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.

Rampage Onslaught takes podium finish in World Cup Asia 2010

Rampage Onslaught during Singapore Paintball Series 2010

After winning the Novice Division of the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2010, Singapore based team, Rampage Onslaught proceed to participate in their first outing in the Division 4 World Cup Asia (WCA) 2010 and took their game to a podium finish with a 4th placing position. Last year, Team Contract Killers became the first Singapore team to win a medal in the WCA and this year, Rampage Onslaught took a similar position to do Singapore proud again. The standard of paintball in this year's WCA 2010 has certainly better than that of 2009 with many teams getting better in paintball which is a good thing for paintball in Asia! Will Singapore continue a consecutive podium finish in 2011? Welcome 2011... Congratulations Rampage Onslaught!

11 Singapore paintball teams in World Cup Asia 2010!

11 Singapore based teams will be representing Singapore in the World Cup Asia (WCA) 2010 held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. This is by far the biggest turnout for Singapore teams in the WCA, a sign that competitive paintball is progressing since it was first introduced in 2007. With more than 100 participating teams from 20 nations, the WCA is Asia's biggest event in the paintball calendar. We wish all Singapore teams their best and may they do their best to put Singapore on the international stage! The participating Singapore teams are:

Red Sevens (Division 2) - Singapore's pioneer paintball team was formed in 2006 and has represented the local community in several international tournaments such as the World Games Exhibition in Taiwan in 2009. Red Sevens is Singapore's most traveled and most active paintball team which competes in countries such as Thailand, Philippines, Taiwan and Malaysia. www.redsevenspaintball.com

Zoo (Division 3) - Zoo was formed in the mid 2008 with players from ex-teamdamnation and ex-PSGwarfreakz. The team competes mainly in the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit and has won several podium finishes in the tournament. In the recent Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2010, Zoo became the first team in Singapore to win the SPS Open Division. www.zoopaintball.com

Contract Killers SG (Division 3) - Contract Killers SG competed in the first local tournament, Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) in October 2008. Since their first competitive experience, the team has competed in all legs of the local tournament. They got their first taste of international paintball experience when they competed in Division 4 of the WCA 2009 and won the 2nd place. Early 2010, Contract Killers SG competed in their first Division 3 tournament in the Pattaya International Paintball Competition held in Thailand. Facebook type "Contract Killers-SG Paintball Team"

Naughty 6ix (Divison 3) - Assembled before WCA 2010, Naughty 6ix is formed by several seasoned players from the local paintball community. With a mixture of playing experiences in speedball and scenario paintball, this team will be part of Singapore entourage teams.

Red Sevens II (Division 3) - Assembled before WCA 2010, Red Sevens II is part of the Red Sevens family. Playing for their first time as a Division 3 team, Red Sevens II will form an integral part of the Red Sevens in 2011 when the team participates in several international tournament.

Rampage Onslaught (Division 4) - Formed in 2010, Rampage Onslaught participated in Sultan Kedah Cup 2010 in their first competitive tournament. Formed by a group of friends, the team went on to clinch the SPS 2010 Novice Division as Champion. Competing in their first WCA, this team will be showing a class display of Singapore paintball. Facebook type "Rampage Onslaught"

Seekers Inc (Division 4) -Plying their trade in the Malaysia National Paintball League, Seekers Inc was formed through the combination of Seek and Destroy and Seek and Strike in May 2009 when both teams participated in the Singapore Paintball Novice League. Finishing 7th position in their first outing, Seekers continue to grow from strength as they embarked on their second appearance in the WCA. Facebook type "Seekers Brudders"

Ballistics (Division 4) - Ballistics was formed in 2010 and participated in their first paintball tournament, Noob Wars 2010 and finished in 2nd placing. The team went on to pursue the game of speedball by participating in the SPS 2010 Open Division and finished the tournament with a respectable 4th position. WCA 2010 will be Ballistics first overseas tournament. Facebook type "Ballistics Singapore"

Ragdolls (Division 4) - Formerly known as Black Aces 2, Ragdolls participated in their first local tournament, The Rookie Challenge organized by Red Dynasty Paintball Park. With a change of team name and a full revamp of the team's lineup, Ragdolls participated in their first paintball league MPOC 2010 this year. Facebook type "RagDolls"

The Outlaws (Division 4) - The "Smoking Guns" as many like to call them. The Outlaws was formed in 2010 and participated in their first paintball tournament during the Noob Wars. Since then, the team has seen a significant grow in players recruitment. The first paintball team in Singapore to field 2 teams in 2 Divisions of the SPS, The Outlaws are certainly no pushovers and ready to make an impact to the local game. www.theoutlawspaintball.com

Natural Born Killers (Division 4) - No information. Seriously... I don't know anything about this team.

