Natural Born Killers took part in the recent 1NPS (Northern Paintball Series) held in Kedah, Malaysia and clinched a 5th position finish against teams from the Northern territories. The Natural Born Killers was formed in 2010 and made their first appearance in the Novice Division of the Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Leg 2. The trip to Kedah which is about 6-7 hours drive from Singapore is a showcase of pure dedication for these boys where paintball goes beyond boundaries and distance.

7 Jan 2012 - 3 Singapore based teams (The Outlaws, Team Enraged and ZOO) participated in the recent MPOC (Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit) 2011 Leg 1 held in Bukit Jalil Xtionpaintball Park, KL. Being the very first leg of the MPOC series, kudos to these teams to be able to make the trip up north and to represent Singapore. The Outlaws participating in the Division 4 category had a smooth sailing start when they were getting every points on the field but as the scorching sun sets in, the smooth ride became a little tougher with multiple 1for1 penalties. Qualifying as a lower tier team in the Quarter Finals, The Outlaws soon recovered from their field mistakes and took on the teams one by one. They were very close to entering the finals until a delayed call from a referee which them the possible champion medal. Nevertheless, it was a good outing for the team as they inducted 2 new players who were totally new to competitive paintball. The Outlaws was eventually awarded the 3rd position.

Team Enraged a Singapore Johor based team participated in their very first MPOC tournament. Competing in the Division 3 Race-2 format was entirely new for the team as they were used to playing in semi-automatic and M5 game format. With 2 guests players from Raving Lunatics, it was time to show their rage in the field. However, lady luck wasn't shining on Enraged the entire weekend and they were soon out gunned by the Malaysian teams who are more familiar and experience with the Race-2 game format. Team Enraged did not qualify into the next round.

ZOO participated in the MPOC Division 2 category. The format of the game took a change to become a Race-3 format this year and it can only means more paintballs and more games, however, with an additional inclusion of 2 players to the roaster, we might be able to find some equilibrium. ZOO finished 2nd position in their group after Day 1 and qualified for the Quarter Finals. In the Quarters, ZOO had to face Dark Knights but soon experience prevail and they won the game which set them up against another paintball powerhouse, Grammaton Clerics with their fast attacking plan took their games early with a score of 2-1 which ran out of regulation time. ZOO eventually settled for a 3rd position in the Division 2 category.

All photos from www.residentevilchef.com

How much does a paintball marker (gun) cost in Singapore?

Thought that this might be an interesting awareness entry so that everyone is aware about the cost of a paintball marker (gun) in Singapore. I have heard this so many many times and thought that it might be good to clear the air so that everybody is on the same page. From hereon, I am going to use the word "gun" instead of "paintball marker" so that it will be easier for you to relate to this topic though in the world of paintball, the word "marker" is often used for the promotion of the game to mummies and daddies. We wouldn't want to see a kid relating his paintball experiences with his family using words such as "guns", "kills", "dead", "bullets". While some might disagree with the use of these industry naming convention, we are pretty clear about our direction for paintball which is to make it more welcoming for everyone to play. Paintball is after all one of the safest activity in the world!

But isn't it illegal to possess a paintball gun in Singapore? Yes, you can't own a personal paintball gun in Singapore. I hope this does not kill your interest to continue reading this article as I am about to share with you what if it is entirely legal to possess your own personal marker in Singapore? Not that it is already legal (though we were very very close...) but WHAT IF....

Before doing that, let us take a step back to understand that if this regulation does change, it doesn't mean that you can own the world. It only means that you can individually possess a personal paintball gun in the eyes of our law enforcers. So what does this really mean for you? Firstly, congratulations, the paintball gun is now lawfully yours. So what's the catch now? Simple... you are now entirely responsible for your paintball gun, meaning if it is stolen, damaged or lost, you are the main man who is now responsible for its safekeeping, repairs and whereabouts. Spiderman says "With great powers come great responsibilities". Surely, there will be terms and conditions that you will have to follow since you are now the licencee of your own personal paintball gun. Let me remind you again that a paintball gun is considered as a firearm in Singapore so quit asking if you are able to take your paintball gun home and keep it at there. I am sorry but it doesn't work that way. But surely, this might be a redundant condition in years to come but we'll never know what lies in our future.

This exact question was asked: "I want to own a Dye NT, let me know what you can do for me? I have budgeted $800.00 for it". No offence to this question, it is definitely legit. So what must you know about owning a paintball gun in Singapore, IF it really happens for us. I am also going to draw a comparison to our daily activities so that it will be easy for everyone to comprehend.

1) Membership. To possess a paintball gun in Singapore, you will need to be a registered member of the paintball field. There is a annual membership fee. Taking Red Dynasty Paintball Park (www.weplaypaintball.com) for example, this paintball field has an existing incentive membership program for regular players which cost $150.00 per year and $95.00 for subsequent renewal. Being an incentive program, regular players pay for discounted game packages at the paintball field. The common question: "Cannot you not be a member but purchase a paintball gun in Singapore?" The answer is, not possible. This is a directive.

Comparison = You can only borrow books from the library if you are a member of the library.

2) Cost of a paintball gun. Simple, just google it. Pick up a calculator and multiply by a conversion rate. Add another couple of cents to round up a more realistic figure. For example, if the conversion rate is USD1=SIN1.29 (based on XE.com, 26 Dec 2011), add another couple of cents to these figures in relation to bank charges, credit card conversions, etc. A reasonable figure in will be USD1 = SIN1.35.

Comparison = Petrol prices that you pay for at the petrol station is surely different from the market value at the stock exchange.

