Netballers to benefit from Deloitte partnership
Deloitte and Netball Singapore help players balance work and sports
Her mother wanted her to quit netball and focus on finding a job after she graduated from the Singapore Institute of Management.
But national player Charmaine Soh was confident that she could juggle a career with her netball commitments.
It helped that the 25-year-old managed to find a supportive employer in Deloitte, a company which provides a variety of services spanning multiple industries.
"My mother was quite against me playing netball because she wanted me to start working. She felt I wouldn't be able to juggle work and sports," said Soh, who works as a regulatory & compliance associate for Deloitte.
"It's traditional thinking that athletes can't manage both at the same time, but we can show our parents and other parents that it's possible."
Soh, who was part of the team that won gold in June's South-east Asia Games, was speaking on the sidelines of a media session to announce a partnership between Deloitte Singapore and Netball Singapore at the company's office in Shenton Way yesterday.
Through this partnership, the company would be offering employment and education opportunities to eligible netballers in the National team, 21 & Under squad, as well as tertiary players who have taken part in Netball Singapore events. Internships and scholarships will also be offered.
RECRUITMENT
Deloitte, which was the Official Professional Services Partner for the SEA Games and next week's Asean Para Games, also has its own athlete recruitment programme called Deloitte Ignite.
In addition, Netball Singapore will work with Deloitte to implement netball as a Co-Curricular Activity and conduct netball programmes in NorthLight School.
The school is the company's corporate social responsibility partner.
The company will also be the title sponsor of Pesta Sukan 2016.
Philip Yuen, the CEO of Deloitte Singapore, believes the partnership will be mutually beneficial.
"Athletes bring with them strong foundational skills including leadership, teamwork, and a winning mentality - qualities that we value," he said.
"We hope that with our support, athletes can develop further, achieving their goals both on and off the court."
Netball Singapore president Jessica Tan is also confident that the partnership will elevate the sport in Singapore.
"We do want to continue to raise the standard of the team. And the very fact that we allow a platform that allows our young ladies to not only excel in the sport, but to also continue to excel in their careers, gives them that motivation. We see that it is possible," said the Member of Parliament.
Besides Soh, other national players such as Kimberly Lim, Micky Lin and Yu Mei Ling as well as retired netballers Koh Kai Ling and Suhailah Kariman also work for Deloitte.
Yu feels that younger netballers will benefit from this partnership.
"For young players, they know that this is another path they can take," said the 24-year-old human resources administrator.
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