Bingo! The state of Singapore paintball...

Here's our report card for 2010, (http://singaporepaintball.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010.html) Wrote some objectives for Singapore paintball in January 2010... and I am glad that we achieved almost all even before the year ends. So here's the summary:

1) 2 playing divisions in all Singapore paintball tournaments. Novice (Div 4) and Open division. DONE!

2) Average of 20 participating teams in all Singapore paintball tournaments. DONE!

3) A Inter-school paintball tournament consisting of at least 6 institutions. NOT REALLY but there were 4 participating institutions in the recent SPS! Let's achieve this for 2011 then...

4) At least 10 Singapore based teams playing in World Cup Asia 2010. DONE! 11 registered teams so far and Red Dynasty Paintball Park plays a big part in providing a platform for development and growth...

5) More collaboration with industry stakeholders. DONE! More than 25 partners in recent SPS!

So there you go... we have made it! We believe in the phrase action speaks louder than words... So what's next for 2011? You decide...

Red Sevens Singapore in 3rd Asia Paintball Invitational Touranment, Kao Hsiung, Taiwan

Red Sevens from Singapore participated in the 3rd Asia Paintball Invitational (APIT) 2010 on 30th October held in Kao Hsiung, Taiwan. Red Sevens was joined by 3 of their Taiwanese players, Fon Jen, Hiro and Arthur Chang playing on home soil. Playing in the Division 1 category with teams from Japan (Team KU), Malaysia (Delta Rovers), USA (Dye Asia) and several prolific Taiwan teams such as Storm, STD-DP and ST, Red Sevens was placed in the 7th position. Accompanying the team is Damian Li from Red Dynasty Paintball Park who is also a AsiaRef referee. Damian became the first Singaporean to officiate in the APIT under the guidance of AsiaRef Manager, Mr. Junaidi Kalil.

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

Singapore Paintball Series 2010!

The Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) 2010 which was formerly known as the Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) will be held on 16 - 17 October 2010 at East Coast Park. This is the ONLY major paintball event in Singapore for 2010 and preparations of the game started as early as 6 months ago. With promises to be the best paintball carnival ever held in Singapore, the SPS committee are trying to put together an exciting event for the paintball community for Singapore! With 30 participating teams (highest ever in Singapore paintball history) from 4 different categories (Open, Novice, Corporate and Tertiary), the organizers are catering the event from beginner players to amateur players. New to the series are the Corporate and Tertiary Division which caters to companies and schools. With more than 25 partners and co sponsors, the SPS is ready to create a "big BANG!" for the paintball scene.

With aims of promoting and developing the sport of paintball in Singapore, the SPS committee has invited several prominent paintball individuals from the Asia region to grace the SPS 2010. Mr. Paul Lam who is the founder of the World Cup Asia (WCA), Asia's largest paintball event and expo will be in Singapore to witness the SPS, with him is Mr. Patrick Tan and Mr. Tom from Pro Paintball Resources who are an avid tournament organizer in Thailand.

With strict firearms regulations in Singapore and limited playing resources such as personal equipment and paintball arenas, the SPS is a validation and ambassador event of the sport in Singapore. Since 2007, the SPS has been working closely with governing bodies to introduce awareness of the game to the masses and for SPS 2010, public members will be able to try out and "feel" the real arsenal of this adrenaline rushing game. The SPS events provide a platform for Singapore teams to compete so as to raise the playing standards of the Singapore community.

For more information about the Singapore Paintball Series 2010, please visit SPS official website, www.singaporepaintballseries.com and Facebook page, Singapore Paintball Series

Republic Polytechnic students try out paintball in Sports.Shorts.2010!