3) Shipping charges. Unlike conventional postage charges. A paintball gun is a firearm as such it cannot be posted like a conventional mail. Charges include shipping, handling, registered mail and custom clearance. A good estimate for one unit of paintball gun is about $450.00. Again, this is just an estimate and might be cheaper or more expensive depending on your shipping agent and the quantity of guns shipped.

Comparison = Imagine yourself in the shipping business and you are shipping a fleet of cars into Singapore. Surely, you cannot do it through parcel post. Unforeseen charges such as GST, handling fee, delivery fee, etc do apply.

4) Licence fee. Unlike other countries, you will need to possess a licence for your gun and yes, you will need to pay for this licence. The cost of this licence is $220.00 for 2 years. Who do you pay this amount to? The governing agency of course, in this case, the Singapore Police Force. Consider it with 730 days (2 years), you are effectively investing $0.30 a day.

Comparison = In Singapore, you need a licence to do anything and everything.

5) Storage fee. Surely you are unable to keep a paintball gun at home so you will NOT be able to bring it home as such you will have to store it at a paintball field. A reasonable fee will be $150.00 a year which works out to be about $0.40 a day. Slightly more expensive than a packet of tissue.

Comparison = Just consider this as parking your car at a shopping mall. A space is allocated for your car and thus it is only reasonable that you are charge a fee for using the space.

So if you are still reading this article... let's do an example for a Dye NT11.

A Dye NT11 with a free Rotor cost USD1350.00 on the internet.

Membership = $150.00 (to the paintball field)

Cost of the marker = USD1350.00 x 1.35 = SIN1822.50 (to whom you buy the gun from)

Shipping charges = $450.00 (to the forwarding agent)

Storage charges = $150.00 (to the paintball field)

Licence fee = $220.00 (to the Singapore Police Force)

Total investment = $2792.50.

And say if you use this gun for a span of 2 years (which is a normal lifespan of a paintball gun), you will be paying about $3.87 a day. Yeah, we made assumptions that you have your own paintball tank.

Will you be ready when it is time to buy your own personal paintball gun?

Time of the year again... Paintball in Singapore

Let's take a look back for 2011 and make a quick assessment of the things that have happened for Singapore paintball. But before we go into that, I have attached an entry of last year's version so that we can make a quick comparison for 2010 and 2011, http://singaporepaintball.blogspot.com/2010/12/so-whats-next-for-singapore-paintball.html

I was hoping for 20 participating teams for WCA 2011 but we had 12 Singapore teams. Guess we didn't make the cut for 2011. One possible reason could be due to the expenses of travel since the WCA is not held within mainland Malaysia. If the dates are already locked in the calendar in the beginning of the year, there shouldn't be any doubt for non-attendance in Asia'a biggest paintball event. But hey, we can only improve from here and I don't speak on behalf of everyone.

So...what have we achieved in 2011? The Singapore Paintball Series was held over 2 legs in April and October. We managed to invite a government official to grace the tournament which is a first in Singapore. In addition, for the first time in Singapore history, we have a total of 38 participating paintball teams and among them are 2 overseas Division 1 paintball team from Malaysia. On the contrary, we had to cancel the Inter Tertiary Paintball Championship (ITPC), a paintball competition meant for tertiary institution at the beginning of the year and the SPS Friendship Cup which was organized to commemorate the good friendship within the paintball community. Both events were cancelled due to poor response which I felt was a waste considering the fact that paintball tournament is not a frequent come by in Singapore.

Year 2011 saw many local teams winning overseas honours for the local community and making their mark in overseas tournaments. As the saying goes: "Winning is a habit". To continue this winning trend, we must not forget about the hard work that has been put in. Winning a tournament is easy, defending the win and keeping it consistent is the harder part. Teams must continue to improve and train to better themselves if they want to continue the winning ways.

Unfortunately, the local community did not receive confidence from governing authorities in the possession individual of paintball marker; however, we remain highly positive that this will change in 2012. The question remains are we ready to embrace this change? I hope we are. I really hope so...

SPS Friendship Cup 2011

The inaugural FRIENDSHIP CUP is a NO FRILL paintball tournament which will be held on the last weekend of every calendar year. There is no registration fee to participate in this tournament but there is a lot to play for and that is friendship. The FRIENDSHIP CUP marks the closure of the Singapore paintball season for the year as we recognize the strong camaraderie within the paintball community and what a better way to celebrate the new year with some adrenaline pumping action!

As this is a no-frill tournament, there will be no prizes but just bragging rights! Being an informal tournament you do not have to play together with your team (you can if you wish to). You can either take this opportunity to try out your any potential recruits or to allow the newly joined players to play with the senior players and not be wary of any positional rankings. The main aim of the Friendship Cup is to allow everyone to come together on the last weekend of the year and have some fun! For teams that are new to the Race2 Format, this is also a good chance to have a go at it and work out your best strategy for the new year! This annual tournament is only limited to the first 8 teams which register with us. If you are interested to have some fun and "mark" the new year with a bang! Why wait?

Information for Friendship Cup

Date: 31 December 2011 (Saturday)
Time: 9.00 am - 2.00 pm
Venue: Red Dynasty Paintball Park

Game Format

Format: Race2 Format (Race to 2)
House electronic markers will be provided (ETEK3 AM and/or Proto PMR) for Friendship Cup
12 balls semi automatic
Team roaster of up to 8 players
4 Race-to-2 games for each team if we have a total of 8 participating teams.

Game format will be as such (based on 8 participating teams), randomly drawn:

Round 1
Group 1 - A, B, C, D (Round Robin)
Group 2 - E, F, G, H (Round Robin)

Round 2
Based on ranking after Round 1 where if your team is ranked 2nd in your group after Round 1, you will be playing against the 2nd rank team from the other group.

