Rumours and Gossip!

Wikipedia says and I quote "gossip is idle talk or rumour, especially about the personal or private affairs of other. It is one of the oldest and most common means of sharing of facts and views but also has a reputation for the introduction of errors and variations into the information transmitted."

From this week onwards, every week until the end of the year, I will bring you the best of paintball rumours in Singapore and Malaysia so that this keeps the paintball industry going with hopes that one day, good rumours will turn into reality and bad rumours diminish as we speak... Also if you have a piece of worthy news for everyone, just let me know and I will be glad to share it with everyone! Some of my reliable sources come from as far as a 5 hours flight from Singapore and a 4 hours drive up the Northern territory. Of course, when it comes to local gossip, my local pool of journalists will bring you the most juicy news that paintball has to offer and here it goes:

1) After the successful SPS 2010, the organizers are trying very very hard to source for a good location to play paintball in Singapore. Resources are telling me that they are looking for a plot of land in the West where it is near to MRT! More details next week!

2) Having already changed the date for China Cup to 29 April - 1 May, we understand that there might be another change... We are suspecting PALS China to take place in Sept until further notice. More information about China Cup in www.chinapaintballcup.com

3) PBAS Interim Committee has issued a statement (can be found in www.weplaypaintball.com/forum) informing about the change of the old PBAS constitution and their meeting with the Singapore Sports Council. We hope that with the meetings and changes, we can soon realized our dreams of marker possession and to be able to compete in higher platforms.

4) ReaPers a group of students from RP have submitted a proposal to their Office Of Student Development to "Legalize" paintball in school. We will soon see the formation of another paintball school team in Singapore! The SPS is backing them whatever ways necessary.

5) One prominent Singapore based player is bound to return back to his hometown next half of the year. We will soon miss this person who has contributed a lot to the Singapore paintball community.

Well, that's all for the week. More juicy news next week!

MPOC Leg 2 Post Event Report

Singapore sent its largest paintball contingent to the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) 2011 Leg 2 held in Malacca, Malaysia from 5 - 6 March 2011. A total of 10 paintball teams from Singapore participated in this event amongst other 53 teams from Malaysia and Thailand with participants from as far as Australia, Taiwan, Philippines, Thailand and Iran. Located in the city of Malacca, the Dataran Pahlawan is one of the best location in Malaysia to play paintball. A lot of credits go to the state government for allowing the sport of paintball to create awareness in the city of Malacca. Singapore teams participated in 3 divisions of the tournament with majority of the teams participating in the Division 4 category. Seasoned teams such as the Red Sevens and ZOO participated in the Division 2 category which is played in a Race-to-2 format where the first team to reach 2 point wins the game set. With supporting players from ShootIn Rage (SIR) a Johor based team, ZOO debuted their first Division 2 competition with impressive wins against many "old timer" teams such as Trinity from Trengganu, Urban X from Kuala Lumpur and local paintball team Red Sevens and finished the qualifying round as the 2nd placed team. ZOO ended their route in the Quarter Finals losing to eventual 4th position team, Urban X. Red Sevens which qualified as the 4th position in the qualifying round beat the Simpsons to enter the Semi Finals then losing out to eventual winner, Republic CMX to settle for the 3rd position.

In Division 3, Red Sevens II another team from the Red Sevens family produced a formidable run into the 2nd round as the 3rd placing teams against other 21 teams. In addition to the team was Ilya Shamal from Contract Killers (another local based team) who was invited to guest for Red Sevens II in bid to win the Champion title where the team was placed 2nd position during MPOC Leg 1. Red Sevens II qualified for the Quarter Finals but was knocked out of the tournament by FTM Skeletoonz and Labuan Fighters. ZOO Militia which was formed by a group of ex-guest players from ZOO gathered together and gave their opponents a very tough fight. They were overall ranked position 10th in MPOC Leg 2.