"Kiko" introducing paintball to RP students.

Happy faces!

What's paintball without the hustle?

Republic Polytechnic in collaboration with Red Dynasty Paintball Park conducted the RP Sports.Short.2010 program to introduce the sport of paintball to students of RP. As a forerunner in the promotion of paintball as a sport in Singapore, Red Dynasty Paintball Park jumped on the opportunity to introduce this adrenaline rushing game to RP students in the Sports.Short.2010, a one-month long program to introduce RP students to niche sports around Singapore and we are lucky that paintball is identify as a niche but upcoming sports for student groups in Singapore. Earlier this year, Red Sevens introduce the game of speedball to a group of Singapore students and the transformation was the formation of a paintball interest group in the school. With this introduction game, we are hoping to see another school engaging in the game of paintball very very soon... so till then.

Singapore Paintball

It is like beating the dead horse everytime I discuss about this topic. Been a while since I last touched on the topic of paintball development in Singapore... but yeah thought it is time I write something about it from a multi perspective point of view: a paintball promotor, a paintball player, a paintball field operator, a paintball proshop person. I live, eat, sleep and shit paintball. Everyday of my life and for the last 4 years was to think of how paintball can be developed and grow our country. Every day, every hour, every minute and every second. It is always paintball, paintball and more paintball. Many people asked me if I ever get sick doing this everyday...

I will be the first to admit that I love the game and I treasure every moment of this since I quit my last job and venture into the world of unknown. The feeling of unwrapping Singapore's first electronic paintball marker was similar to a child unwrapping a box full of candies and chocolate. I was thrilled to register the Paintball Association (Singapore) 3 years ago when we wanted a recognized body to represent the sport in Singapore. I was happy to see the first flag hang when we created the first 5 on 5 paintball tournament in 2009. I was most excited to know that paintball participants no longer have to play with a center line dividing the field into half regardless of recreational or competitive and the many many more exciting things that unfold, regular pool of competitive teams, rookie and noob challenges, paintball clinics, paintball awareness program, paintball in schools, paintball proshop, SPLAT, paintball collaboration with regional countries, Singapore Paintball Series, paintball sponsorships, etc. It is a constant growing process from ideas to implementation to development to what we have presently. And of course, all these would not have happen if not for the spread of love by our fellow paintballers. Helping and contributing their every bit to make Singapore paintball work.

I would love to be able to compete in a paintball tournament in Singapore, not as an organizer but as a player. For this to happen... we need more than what we see now. Paintball is not about me, my team, my field, my shop and my competition. It is not about me not doing my job and not about me not offering the best paintball package in Singapore. It is not about how well supported our paintball league is and certainly not how much support the government can give to us. What is paintball all about? Seriously, I really don't know and I don't have an answer. Some time, some day all will aged and go old and someone has to take over. Will paintball still be as popular by then? 4 years ago... there was hardly anyone playing regular paintball... no one knew what speedball was and there was hardly any paintball community and the fact that paintball was around in Singapore since 12 years ago didn't really speak well of paintball development in Singapore.

What do we need for Singapore paintball? Ask yourself... this might be a really tough question to answer. If one day, the government ask you: "What can we do to help you develop paintball in Singapore?", what would you say? Show me the money perhaps? If it was that easy to begin with...

What we need for Singapore paintball is not cheaper paintballs, cheaper gun packages, cheaper playing options because without money as a form of motivating factor, how is this a thriving industry for potential stakeholders? Motor GP is all about money, F1 is all about money, YOG is all about money... money makes the world goes round and everyone knows it. It all about money. It is always a chicken and egg story for Singapore paintball... which one comes first? Let's say we need money to grow the sport in Singapore. First thing people will ask you... how many teams do we have in Singapore? How many people play paintball in Singapore? How many places can you play paintball in Singapore? How many competitions can you play paintball in a year? I am sure what their reply will be: "We understand your concerns and passion for the game but we need more than the current figures to support your game as you know, we need to support sports with a stronger appeal to the public... paintball is a niche sport and I am sure you can be as good as the rest but right now, we are putting our money on our best resources and events and sports that can created the biggest impact for Singapore sports."