Registration Fee - Not Applicable
Players ID Tag Fee - Not Applicable

Paintballs will be sold at SPS box rate of $(To be disclosed) for a box of 2000 paintballs.

Please email to info@singaporepaintballseries to register your interest! Closing date will be on 28 December 2011. All registration will be based on first come first served. For more information, please visit www.weplaypaintball.com/forum

Paintball possession in Singapore remains status quo!

New release from Red Dynasty Paintball Park about individual marker possession. After months of planning and development, it seems that more needs to be done for the Singapore paintball scene. Paintball marker is classified as a firearm under the Firearms Act and possession without a licence can face a penalty of up to $100000 fine or/and jail term. This regulation has been a hindrance to the development of paintball sports in Singapore. However, we remain positive and optimistic that this regulation will be lifted in the near future. Coincidentally, the people behind Vision 2030, a platform created for the everyone in Singapore to voice out about the future of sports in Singapore is taking a closer look into the development of non-traditional sport, http://vision2030.uservoice.com/forums/141295-how-can-we-promote-and-develop-non-traditional-s Make some noise and have you say in this.

Changes to SPS 2012 - A big leap towards the future

SPS Announcement

Greetings my fellow Paintballers, It is indeed with great pleasure for me to make this announcement to the local paintball community which may possibly revolutionize or create possible future changes and opportunities to the way paintball sport is being played in Singapore.

We have just concluded the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2011 in October with the highest showing of 38 local and overseas teams. This result would not have been possible if not for the staunch support that is given by the local paintball community. A flourishing paintball tournament can only be regarded as successful with a good turnout and likewise a good turnout will need a professionally run tournament to bring out the best of any paintballer. As an avid paintballer myself, I do understand the continuous commitment and effort that one has to sacrifice in order to upkeep a dedicated paintball team. Forming a team to play paintball is the easiest part; the hardest part in competitive paintball is keeping the team together. The cost of training and expenses that are involved in this sport have punctured holes in our limited budget in these uncertain times. As a result, teams do not train as often as they would like to and players are unsure about how they can contribute to make this sport grow in Singapore. With 13 local based teams participating in next week’s World Cup Asia tournament as compared to a few years ago when there were only one, Singapore paintball has seen tremendous growth in recent years. As Singapore’s premiere paintball event, the SPS is committed to the continuous growth of this sport in Singapore and will devote our limitless effort in creating awareness and publicity for the game we all love. In our effort to develop the sport, the SPS committee will be implementing several changes to SPS. These changes have been stoutly proposed, debated and reviewed where the final objective is to allow Singapore paintball to progress to the next level where we can benchmark our playing standards to our overseas counterparts. I am extremely thrilled to announce the following changes to SPS 2012 and would like to seek your incessant support in our new implementation:

a) With immediate effect, SPS Tertiary Division will ceased to continue and will not be included in future SPS events. Students from tertiary institutions can look forward to the Inter-Tertiary Paintball Championship (ITPC) which will be organized as a competition series in 2012.

b) Renaming of divisional category will be introduced to allow for wider classification of skill set level. SPS 2012 will see the renaming of Novice Division to Division 4 and Open Division to Division 3 classification similar to Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) classification. A new category catering to Division 2 and Division 1 teams will be introduced and named as the Open Division.

c) Along with the renaming of divisional category will be the introduction of a SPS pilot initiative to better classify all SPS registered players into their respective playing category. This is to allow players to be better classified according to their playing experiences in all paintball events organized by the SPS.

d) The newly introduced Division 3 and Open Division will adopt the Race-to-2 and Race-to-3 format respectively. Division 3 teams can roster up to 8 players and Division 2 teams can roster up to 10 players. Format for Division 4 (Novice Division) remains unchanged.

e) With the introduction of individual marker possession in October 2012, the SPS will cease to provide the use of electronic paintball markers to all teams participating in Division 3 and above. With this implementation, the SPS is taking a leap into standardizing the way paintball should be played across the world where participants have legal ownership to their paintball equipment. Rental of electronic paintball markers can be pre-arranged with additional rental charges from SPS.

f) Participants of the SPS Corporate Division can now have the option to use an additional 2 pods of paintballs on top of the 100 paintballs which will be allocated for each game.

g) To allow the SPS to better facilitate the smooth running of the event and to provide adequate game participation for teams, the following team participation ratio will be adopted as a guide in participation numbers, Open Division:Division 3:Division 4:Corporate Division – 8:8:16:8. However, this ratio might be subjected to change depending on the number of participating teams and number of allocated fields during the event.

h) In the event where a player’s ID tag is confiscated from a player by the head referee due to game infringement, the affected player will not be able to participate in the remaining games of the tournament. At this juncture, the affected player will not be allowed in/near the tournament area not limiting to the paintball fields, the players’ area and the technical area until his charges are cleared by the tournament director and the head referee.

i) A disciplinary panel will be set up for each event to oversee the management of errant players. We hope that with these changes and implementation, we will be able to bring Singapore paintball to greater heights and to allow teams to prepare for a very exciting year ahead. As we approach year 2012, we would like to thank you for your contribution to the progress of Singapore paintball, for without your display of passion and dedication to the game, we will not be able to reach higher achievement for this sport.

Thank you.