6 Singapore teams represented the Lion City in Division 4 and all holding their heads up high throughout the entire tournament. The Outlaws, one of Singapore's most prolific team demonstrated their aggressiveness and teamwork on the field and became the highest overall ranked Division 4 team from Singapore by qualifying for the top 8 round. Ragdolls which are missing several pioneer faces and Raving Lunatics which has a total transformation to the previous lineup followed closely behind with an equally impressive high standing in the top 16 round. MPOC debutant Dare Devils with only 5 players had a fine run in the tournament until fatigue set in. Newly formed team iScreamWar which achieved a 2nd position in the recent Red Dynasty Rookie Challenge 2011 made their debut in the tournament as they continue their quest in the tournament scene. Black Ops which was formerly known as Team Karma registered their first taste of the MPOC and we strongly believe that we will see more of them.

All Singapore teams went away with something to be proud of and we will be sure to see more of Singapore teams in the next leg of the MPOC which will be held in the Northern state of Malaysia, Kedah.

*If you like what you saw and what you have experienced in Malaysia, all these do not happen overnight as the speedball scene in Malaysia started in 2004. With a strong local community supporting the local scene and a strong backing from the governing authorities, paintball in Malaysia can only prosper. Can we do the same for Singapore?

The one and only team...

Infernal (Thailand)

Team KU (Japan)

Team Datis (Iran)

Global Gutz (Philippines)

Well... some might say that this is all bullshit and some might disagree with what I am about to write but heck you, you, you and you. You may disagree with my writing and give me that weird look at the field but still I am going to write it whether you like it or not. Not happy with what I have written then go look at yourself in the mirror, that might cause you to commit suicide.

Recently, this thought came to my mind. If you are ask to write down a list of teams and you can only list one team from every country, which team will you choose as the Singapore team? I am pretty certain for Russia we will list the Russian Legion, for the French, it will be the Tons Tons, the English will write the London Nexus, Joy Division will be for the Swedish, Hungary and you will be Budapest Bullets, Germans will have Frankfurt Syndicate, Copenhagen Ducks for the Danish... these are all very well known teams. With the return of Oliver Lang in San Diego Dynasty... we will soon be able to identify a US team. Edmonton Impact has taken the lead for Canada... In Asia, which is where Singapore is... and talking about paintball teams in Asia, we do have a list of pretty significant teams too, for example in Japan, we have Team KU, Iranians will take pride in the accolades of Datis, Infernal will take the number 1 spot for the Thais and in the country of thousand island, Global Gutz is taking the lead amongst the rest. Team Shocker was at its best for Taiwan until it was disbanded. Closer to home... it is tougher for us to identify "the team" for Malaysia, while I would like to put my money on Nemesis Legion for winning most of the tournaments that they have participated in, there are a few other teams which we cannot miss and they are Demonz Red, Raskals, XFox, Macdev Ronin, Delta-Rovers... I would love to see all these teams playing in a common league and fight out for the Champion's title. In Singapore, I am hoping for Red Sevens to be the voice for Singapore paintball since it is the most well travelled team in Singapore and the only team in Singapore to ever win a Champion medal in a PALS event! But surely, it is up for everyone to debate and sized up the team. In 2010, Red Sevens became the first paintball team in Singapore to play in all legs of a PALS series and winning most podium medals in as many paintball tournaments. While some like to brand the team as sandbaggers... it is with no doubt that this sandbagging team has carried the name of Singapore paintball to the rest of the other Asia countries including Philippines, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand. The future of Singapore paintball is not in the hands of this team as the team continue to age and with time running out for most of these old and fatigue chaps and lady, it is time for the rest to take over this baton. The new horizon awaits for the next Singapore team to shine and carry the torch as the one and only team in the Singapore chapter.

Disclaimer: The writer of this blog is a highly sophisticated idiot who spouts nonsensical jumble of words about Asia paintball. Photos in this blog are shamelessly ripped from the internet and belongs to the rightful owner. Red Sevens is a 5 year old Division 2 team which is bound for Division 1 promotion in 2012 based on the number of playing years.

Singapore Sports Council if you are reading, please help Singapore paintball to be as good as our regional boys and girls!