We then go back to the drawing board and then write down these words: "We need more people playing paintball in Singapore" And I say this again... Singapore. Not anywhere else... we know there are many people playing paintball around the world, we know that there are many people playing paintball in the regional countries, we know that there are many Singaporeans playing paintball in Johor but these don't matter to them... it has always been about how many people plays paintball in Singapore. After all, we are doing our part for Singapore paintball, aren't we?

Paintball in Malaysia has thrived and progress over the past few years. There are many paintball tournaments that you can participate in Malaysia. They have a pool of the finest paintball players in Asia and they have some of the biggest brains, people, resources, facilities out there to direct the growth of Malaysia paintball. We can only learn... It is a given fact that paintball is cheaper in Malaysia. It is a given fact that Malaysia have better playing resources. It is a given fact that paintball is a recognized sport in Malaysia. It is true that Malaysians have done it right to grow the game in their country. Gone are the days where people have to hide in the forest to play paintball. Paintball is now a growing sport in Malaysia and they can only credit themselves for that. They make it work for themselves. Are we doing it for ourselves?

I am sure we can develop a better system for Singapore paintball. More news to come after the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS)...

Good showing for Singapore teams in MPOC Leg 4

This post came a little late... but better late than never. 2 weekends ago, 5 Singapore based teams participated in the MPOC Leg 4 and all teams put on a decent showing for Singapore. Red Sevens playing in the Division 2 clinched the 4th position, Zoo which is playing in Division 3 clinched the 2nd position and all Division 4 Singapore teams, Ragdolls, Dark Militia and Raving Lunatics all qualified for the 2nd day of the tournament. A commendable results for team Raving Lunatics in their first paintball tournament in Malaysia with a 12th position out of 19 participating teams. Ragdolls which was former known as Black Aces in the MPOC put on a good display of team work and aggressive moves when the beat Rock n Rolla (current Division 4 series leader) during the qualifying games. Dark Militia who was playing their second MPOC was playing with experiences gathered from the former leg when they finished with a 4th position after day one. Indeed it was good to see Singapore teams coming out of Singapore to play in Malaysia tournaments. In Singapore, we are still very much restricted by the firearms law with many perceiving paintball as a sport that promotes violent and expensive. With the formation of the new PBAS interim committee, we are now hoping for the regulations to change soon as we have now a good community and local tournament to showcase that paintball can be a regular mainstream sports for many unlike a few years ago where there are only a handful of active players.

Noob Wars - The first step to paintball!

The Noob Wars is the 2nd series of mini tournament organized by Red Dynasty Paintball Park to promote and develop the sport of paintball in Singapore. The 1st series in 2010 was titled "The Rookie Challenge 2010" and was held in Feb 2010 with 6 participating teams, many of these teams went on to pursue the game further by joining overseas paintball tournament and also to introduce this adrenaline rushing game to their friends and family. The Noob Wars saw a total of 8 teams namely, Ballistics, The Outlaws, Dark Militia, Troop 53, Seven3zero, Hitman Inc, Team Generation Kill and Explicit. With the recent flash floods and high volume rainfall, there was doubt that Noob Wars will be starting on time. I say god must love paintball today as the rain subsided leaving a breezy weather to kick start the tournament. Noobs they might be... but what we saw were some defying moves with somersaults, cartwheels and some high speed crawling in the field (we are serious!). All in all, the tournament provides a wonderful platform for teams to play against players about their same playing standards. Dark Militia faced Ballistics in the final of Noob Wars with the former winning the Noob Champion. With a recent display of good paintball by the Dark Militia senior team in the Sultan Kedah Cup and the MPOC, one would feel that the Noob Wars is the perfect platform to get some experiences for their newly recruits. Ballistics, which had an impressive start throughout the tournament and going into the final undefeated met their match when they were unable to make the final punch of winning the champion medal.

In view of the good response, the Noob Wars seem to be staying in the paintball scene for quite a while. "I am surprised by the support and turnout. We have a few teams coming to show their support for our local event and at the same time allowing them to gauge their level of play amongst the community" exclaimed Ben Seow who is one of the marshals for the Noob Wars.