Jane Koh

SPS Tournament Director

"Don" of Asia paintball: Paul Lam

Photo is shamelessly ripped from Paul Lam's facebook
If Al Pacino is the Don of the Italian mafia in the movie "Godfather". Paul Lam would be the "Godfather" of Asia paintball... With Asia's biggest paintball event approaching on 11th November 2011 in Langkawi, I thought it might be good to introduce the good people behind PALS WCA 2011. Paul and his group of ardent committee has placed Asia paintball on the world map for everyone in the world to only envy and praise! In my recent trip to the PSP, I have heard of so many good words and positive comments about the promotional leadup to this world class event. I have people approaching me to find out more about the PALS World Cup and as an Asian participating in the US World Cup, it is indeed an honour to answer their queries pertaining to the Asia paintball scene. Not many people knew about the people behind PALS and indeed all of these would not have happend if not for this man, Paul Lam or commonly known as Gungho Paul. With his continuous vision and goal oriented mindset, Paul has not only allow paintball in Asia to flourish but also to allow most countties in Asia to formulate a common goal towards the development of paintball in this part of the world. While a commercial event like most paintball tournaments in the world, we cannot deny the fact that through these events, more people are getting to know more about paintball and recognize the sporting side of paintball besides the recreational side of the game where most of the people are familiar with. To garner the support of a commercial airline, AirAsia and the Malaysia government towards a paintball event is by no means an easy feat. To have the world paintball community talking about the biggest paintball event in the Asia is just as tough and things do not happen just overnight. While good participation is just as important in managing a good event, to venture into the unknown is a bigger risk. On behalf of everyone in Singapore, I wish you and your committee all the best in organizing the WCA and may you bring Asia paintball to greater heights. Well done!

Full Results of Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Leg 2 - My Buona Vista Cup

Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Full Results

Open Division Overall Series Champion - Red Sevens

Novice Division Overall Series Champion - Heartbreakers

SPS 2011 Leg 2 My Buona Vista Cup

Invitational International Division

Champion - Team Xtioneers

2nd - Team Demonz Red

Force 21 Open Division

Champion - Red Sevens

2nd - Ballistics Aftermath

3rd - Contract Killer - SG

4th - Team Enraged

Most Improved Team - Ballistics Aftermath

Force 21 Novice Division

Champion - Heartbreakers

2nd - Blitzkrieg

3rd - Rampage Onslaught

4th - A.C.E.S

Most Improved Team - Blitzkrieg

Force 21 Corporate Division

Champion - SAESL Sharks (SAESL)

2nd - Nocturnal (Singapore Night Safari)

3rd - Aurasevenz (Singapore Prison Service)

4th - Pumperz (Singapore Civil Defence Force)

Tertiary Division

Champion - ReaPers (Republic Polytechnic)

2nd - Team Generation Kill (Singapore Polytechnic)

3rd - Ghost Kids (Singapore Polytechnic)

4th - Team Pyro-X (Singapore Polytechnic)

For more information about Singapore Paintball Series, please visit www.singaporepaintballseries.com or join our facebook page

Red Sevens and Heartbreakers - Singapore Champion in 2011!

Red Sevens has clinched the title of Singapore Champion when the team won the Singapore Paintball Series Open Division Overall Champion for 2011. Red Sevens, Singapore's oldest paintball team was established in 2006/2007 and has been an ambassador for the sport of paintball in Singapore since formation. Proudly sponsored by Dye Asia, Furious, Pro Paintball, Red Dynasty Paintball Park, PaintballersWorld, SEED.

Heartbreakers took the Overall Series Champion of the Novice Division!

More news.... updating.

Singapore's biggest paintball tournament - Singapore Paintball Series

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

PAINTBALL BONDS THE COMMUNITY
Changing the perspectives of a war game into a sport

28th September 2011 - The Finale of the Singapore Paintball Series 2011 – My Buona Vista Cup will be held on 8^th and 9^th October 2011 at East Coast Park. Established in 2008, the Singapore Paintball Series has now more than 400 registered players with the youngest participant – a student at the age of 16 years old and the eldest participant being a Union leader at the age of 50 years old. All participants compete on equal grounds within their divisions regardless of age and gender.

Acting Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, MG(NS) Chan Chun Sing will be gracing the event as the Guest of Honour. In support of Minister Chan’s initiative for Vision 2030, a platform to gather feedback and suggestions to formulate a master plan for the sporting scene in Singapore, local paintball enthusiasts voiced their concerns about the development of paintball in Singapore in a Strait Times report in July. While at the event, Minister Chan will witness an exhibition game between the SPS All-Stars, comprising of local players, and an International All-Stars side with overseas players from Malaysia paintball teams, Xtioneers and Demonz, who are both ranked as Division 1 teams in the paintball scene. The exhibition game will be organized in the Race-to format which is a popular format in the US and many European countries. Ben Seow who is the series Tournament Promoter exclaimed: “This sport is gaining popularity amongst Singaporeans and in Asia. Teams work together to strategize game plans to counter opposing teams and in the process help the team to bond and foster camaraderie.

The Singapore Paintball Series has grown from a league of 7 teams in 2008 to a league of 36 teams in 2011. The unwavering passion of the sports has brought many players from 2008 to 2011, still competing in paintball and promoting the sports of paintball. In the few years of the development by Singapore Paintball Series, an official refereeing body has been formed to provide an international standard of paintball refereeing in Singapore similar to regional countries. The Singapore Paintball Series is also affiliated to and a promoting partner with the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) which is Asia’s most recognized paintball series. PALS has a network of promoting partners across more than 10 Asia Pacific countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Philippines, Australia, China, Indonesia, Singapore, India, Japan and Taiwan. PALS will be organizing Asia’s biggest paintball tournament on 10-13 November this year – the World Cup Asia – which will be attended by more than 140 paintball teams from across 30 nations. The Paintball World Cup Asia is a strongly endorsed sport event by the Malaysia government and Forbes Billionaire, CEO of Air Asia, Tony Fernandez who will be participating in the event. Singapore will be represented by 14 Singaporean paintball teams across 3 divisions out of the 4 in World Cup Asia 2011 in Langkawi, Malaysia.