Team Raskals (Malaysia)

Team X-Fox (Malaysia)

Macdev Ronin (Malaysia)

Nemesis Legion (Malaysia)

Demonz Red (Malaysia)

Red Sevens (Singapore)

Photos from www.residentevilchef.com

Singapore paintball teams make history in MPOC 2011

Singapore teams look forward to making another milestone for paintball in Singapore. In March, there will be a total of 11 Singapore paintball teams heading to Malacca for the Malaysia Paintball Official Circuit (MPOC) 2011 Leg 2, making this one of the biggest showing for Singapore contingent in an overseas tournament. Held in Dataran Palahwan, Malacca, the MPOC will be played in one of the best playing fields in Malaysia. Located above a mega mall comprising of more 100 retail stores, paintballers can sipped coffee while waiting for their games to start. Among other shopping areas near to the field is the famous Mahkota Parade and Malacca's distinctive Jonker's Walk where the night market is robust as the night comes alive!

In collaboration with the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) since 2009, the MPOC has come a long way in the support of Singapore paintball teams and has finally seen these investments flourish into good returns. The MPOC has supported winning teams of the SPS with free berth to the World Cup Asia 2009 and 2010. All Singapore teams which registered with MPOC also receive 50% discounts for their participation in 2010. With a possible good turnout in MPOC Leg 2, the MPOC has set a name for themselves as the most popular overseas paintball league for Singapore teams! With good infrastructure and a taste of international competition for teams arriving from Singapore, Thailand and Indonesia, the MPOC continues to outshine the rest.

The Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) will continue to work with the MPOC to improve our local league and continue to provide a competitive platform for all our local paintballers! The following teams will be representing Singapore for the upcoming MPOC Leg 2:

Division 2: Red Sevens, ZOO

Division 3: Red Sevens II, ZOO Militia, Karma

Division 4: The Outlaws, Dare Devils, Rag Dolls, Raving Lunatics, Black Ops, iScreamWar

Inter Tertiary Paintball Championship (ITPC) 2011

Inter Tertiary Paintball Championship (ITPC) 2011 is a tertiary paintball tournament organized by the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) with objectives of promoting the sport at school level and to create paintball awareness amongst students in Singapore. It is important for the sport to gain recognition in schools as there are misconceptions about the sport being dangerous. With the introduction of the ITPC 2011, the organizers are ready to dispel these beliefs and at the same time providing a healthy competitive platform for students to compete. In 2011, there will be 2 legs of ITPC (ITPC Leg 1 -20 Feb 2011 and ITPC Leg 2 - 26 Jun 2011) where the overall champion team will be crowned as the ITPC Champion for 2011. The ITPC series will be an inaugural paintball tournament which caters to full time students.

"We are committed to the establishment of a complete structure for the tertiary sector as this is where all the future paintballers are. Our aim is to introduce the sport to them while they are still in school with hopes of them forming the future for this sport in Singapore" said Ben Seow, founder of the SPS.

The SPS will form a sub committee with representatives from the tertiary sector to path the development of paintball as a sport in schools. In the first year of establishment, the ITPC will be conducted as a 5 vs 5 hopperball format.

Interested parties can email to info@singaporepaintballseries.com

*History into tertiary paintball in Singapore.

The idea was first mooted in 2008 with plans to establish Singapore's first tertiary paintball championship by Red Dynasty Paintball Park and Red Sevens paintball team. The plans were short lived as competitive paintball was relatively new to many Singaporeans and the organizers were unable to recruit enough teams leading to the competition.

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!

Results of Red Dynasty Rookie Challenge

When it comes to paintball, passion rules over everything... 6 teams battled it out at the Red Dynasty Paintball Park Rookie Challenge despite a very heavy downpour and Team Outlaws emerged as the Champion team. Oh... mud included. Gunning underneath a fogging mask, diving into thick slabs of mud and shouting cross fields in the pouring rain were what 6 teams had to go through in an exciting Sunday morning. iScreamWar a newly formed team took the top spot with an all win record heading to the Semi Finals only to be beaten by ReaPers who adopted an offensive strategy against iScreamWar. iScreamWar had to settled for the 3rd position after edging out Team Hazardous in an exciting 3rd/4th match that could go either way. In the Finals, it was left with Team Outlaws and ReaPers to challenge for the Champion medal. With a group of experience coaching staff in the Outlaws team, the ReaPers was caught up with a shaky start but managed to gain a foothold into the game only to lose out with defensive lanes put up by Outlaws. "Dropping like flies" as paintballers like to call it, ReaPers was out-gunned by the smoking guns.