Until next time when the folks of Red Dynasty decides to organize the Noob Wars again... up next is the Singapore Paintball Series 2010! Transform from noobs to novice we shall...

Are we NOOBS or are we NOOBS?

8 teams have signed up for the Noob Wars on 1st August 2010 organized by Red Dynasty Paintball Park. This is the 2nd series of the rookie game which provides a platform for beginners of the sport to play against teams of their own rightful standards. Since joining the RD Rookie Challenge, participating teams such as Black Aces 2, Heartbreakers and Raving Lunatics are breaking into the international scene venturing for more blood tasty competition such as the Sultan Kedah Cup and the MPOC series. The aim of the Rookie Challenge remains to be growing the paintball community in Singapore and allowing everyone a chance to participate in a organized tournament scenario. For Noob Wars, we have the following teams who have confirmed their registration:

1) The Outlaws

2) Ballistics

3) Team eXplicit

4) Se7en3zero

5) Hitman Inc

6) Dark Militia

7) Troop53

8) Team Generation Kill

May the best team wins!

We are not ready...

Well... just like to comment on this "We are not ready" statement. A few years ago when we were introducing speedball and encouraging people to play paintball, often than not, we always hear this phrase: "We are not ready". I mean when are we really ready?

Received an email a few days ago from someone who is new to the game and telling me how hook he is after playing paintball and wanting to join a paintball team and even considering the option of starting his own paintball team. He mentioned that he knew of a paintball event in October (pretty obvious he was talking about the SPS) and how much he wanted to take part but ended up saying perhaps "We are not ready". The question is are we always ready for anything? Teams are always asking themselves... are we ready? The answer is... you are ready if you have:

1) Played a few paintball games. Doesn't matter if it is woodsball or speedball... its still the same. The only major difference is understanding the rules and regulations.

2) A group of enthusiastic friends who are keen to pursue the game.

3) Open minded about learning. Embrace the learning...

In 2008, I made a grave mistake when I commented about Singapore teams being not ready for the bigger stage i.e World Cup Asia 2008. I think those comments were selfish, ignorant and indeed not welcoming. I want to apologize to any Singapore teams who might feel affected with my snobbish comments. My reasons being: due to our lack of resources, lack of training time and lack of tournament experiences, teams should not go to World Cup Asia just for a mere representation as teams are going there to win! In 2009, there were 7 Singapore teams who went for the event and one team even went on the podium. And so... my concerns were unnecessary. This year... I am rallying for more Singapore teams to go and play in World Cup Asia 2010! My target is to rally 15 Singapore teams to the World Cup! And I believe we do have the numbers! If indeed this wish comes true... we will be the next last contingent other than the host country, Malaysia to have the most number of teams playing in the World Cup Asia.

I did mentioned that Singapore teams will do well in Division 4 games and I still stand by this comment. I am also encouraging Singapore teams to venture into the higher divisions and give it a go! If you have never try, you will never know... So yeah... to hell with "We are not ready"... WE ARE!

Why you should join the Singapore Paintball Series 2010?

Since announcing the Singapore Paintball Series 2010. We have several queries about the event and so I have decided to list down a few considerables on "why you should join the Singapore Paintball Series 2010?"

1) SPS is a homegrown paintball brand. Similar to MPOC, My-NPL or the CPCL which are major leagues over at the Northern coast, SPS was the transformation of the SPNS which was the pinnacle paintball event of the Singapore calendar in 2008 and 2009. This homegrown brand has transformed from a 3-on-3 paintball competition using scenario paintball markers to a 5-on-5 paintball tournament using electronic markers and up to 4 divisions for people of all ages and playing standards.

2) SPS is a professionally run paintball tournament with dedicated individuals who wants to make paintball a successfully sport in Singapore. With a combined 20 years of experiences in the sports industry, events management industry and marketing industry and more importantly the paintball industry, the SPS will be an event not to be missed.

3) SPS will be held in the East Coast Park. Forget about the Singapore Padang or the Marina Floating Platform, this is definitely one of the best location to showcase your team and get together for a fun filled weekend.