“Since I started playing paintball in 2008, I have become more socially engaged with people who are older than me. The demographic of participants is wide and comes from all walks of life. In the team that I am playing for, we have a graphic designer, a professional golfer, a veterinarian’s assistant, a university student and dance instructor, said Mr. Gerald Lee, 21 who is working as surveyor for an oil company.

Paintball marker is not a plate of char siew rice...

From our last entry about paintball possession in Singapore, we managed to raise some eyebrows... Any we are pretty sure that: All that glitter is not gold. So what's the catch? For a start, a paintball marker is not a plate of Char Siew rice (for non-locals reading this entry, Char Siew rice is BBQ pork rice, one of Singaporean's favourite dish). It is not as simple as going to a Char Siew stall and order from the stall owner. Secondly, there are certain things that you will need to know about buying a paintball marker in Singapore (notice I say the word buy and not rent or tag but BUY, cos we made it happen!) Unlike in overseas (we are still dealing with that), there is no stock loads of paintball arsenal tuck in an armoury somewhere in Singapore and so all paintball marker purchase will have to be flown in and for that to take place, there are something that as a consumer that you will have to take note: You can only place and order and await its arrival... don't get it? Think about buying a car from an authorized dealer... no new car will be waiting for you to pick it up at the showroom. So if you are thinking about getting a paintball marker in Singapore, you will have to.... yes, wait. This ain't rock science, it is the same when you are buying a car, a BTO flat, a furniture... think of it that way for paintball in Singapore.

I was taken aback by some of the most common reaction. "Wait a minute... are you telling me that a Dye NT11 will cost me more than USD1550.00!!!" Yeah... do your math. Might not be the most tempting brand to get but yeah a paintball marker is not a plate of Char Siew rice. Let's not forget that you will have to pay for the shipping of the marker into Singapore and licences that you will need to apply before you can land your hand on the grip. But hey... that's the best you have got.

So if getting a marker is not going to be cheap (as some might put it)... how then can you still be a rightful owner of a paintball marker in Singapore? Here's a few advice:

1) Do your research. If you have some dough in the wallet, you might want to go for a good reliable marker with the intention of using the marker for at least 1 - 2 years and when the life span of the marker is due, you can still squeeze some "mola" for its afterlife. Alternatively, you can choose to purchase a marker of a lower value but be aware of this phrase: "what you pay, is what you get". Don't set your expectations too high.

2) Frequency of participation. Buying a marker is an investment thus you want the marker to work the best for you on the field. Think about how often do you play in a month, then if you are a competitive paintballer, think about how many tournaments you are going to attend in a year. Think of the number of practices that you are going to. Does your marker allow you to play in a higher division which most probably would require the marker to be shooting in ramping mode with lesser maintenance?

3) Set an objective for yourself. I was once told by a senior paintball player and he said:"Everyone enjoys playing paintball for many different reasons, we all love the game but it is how far you want to bring the game to" I thought this all makes sense since everyone comes from different background and have different life commitment. Not everyone can play paintball as often as everyone does. So how is this even link to getting your own marker? Simple. If you want to go far in paintball, you will need the equipment to allow you to go far... so set an ultimate goal for yourself and ask yourself: Where do you see yourself in the paintball scene and do you need a personal marker to reach that goal?

4) Stick to the rules. Living in Singapore, I do not think that there is a need to even explain the existing restrictions for firearm. So if you are able to possess your own personal marker now, don't ask question like: Are we able to bring it home? And before you answer this question, let me remind you that paintball marker is considered as a firearm. So do you think that you can bring a firearm home? Common sense just died here... Yes, yes, yes, I am very well aware that in the US, in Malaysia or matter of fact most of the other countries in the world... you can bring your marker home but this is Singapore. So will this deter you from playing the sport?

In summary, I am pretty skeptical that even with the ease of regulation to allow us to possess our very own markers will we see an influx of players wanting to have their own personal equipment. This is because with our ever strong "wait and see" attitude of the local community, it will surely be a while before everyone gets acceptance to this change.

Now that individual paintball marker possession is no longer a restriction, I wonder what will be the next deterring factor... stay tuned.

PALS Thailand - Bangkok 28 - 29 May 2011

3 Singapore based teams participated in the PALS Thailand event held in Bangkok from 28 - 29 May 2011. A "mini" World Cup Asia as described by many, PALS Thailand has always been a special event in the PALS calendar. As "Amazing" as it can be, Thailand is a city good for "shoppingholics", good food, good hospitality and best of all a good exchange rate where everything is cheap, cheap, cheap...

Participating in their first PALS event, Team A.C.E.S and a few players from Ballistics venture into the land of smiles with a little more to smile about as they battled through the Division 3 category against several household D3 teams from Malaysia such as Rock and Rolla, KSK Flash, CMX Hamoon and the ever strong UPP team from the Philippines. It was Team Saensuk from Thailand who eventually walked away with the biggest prize from the D3 category. An experience not to be missed, A.C.E.S had a slow start in the tournament but was quick to round up the remaining 2 games. Though pleased with their first PALS experience, deep inside every player's heart, they knew that they can do better to qualify into the next round.