Meeting to the objectives of bridging Singapore teams and providing a competition platform for new local teams, The Rookie Challenge not only allow the teams to interact with one another off the field but also created a challenge for teams to improve and better themselves on the field. Another success story to the Singapore local scene as we head towards the Singapore Paintball Series which will be held in April! More information about the Singapore Paintball Series can be found in www.singaporepaintballseries.com.

Full results:

Champion - Team Outlaws

2nd - ReaPers

3rd - iScreamWar

4th - Team Hazardous

Other participating teams - Fluffy Rabbits, Contract Killers SG-Jr

Red Dynasty Paintball Park Rookie Challenge - 30 Jan 2011

6 teams will be participating in the Rookie Paintball Challenge organized by Red Dynasty Paintball Park. This 3 year old tournament is specially catered to beginners who are new to the speedball but keen to take competitive paintball on a regular basis. "We have a responsibility towards the development and promotion of the game to as many people as possible, the Rookie Challenge is one of the many initiatives that we have for the public to understand more about competitive paintball." said Ben Seow, founder of the Red Dynasty Paintball Park. The Rookie Challenge will be held twice in 2011 with the 2nd tournament in next half of the year. "It is important for us to create a platform for beginners to bridge their understanding for the game and introduce a competitive edge to the sport." added Ben. The 6 teams which will be participating in the Rookie Challenge are:

1) ReaPers - A team made up of students from Republic Polytechnic and keen to introduce this sport to their school.

2) Contract Killers SG-Jr - The junior team of Contract Killers SG, an Open Division team in the Singapore Paintball Series. With proper guidance and support from the senior team, the Contract Killers SG - Jr will have to shine in the Rookie Challenge.

3) The Outlaws - You might have heard of The Outlaws but players participating in the Rookie Challenge are all newly recruited into the team. This makes The Outlaws a team as they ply their trade in paintball with a good pool of players.

4) Team Hazardous - New to competitive paintball, this team is formed by friends and colleagues who fell in love with the game. Surely a dark horse with little known information about the team.

5) iScreamWar - A newly formed team with some playing experience in Malaysia. Playing in the first tournament in home soil, this team might be give our boys a good run as I was told that they might be featuring a few paintball "Mulan".

At the publishing of this post, we are still trying to confirm the participation of the 6th team. Check out this blog again to find out about the results of the Rookie Challenge!

Edit - *Fluffy Rabbits registered as the 6th team in the Rookie Challenge!

and the saga continues...

Really want to know more about the lastest update about Singapore paintball?

Where else other than www.weplaypaintball.com/forum and www.singaporepaintball.blogspot can you read about the latest news about Singapore paintball?

Why is this so some might ask? This is because, we are the people driving the sport of paintball in Singapore since 2006.

Before anyone starts mumbling about my statement, I say it again, the keyword here is "in Singapore". Not anywhere else but in Singapore, for Singapore. We do not market ourselves as the site to provide the latest update this is because, we really are. News about Singapore paintball teams or individual participating in overseas tournament are always updated for all to read and to be debated upon.

On another issue, there have been talks from a local group about shaping a developmental path for Singapore paintball with a new interim committee. There were talks about statistics and volunteers coming together to contribute towards the development and promotion for Singapore paintball but again nothing much was heard.

In the latest development and "update" for Singapore paintball, we knew of another "temporary group" coming together to indicate their passion for paintball development in Singapore but the question remains who are these people? While there has been a call for transparency... nothing much has been told to us and little information about this "temporary group" is available. Another new era and deja vu for Singapore paintball again? With new promises, new faces, new plans perhaps it is time we look at what's on the table for this new group.

Maybe it is a case of taking too long to put things in action and time to make way for others. Deja Vu once again... paintball is so interesting!