4) SPS combined with sponsors and industrial partners will produce the biggest payout in cash and prizes for participants of the SPS. A free spot to the World Cup Asia in November 2010 for the eventual winner of the SPS Open Division is already worth more than USD200! We are working towards bringing the biggest paintball brand to the Singapore paintball community.

5) First electronic marker division in Singapore is the first in Singapore and possibly the first in Asia! We will be using Proto Proto Matrix Rail markers as house markers for the tournament! If you know of any similar arrangement in Asia, please write to us... as far as we know, we are the FIRST!

6) Paintball prices have been adjusted to accommodate to the paintball community. This is one of the most significant adjustment to date for the Singapore paintball tournament scene. We are making this affordable for everyone and cost of playing at such a wonderful event should not be an excuse no more... This adjustment is inline with SPS's objective of working towards an international platform.

7) With up to 4 playing divisions, you no longer have to worry about people calling you a beginner, noob, expert, sandbagger, professional... just play in whichever category you deem fit.

8) SPS is working towards making the series a professional outlook with team profiles, up to date information and announcement. We have make use of social platform Facebook, websites, forums, posters, banners, etc to make this event known to every possible single lead. Making way into the SPS are merchandises such as T-shirts and lanyards to promote our branding.

9) Get your supporters to come along as there will be fun games engaging park goers and the public. Get your supporters to try out a game of paintball and let them experience the feeling of being in the field. All this at ZERO cost... SPS will be sponsoring this initiative to make paintball more receptive to the public. SPS will be putting up banners educating the public about competitive paintball and there will be a dedicated booth cater to any paintball queries from the public.

10) Working with the Asia Ref, the SPS aims to facilitate a unbiased competition with some of our SPS referees who will be certified to officiate in paintball tournaments endorsed by the Asia Ref. Certification courses will be organized to ensure that all referees are up to standards in officiating the biggest paintball event in Singapore.

I can go on and on and on... but if these are coming true and becoming a reality. All we need is your support to make all these happen! SPS will not be a one off event and we have vision to stay on track in bringing the best paintball event to the Singapore paintball community! Keep the fire burning!

Singapore's Biggest Paintball Event - Singapore Paintball Series 2010

The Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) will be held on 16 & 17 October 2010 in East Coast Park (Angsana Field, next to carpark E2). From the same organizers who brought you the Singapore Paintball Novice Series (SPNS) in 2008 and 2009, this year's tournament will feature a 2 day event for participants with up to 4 different participating divisions. New to the tournament scene will be the Corporate and Tertiary Division which is targeted to introduce the sport of paintball to corporate companies and schools as an excellent form of teambuilding activity. "After taking a break from organizing paintball tournament in Singapore, the committee felt that it is time to introduce a new wave of Singapore paintball to the general public. Our focus for the SPS will be creating paintball awareness to the masses and to create an opportunity for people to try out paintball games in the park", exclaimed Jane Koh who is the SPS Tournament Director and the former President of the Paintball Association (Singapore). With the introduction of the Open Division which involved the use of electronic markers, the committee hopes to bring about a completely new tournament scene to the paintball community to Singapore. This is also the first time that electronic markers competition will be showcase to the crowd.

With a strong restriction in the firearms law in Singapore, the organizers will be working closely with the governing authorities to ensure that there will be no hiccups to the tournament. With a combined industrial experience of more than 15 years, the SPS committee will be ready to rock the nation with Singapore's most exciting paintball tournament to date. For more information on how you can register for the tournament, please contact: info@singaporepaintballseries.com

Red Sevens Basic Paintball Course - 6 June 2010

Red Sevens conducted a Basic Paintball Course in Red Dynasty Paintball Park on 6 June 2010. A total of 13 participants showed up for the course and was greeted with a day of snapshooting, snapshooting and more snapshooting... The whole entire Red Sevens gang (less Jane, ELLE) was around to conduct the course with the help of a few "veterans" paintballers from the local community. A surprise visit by Bryan Judas who used to play for Team Redlords and Kamikaze was around to grace the session as well. Bryan is currently on his paintball break and was with Team Shootin Rage (SIR) a Johor before he declared his holiday. Division 1 player, Farid Zainol otherwise more well known as Cyrus was at the field too... he is currently playing for Team No Mercy and was featured in teams such as Johor Pirates and Team Warriors from KL. Yeah, he is a Singaporean too. And even a more surprising visit by the SUPAstar from KL, Mr. Werdnahol, Andrew Loh was in town as well... WHAT A CROWD!