Division 2 saw the likes of Red Sevens and ZOO with a taste of a United Nation tournament with teams coming from Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Russia and France. Red Sevens which took the D2 Champion title in the last PALS Thailand event was to defend their title again and again recruited the help of Keshi Iwata from Team KU, Japan who was part of the winning team last year. The Red Sevens qualified as the first qualifier by topping the qualifying round only to bow out to Lakehill Cat from Thailand which qualified as the 8th overall team in the Quarter Finals. ZOO had the assistance of Nick Lim from McDev Ronin, Matt Boynes from Tension, Perth and a few others from the Shootin In Rage, Johor. ZOO missed the qualifying mark as the 9th overall placed team in Division 2. In Division 1, Team Infernal from Thailand continues to trample the Asia paintball scene by winning 2nd placed team, Datis from Iran who clinched the Asia World Cup Champion in 2010.

Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Release

Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Statement Release

Dear paintball comrades,

The initiative of creating a vibrant and robust paintball scene for the Singapore paintball community started when the Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) was first established in March 2008. A humble 3-on-3 paintball event participated by 7 teams using Tippmann A5 set the history for Singapore paintball. Together with the support of Red Dynasty Paintball Park, there were 3 legs of SPNS competition in 2008 and 2009 respectively. Working with the local authorities, the SPNS took a bold step to organize its first 5 men paintball tournament in the heartlands of Pasir Ris and West Coast in 2009, making SPNS the first paintball tournament to be organized out of a licenced premise. By 2010, the SPNS committee decided to forgo the “Novice” word in the original SPNS and revamped the series with a new branding the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS).

Together with 29 participating paintball teams spreading across 4 playing divisions and more than 25 industry sponsors, the newly revamped SPS 2011 took the local paintball scene to a whole new level. Supported by the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) and Asia Refs, SPS 2010 showcased an Open Division category where participants engaged in the sport using electronic markers similar to international paintball competitions.

This year, the SPS continues to make big steps in the promotion of paintball in Singapore. Moving against the price inflation that is ongoing in Singapore and a worldwide price increase in the production of paintballs, the SPS has made a firm decision to further reduce the prices for paintballs in 2011. Working towards the economy of scale and the local support through participation, the SPS continues to contribute to our industry in hoping that one day; the sport of paintball can become mainstream.

SPS has also secured our event location early for this year and has identified Jurong Central Park (Leg 1) and East Coast Park (Leg 2) as the ideal location for SPS 2011. Jurong Central Park as one of Singapore’s newest park accompanied with the conveniences of retail shopping and public transport is an ideal location for the SPS. This is also the first time that the competition is organized in the most Western part of Singapore. East Coast Park which is Singapore’s most popular national park stands amongst the rest as one of the best locations for any sporting events to date.

Newly introduced to SPS 2011 is the Most Improved Team Award which recognizes the most improved team in both the Open and Novice Division. Teams will be identified as the "Most Improved" as we compared their team's performance with their previous event result. In addition, the SPS will be rewarding all 4th placing teams across all divisions with a token of appreciation for their persistent fight through the Semi Finals and the 3rd/4th placing game.

As the SPS continues to improve on its organization and infrastructure, we recognized the need to raise the playing standards of the SPS as more local teams represent Singapore to compete in overseas paintball tournaments. Since establishment, the SPS has always been a “close door” paintball event where only participants who are working or residing in Singapore are allowed to participate in the SPS. This formula has always remain crucial and significant in our formation years as we built the foundation for our series with levelled playing standards amongst all participants. Moving into SPS 2011 Leg 1, the SPS would like to take another step to allow each team to register up to 2 foreign players in their lineup. We believe that with this small change, the SPS will raise our competition bar as we work towards a full fledge international tournament in years to come and to foster a good relationship with players from other countries.

On behalf of the SPS committee, I wish you all the best in the participation of the SPS and may the camaraderie of paintball continue to nurture on and off the playing field. The SPS can only be as successful as the support that is given by our local paintball community.

Thank you.

Ben Seow

Founder of the Singapore Paintball Series
Co-Tournament Director

Singapore Paintball Series 2011 Leg 1 will be held on 16 & 17 April 2011 at Jurong Central Park. For more information, please visit www.singaporepaintballseries.com

Another fantastic news for Singapore Paintball!

Previously, we hinted on a new group emerging from the local paintball scene and this week, we were fed with some pretty decent information and plans for the local scene and we would like to share it with our royal readers.

From an undisclosed source, we were informed that collaboration with a "BIG" time governing agency is on the way to path the way for competitive paintball in Singapore!

Let's wait and see how this turns out...

Resources told us that things that could change include refereeing, sports recognition, media and a very decent paintball event in 2012! We are suspecting its PALS SINGAPORE!

Nope, it is not the work of the "interim committee" since no decision can be made until a formal management committee is established after a formal election. Before the election can take place, members need to be recruited for voting rights. Seriously, we are praying for "godspeed" changes to firearms laws and regulations, publicity and marketing for local paintball with the establishment of the new PBAS and we wish them all the best! We need a revolution to inject some spice into the local scene! Do something before others do the catch up.

Disclaimer - This blog is not directed at anyone or any organization. The writer of this blog is a passionate paintballer, field operator and proshop manager who wants to see growth to the local paintball scene. As a founding member of the Paintball Association (Singapore), founder of Singapore's premiere paintball event the Singapore Paintball Series, representative of the Paintball Asia League Series (PALS) Singapore, the writer is enthusiastic about developing the local paintball scene and has always been a driving force for paintball sports in Singapore since 2006!

Oh... yeah the writer also wrote all these about himself!

So... what's next for Singapore paintball?

I am writing this article especially for all Singaporean participants of this year's WCA. But even if you are not there to play or to witness the event, I hope this article leaves an impression upon you to think about how you can contribute to the state of Singapore paintball. If you like the experience of attending the WCA, if you enjoy the tradeshow put up by the vendors, if you are mesmerized by the massive scale of the event, think about how and what you can do to improve the state of Singapore paintball.