Singapore Paintball Pro Shop/ Store/ Distribution Center

Established since 2009, Paintballers World is Singapore's only and biggest paintball proshop. Once located in Beach Road, Paintballers World is now located in a bigger and more convenient premise in One Commonwealth Building, 1 Commonwealth Lane, #03-03, Singapore 149544. With the widest range of paintball products, Paintballers World caters to both the local community and the regional countries. With the widest distribution network and tons of paintball gears and apparels, you can get all that you need to kick start your game of paintball. Our sale staff are proficient in our product knowledge and will advice you in all your needs. Visit our website to find out more about Paintballers World, www.paintballersworld.com

Paintballers World is open Monday to Saturday from 10.00 am - 7.00 pm. Closed on Sunday and Public Holidays.

Directions:

Alight at Commonwealth MRT Station and walk for 5 mins to One Commonwealth Building.

*Paintballers World is also the Official Headquarters of the Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) and PALS Singapore. Visit their website, www.paintballersworld.com

Come on you gunners!

Like radio DJ Glenn Ong always say: "Come on you gunners!" (in show of support to his favourite soccer team). The same phrase can be used to describe Singapore paintballers. Sick and tired of the common excuses such as no time, family day, no leave, work, no money... it is time Singapore paintball teams step up to the next level. Supposedly a record showing of 6 Singapore teams participating in MPOC Leg 1 turns out to feature only 3 local teams. 3 other teams which indicated interest to attend MPOC Leg 1 fail to make the trip. Where are the Singapore teams???

It is funny because we do have teams in Singapore... the last Singapore Paintball Series (SPS) which was held in October 2010 had the participation of 29 local teams. Let's be fair and minus away the teams from corporate and tertiary divisions and we have 19 teams remaining... so where are you guys???

The most difficult part about forming a paintball team is not getting together and thinking of a team name but instead staying together. I cannot emphasize enough about getting the team to stay together and participating in every paintball tournament out there... Commit the team to play in a regular tournament series and go out there and compete. Choose this carefully as this determine the team's budget and commitment to train before competition. Play in competitions and get the most experience out of competing, experiences that you can never get from a regular training session.

Forming a team is as close to training a regular guy into a fighter pilot. It will be a waste not to clock flying hours after going through hours and hours of flight simulation. Likewise, for a team to train and not compete at all can be the worst that can come off this competitive sport. With the formation of a new interim committee for the Paintball Association (Singapore) PBAS, we are hoping that things will change for the better as they look into developing the local community for the local scene. We can only wait... and time is of the essence. Come on you gunners!

Teams participating in MPOC Leg 2 can email to info@weplaypaintball.com and we will list your team name in the paintball forum.

Red Sevens makes an impact in MPOC 2011!

Photo from www.residentevilchef.com

Participating in their 4th season of the Malaysian Paintball Official Circuit, Red Sevens got off to an impressive start with 2 podium finishes in Division 2 and Division 3 respectively. Held in Universiti Putrjaya Malaya (UPM), a total of 80 teams participated in the oldest paintball league in Malaysia making it the highest attended MPOC since it was established in 2004. 3 air-bunker fields were set up for the first time adding a professional look to the event. 3 teams from Singapore participated in the MPOC: Red Sevens (Division 2), Red Sevens II (Division 3) and The Outlaws (Division 4). Playing in their first MPOC event, Red Sevens II made it to the Finals of Division 3 against Grammaton Clerics and won their first medal for the Red Sevens family. The Division 2 team claimed another podium finish as 2nd Runners Up in the Division 2. With a new lineup for 2011, the team is hoping to duplicate wins for the rest of 2011. The Outlaws also made an impressive start to Division 4 and played well to qualify for the top 16 position. With their recent paintball bouts at Red Dynasty Paintball Park, we will surely see this team at the top of the league before the end of the season.

MPOC Leg 2 is rumoured to be held in Dataran Pahlawan, Malacca on 5 March 2011. This venue is considered by many to be one of the best location to play paintball in Malaysia so Singapore teams looking out to dust dirt off your shoulders... it is now or never!

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.