The Basic Paintball Course is becoming a regular affair for Red Dynasty Paintball Park as they continue to organize paintball courses and clinics for beginners to break into the game. Since establishment, Red Dynasty Paintball Park has conducted more than 20 paintball courses and clinics and continue to be a forerunner for paintball development in Singapore.

Red Sevens newest recruit - Lester WING

Red Sevens is proud to introduce their newest recruit Lester Wing. Lester plays in the front position and will be feature in the Red Sevens team playing in Division 3 and Division 2 games. Lester will command a regular spot in the team in 2011 as the team continues to expand its players roaster. Lester made his debut with the team in the Malaysia National Paintball League Leg 3 in Malacca where he was featured in 6 games including the semi finals and 3rd/4th placing games. "We are happy to include Lester into the team. His learning attitude towards the game of speedball is commendable. We are working with Lester to provide him with more playing opportunities" exclaimed Ben, who is the current captain of the Red Sevens.

Red Sevens Basic Paintball Course - 6 June 2010

Red Sevens, Singapore's first competitive paintball team will be conducting a basic paintball course on 6 June 2010 at Red Dynasty Paintball Park.

If you are new to the game and would like to know more about playing competitive paintball, this course is just for you.

Red Sevens is the current Division 2 Paintball Asia League (PALS) Champion and a strong contender for the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) 2010 Division 2 Series Champion. The team has travelled to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand and Taiwan for regional paintball tournaments since its establishment in 2006.

Read more about the team in www.redsevenspaintball.com

Venue: Red Dynasty Paintball Park
Date: 6 June 2010 (Sunday)
Time: 1 pm - 5 pm
Cost: $55.00 per pax

All participants will be given 300 paintballs for shooting practices/skirmishes + Red Sevens stickers + Course Certificate. 5 lucky participants will receive a Red Sevens T shirt each. Payment for the course to be made at Paintballers World located in Shaw Towers.

Limited to only 20 participants. So hurry and sign up!

To register for this course, please email info@redsevenspaintball.com or info@weplaypaintball.com with the following particulars:

1) Name
2) Age
3) Email
4) Paintball experience

Good read for the Singapore paintball community

Thought I post this article on the blog since this has a significant influence to to how paintball as a sport is being developed regionally and thus affecting paintball in Singapore. In summary, it is a case of a new paintball league being formed known as the "Millennium Series Asia". A statement by the new league was released but later retracted due to what many seen as a case of unauthorized use of name and logo of the Millennium Series. Happy reading... it is always good to keep politics away from paintball and just focus on enjoying the game but this article is too good to ignore.

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE DISTRIBUTION
05:00PM 24th MAY 2010



MATTERS REGARDING THE “MILLENNIUM SERIES ASIA”

The Paintball Asia League Series, as partner of the Millennium Series Europe since 2004 when we first started, would like to clarify that the recent press release from the so-called “Millennium Series Asia” is not factual, but based on the vivid imagination of a few individuals.

We have sought clarification with Millennium Series Europe and have been informed that no such agreement exists, and we on our part have not been notified of such a move. To our knowledge, the Millennium Series name and logo has been used without prior authorization and they have been requested to deactivate the website and to remove all references to the Millennium Series Europe by the Millennium board.

The press release by these parties should be deemed misleading, with an agenda that is detrimental to the great growth of paintball now enjoyed in the region. PALS remains a firm partner of the Millennium Series Europe in promotion of sports within the region and will remain so in the future.

We shall be seeking clarification in the proper manner from the parties responsible for the announcement before deciding on the next course of action.

For clarification and more information regarding this matter, you may contact Mr. Laurent Hamet of the Millennium Board at lh@millennium-series.com or board@millennium-series.com

For more information regarding this matter in relation to the Paintball Asia League Series, please contact Mr. Paul WY Lam at paul@palseries.org or info@palseries.org


PAUL LAM
Founder & Director
Paintball Asia League Series

Lucky Sevens for Singapore teams!