It is funny because every time when I meet up with overseas friends in paintball events, they will 100%, definitely and surely ask me: "How's Singapore paintball?" And as usual, I will reply that the paintball scene is getter better with more players participating in speedball and playing in local and overseas tournaments. Then come the next question and it is always 100%, definitely, surely be: "Still unable to play with your own personal marker?"... then came the de-facto reply: "Nah... not possible for now..." Similar to a voice recording...

So is it really impossible? Not really... all we need is getting the right people to do the right things. Then some might ask...who are these people? Well, I say its all of us... I am very sure that if you are into paintball, you will most probably talk about this sport with your friends, families, relatives, neighbours, basically everyone that you meet at work, school and your neighbourhood. But what Singapore paintball really need is more than just talking about paintball... we have long gone and passed that phase of creating awareness. Those who have gone to the WCA... ask yourself honestly how far are we away from organizing a paintball tournament as similar to the WCA? Or let's lower the expectations, maybe a paintball event with 4 playing divisions? At this present state... I think we are far beyond to even close. And why is that so?

We may ask ourselves? Is it the lack of playing fields? Is it the lack of resources? Is it the lack of recognition? Is it the lack of players? Is it the lack of support from governing agencies? Is it the lack of awareness? Is it the lack of funding? Is it the lack of a proper organization to push for paintball?

In 2007, I would 100%, definitely and surely say it is the lack of players... in 2007, I would 100%, definitely and surely say it is the lack of resources... in 2007, I would 100%, definitely and surely say it is the lack of awareness... but now that we are in 2010... I presume that we have done all that we can to create paintball awareness in Singapore. Yes... I am pretty sure that there are people out there who still doesn't know what paintball is all about but I dare say that there are also more people who do know about paintball as compared to 2007. I am not blaming those who don't.... because I am also 100% sure that there are people out there who doesn't know the name of our Deputy Prime Minister... if you know what I mean...

Is there a lack of playing fields in Singapore? No, not for paintball in general... so is there a lack of speedball fields in Singapore? Yes, no, perhaps, maybe... someone told me that it is profitable to organize speedball tournaments. Well... I don't know if this is the case in other countries but in Singapore, I am very very sure this is not the case. Everyone in Singapore knows that speedball is not where the money is and why is that so? The reason is simple and logical.. speedballers want the best of everything... cheap paintballs, good playing resources, good playing fields and good refereeing. There is a reason why there are more recreational paintball fields than just fields surviving on plain speedball in the world. You don't need to be smart to know this... any budding paintball entrepreneur will know this simple fact. Training a paintball player who is really to embark on his competitive journey is similar to training a fighter pilot ready to take on the horizon. It takes time... Again... not that it is impossible, it is possible, it just need time involving the right ingredients.

Quick measures for quick solutions? Marker ownership?

If you are new to paintball and you are reading this article... let me inform you that in Singapore it is illegal to individually possess a paintball marker, this means that you will not be allow to buy a paintball marker in Singapore as no one in Singapore is selling it and you will not be able to buy a marker off the internet not unless you are ready to receive a call up from the governing agencies to explain your need for a paintball marker (gun). So quit thinking about the day where you can bring your marker home and sleeping with it next to you. Well... at least I think it is impossible in the next few years unless we do see a drastic change to the current state.

Imagine this... we are now standing at the cross roads for Singapore paintball... let me put this into perspective: our local community has come to a point where there are pioneering players (those who started playing the game since 2007), mid tier players (those who started playing the game since 2008/2009 and have gone through a few local events and a few overseas events) and beginner players. While I am not worried about the development and introduction of beginner players, I am actually pretty worried about our pioneer and mid tier players as they will now have a decision to make: 1) To continue playing in the novice division (Division 4) or 2) To move on playing in Division 3. Many will choose the latter option which is a sensible and wise choice, quit the "sandbagger" tag and move on to playing with opponents who are as good as them. But hang on... how can they proceed to play in higher division if they are not allow to possess better equipment ideal for the change? Many buy paintball markers in Malaysia and keep them there... playing with their markers during weekends and using them during ocassional tournaments. Quick measures indeed...

And of course this is the best option if they want to kick start playing the game as fast as possible. It is a logical choice to get one started in the game in the shortest possible time. Incidentally, I am one of these players who possess paintball markers in Malaysia and play with them whenever I like. I enjoy participating in the Malaysia paintball scene and paying for cheaper paintballs too. At the same time, I also put in my fair share of complaining and whinning about the laws in Singapore where individual paintball marker possession in Singapore is almost close to being impossible.

A quick measure perhaps? Surely it is the fastest way to start playing some "real" paintball. You make the decision and start your venture shooting away... there is no right or wrong in doing so and to each his own actually. But how "real" can this be? Yes, we have our own arsenal in Malaysia but how is it going to help develop our own local scene? Don't get me wrong, I am not telling you not to buy a paintball marker or to play in Malaysia... anyone who knows me will know that I enjoy talking to people about playing in Malaysia, many of my friends, clients, relatives, colleagues play in Malaysia, many of my friends are field owners and proshop owners in Malaysia, so don't get me wrong please. My question is and the same goes for everyone who wants to see paintball take off in Singapore and a question that we should all ponder about: Can we do something for Singapore paintball? We know what we want...