"Prestige" is the word use to describe the Kedah Sultan Cup 2010. Supported by the Sultan of Kedah, this tournament saw a total of 35 teams participating in 2 divisions: Open and Novice. There were 6 teams from Singapore and they are: 1) Red Sevens, Contract Killers and Zoo 2) Dark Militia, Heart Breakers and Rampage Onslaught who played in the Open and Novice Division respectively. Being the Open Division, there were 15 participating Division 1, 2 and 3 teams, all competing for the top honours. After the qualification round, Red Sevens was ranked 5th, Contract Killers was ranked 9th (losing on the 8th spot due to elimination difference) and Zoo was ranked 10th. Kudos to Contract Killers who was playing with only 4 players and managed to beat the Red Sevens with the latter suffering their first loss of the day. The Red Sevens concluded the tournament with a 7th position after failing to qualify for the Semi Finals. In the Novice Division, Heartbreakers and Rampage Onslaught got their first taste of an overseas tournament and did fairly well with a couple of winning games but it was Dark Militia who overcame the odds and won the 7th position after qualifying for the Quarter Finals spot. Playing in a stadium able to fill 35000 spectators is more than what a paintballer could ask for and we wonder if we will ever get this kind of luxury in Singapore. The hospitality and support given by the local organizers were amazing. The refereeing was good and the atmosphere was a blast! The players party ended with the royal highness, a princess from the royal family giving out the prizes to the winning teams.

Congratulations to Red Sevens and Dark Militia. This event matches the World Cup Asia 2009 with 6 participating Singapore teams... so when's the 3rd lucky seven?

More photos later...

Sneaky indeed! EXKAY ONG from XFOX in Singapore!

Red Dynasty Paintball Park and the Red Sevens (Singapore) invited Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) Division 1 XFox snake player, Exkay Ong to Singapore to conduct a "Sneaky Snakey Paintball Clinic" and the turnout was good...17 budding snake players... well... not all turned up to learn a trick or two from one of the best snake players in Malaysia. More photos will be uploaded later... well, even I learnt something about being a snake. It was surely an eye opener for most who attended his clinic. But hey, for those who missed out his clinic, here's a post interview to find out more about this "sneaky" player.

1) What made you decide to come to Singapore to do a clinic at Red
Dynasty Paintball Park?
I've started off paintball with the seniors sharing what they know
with me, hence I believe in giving back something to the sport we love and decided to share my experience with Singaporeans after much discussion with Ben over the years as I think new talents could use a lil' help and assistance. Also it was a great experience and privileges for me to be able to conduct a clinic in somewhere other than my own country not to mention that I get to make new friends at the same time !


2) How do you find the standards of Singapore paintball?
I think it is doing pretty well seeing that it's been only a few years
since speedball was introduced into Singapore. Given the correct
guidance, support and infrastructure, it would be exciting to see how fast it could catch up with neighboring countries in the South East Asia where paintball is more established.


3) Do you think Singapore paintball development will one day be on par with Malaysia?
Without any doubt, definitely.


4) What do you think of the gun laws that we have?
While it is a hindrance to the growth of the sport for the time being,
it is also something that could get paintballers united to work
together and get the Government to look into the Firearms Law issue.


5) Give us 3 words to become a good paintballer. 3 words...
Practice, Practice & Practice.


6) Name one of the toughest game that you have ever played in... and tell us why?
I think every game is equally as tough as everyone tends to try their
best during tournaments and it is always a good fight. If I would
really have to name one, it would be the times in 2008 where I was
still with Xmenz and have to go against Xfox. Having to go against
those who teaches you how to play paintball does mess with your head a bit, giving you extra pressure on the shoulders. I still remember how dreaded i feel every time we have to go against them back then.


7) What is your favourite paintball drill?
Snap shooting. It's the most fundamental skill in speedball.


8) Will you come back again? and what do you hope to see in your next trip.
Of course I will come back again ! I would love to see more players
turn up ( if there is ever a 2nd Clinic ), less heat ( Singapore is
really HOT ) and maybe a Division 1 team ?