We will soon have a pool of players wanting to play in the higher divisions.... we will soon have players wanting to possess their own training equipment.... we will soon have more players joining the local paintball community. How can we cater to this growth? Gone are the days when we have to travel 360km to Kuala Lumpur to play paintball every weekend. We can do that as close to us in Johor Bahru but we also know that not everyone is coming to terms with the traffic jams and the travel duration... do we have an option to enjoy the "real" game of speedball in Singapore? using the right equipment perhaps... and not violating any laws with the government? Perhaps... let's work on the local scene as we grow the sport in Singapore.

What we really need is a system crafted by a group of people who wants to see paintball improve... something like the BTO... something to convince people up there that we know what we are doing and that we are doing the right thing for Singapore paintball. Statistics is a must for sure... We need people to be playing and competing to come up with good figures... when there is no higher divisional games in Singapore means no statistics... no statistics means no proof, no "Black and White", no evidence... we need that statistics. We need actions... not just talk. We need results... not just participation.

20 teams from Singapore playing in WCA 2011 will be my personal goal. Are you in or are you out?

Tip for you to continue playing and improving paintball in Singapore:

- Recruit more players into your team

- Promote and market paintball whenever possible. Majority just play... but it is so important to influence the guy standing next to you

- Be financially stable. Playing paintball is not cheap but I wouldn't say that it is unaffordable

You don't need a deep pocket to play competitive paintball

- Participate in local and overseas tournaments

- Join the PBAS to contribute to changes for paintball in Singapore

- Spread the love

- Most importantly, support your local fields and proshop

All stated above are personal views and in no way related to any teams, businesses and organizations.

Singapore Paintball Series 2010 - Post event report

On 16th/17th October 2010, 29 local teams participated in the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2010 (www.singaporepaintballseries.com) held at East Coast Park. Singapore's #1 Paintball Tournament, Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2010 concluded in East Coast Park with a resounding success with more than 500 participants and spectators. With 29 local participating teams from 4 different divisions, the SPS saw the highest participation rate since it was first established on 30 March 2008 as a 3 vs 3 paintball tournament which was formerly known as the Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS).

Recognized by the Asia Pacific Paintball Federation (APPBF) and Paintball Asia League Series (PALS), the SPS is Singapore's top notch tournament organizer which provides a competitive platform for the Singapore paintball community in accordance to international paintball rules and regulations. With aims of creating awareness for the game of paintball, the SPS conducts regular basic paintball courses, workshops and outreach program to introduce paintball to the masses so as to promote competitive paintball in Singapore and in the Asia region.

"SPS 2010 is the first paintball tournament in Singapore to showcase 2 opposing teams competing in electronic paintball markers (guns). We are taking a big step towards the investment of the league so as to promote and develop the local paintball scene", mentioned Jane Koh who is the Tournament Director of the SPS and a member of PALS (Singapore).

The planning of SPS 2010 started as early as April 2010 with a restructure of the organizing committee where several prominent industry individuals are invited into the planning team to organize Singapore's biggest paintball carnival. To ensure that the refereeing standards were up to par with international refereeing standards, Mr. Junaidi Kalil, Manager of the AsiaRef were invited to Singapore to conduct a 2 day refereeing course for budding local referees who are interested to learn more about competitive paintball refereeing. The SPS Referee Level 1 Certification was attended by 9 local participants who were eventually put to the refereeing test during event day.

"The SPS Referee Level 1 Certification will be the de-facto refereeing standards for all Singapore referees. We are working closely with the Malaysia Marshals and AsiaRef body to establish our own local referees. We will also be sending our referees for international paintball events such as the PALS series and the World Cup Asia", exclaimed Mr. Muhamad Azhar who is the appointed SPS Head Referee whose real job is a Sales Manager for a IT firm.

Working with 29 sponsors and partners, Mr. Travis Liauw who is the Sponsorship Manager for the SPS said, "We associate paintball with a corporate identity as the sport focuses a lot on communication and working together as a team to achieve a common goal in the playing field. These values are very much associated with companies who would also like their employees to have." Sponsors and partners of the SPS are also treated with opportunities of advertisements and marketing throughout the event with shout outs, facebook advertisements, webpage inserts, banners, posters, etc. With corporate sectors in mind, a Corporate Division is introduced to the SPS 2010.

SPS roadshows were organized at Republic Polytechnic and Singapore Institute of Management to garner sign up for the newly included Tertiary Division. Posters of the SPS were sent to community centers and tertiary schools to create awareness for the event. Joining the SPS Tertiary Division is a group of Singapore Polytechnic students who were introduced to paintball during one of the paintball roadshows early this year. "One of the many objectives of the SPS is to create paintball awareness to the masses, it is therefore necessary for us to penetrate the tertiary sectors. As a growing and young sport in Singapore, we need a pool of youth players to form the foundation for the sport", remarked Ben Seow who is the SPS Tournament Promoter.

With the closure of the SPS in 2010, the SPS committee is looking ahead into the new year, bringing another wave of exciting paintball scene for local community in 2011. As an established and recognized paintball tournament in Singapore and the Asia region, the SPS is looking towards an international favour in 2011!

What our partners say about the SPS:

"Dye Asia is a proud supporter of the SPS and we are eager to offer our continued support as they strengthen tournament paintball throughout the Southeast Asia market." - Zyzek Barro, Dye Asia

"I was very excited to see the development and growth from the SPNS to what is now the SPS series; I'm glad that Ben and Jane has managed to include us in the event as sponsors as we love to extend a helping arm in developing the sport which we are so passionate about especially in a controlled environment like Singapore. The event went on well I would say, you even have better numbers of team participation in comparison with the local leagues that we run in Thailand. Wishing you nothing but the best in your future endeavors with SPS from now on." - Patrick Tan, Pro Paintball Malaysia