Centenary Tennis Clubs: David enjoys wonderful experience at historic Singapore club
By David Barham, East Glos member and CTC coordinator
Since 2023, East Glos has been a member of the Association of Centenary Tennis Clubs (CTC), an umbrella group comprising 96 clubs in 29 countries across five continents. All member clubs have a history dating back at least one hundred years. The CTC is a fraternity with a shared love of tennis, promoting international friendship and camaraderie.
It is perhaps coincidental, though certainly appropriate, that my recent visit to the Singapore Cricket Club should take place in November, the second anniversary of our CTC membership. This is doubly significant given that the Singapore Cricket Club also became a member the same year.
As the name would suggest, like East Glos, the Singapore club was initially founded as a cricket club. As I was later to learn, we also share another connection. Cheltenham resident, Geoff Hurst, of World Cup 1966 fame, once played at the club in the Singapore Sevens soccer tournament.
Set in the old colonial district, the Singapore club enjoys one of the most historic locations of any sports club. While the city skyline has changed dramatically and continues to change, the Padang (Malay for field) remains a prominent feature, not only for the club but also for the city, hosting major national events.
Just 18 years after Stamford Raffles founded the settlement of Singapore, cricket was being played on the current grounds in 1837. The club was formally constituted in 1852, and, as with several clubs around the world, the original members were British expatriates involved in commerce or government postings.
The first clubhouse, a relatively modest affair, was erected in the early 1860s, and the main core of the building was completed in 1884. Both wings were added in 1922, giving the clubhouse its unique appearance today. By the 1880s, football and rugby had been introduced, with the first tennis tournament being held in 1875.
Today, the tennis section has a healthy membership of just over 800. Although there are currently only four permanent hard courts, two of which are artificial grass, the tennis section is very active. The weekend before my visit, the club had just returned from a tour to the Royal Lake Club in Kuala Lumpur.
Yvonnea Kok, a member of the administration team, warmly welcomed me and provided an extensive tour of the facilities together with a detailed history of the club. I was amazed by the elegant reception rooms, bars and restaurants available to the members. The numerous historical pictures and memorabilia were a delight for any sports enthusiast, each one with its own history to tell.
By the early 1960s, test cricket teams were stopping over in Singapore. In one of the bars, there was an autographed picture of Richard Hadlee, a former New Zealand captain. Gary Sobers, Alvin Kallicharran, Joel Garner, and Gordon Greenidge are just a few of the first-class players to have graced the Padang.
In turn, the Singapore soccer sevens have attracted many well-known names from the world of football. In 1991, Gordon Banks, Bobby Charlton, Roger Hunt, Martin Peters and Geoff Hurst, all members of the 1966 World Cup team, together with Mike England, Pat Jennings, Kevin Keegan and Tony Woodcock, would all take part. It would be hard to imagine another club that could boast a list of such eminent sportspeople to have visited their club and graced its field of play.
The club, founded in 1852 with just 28 members, had grown to almost 1,000 at the outbreak of the Great War. When peace was restored at the end of the Second World War, the colonial period was drawing to a close and membership in decline.
In 1962, the new independent government mandated that all clubs in Singapore must comprise a membership of at least fifty per cent Singaporeans. For a brief moment in time, the very existence of the Singapore Cricket Club seemed in question. In reality, it was merely an adjustment to times of change and a new era. The club would not only recover but also prosper.
Today, the membership stands at an amazing 5,000, offering a variety of sports: cricket, football, rugby, golf, netball, hockey, pickleball, and, of course, tennis. In addition, pastimes such as billiards and snooker, darts, mahjong, balut, and chess are included and played competitively. An extensive social program provides members with every opportunity for interaction between the sports activities.
Zoher Motiwalla, former president, Mathavan Devadas current president, David Barham
At the conclusion of my tour, I was introduced to the former club president, Mr Zohar Motiwalla, and the current president, Mr Mathavan Devadas, to whom I presented a signed copy of our club history as a goodwill gesture from East Glos.
Today, the Singapore Cricket Club is a symbol of a modern club in a vibrant city, yet one that cherishes its rich historical past. With its recent CTC membership, the tennis section, which has the largest membership, is clearly focused on a bright and wider future. My visit was hugely enjoyable and ended all too soon. I can only hope that it will create a connection between two clubs with a similar origin.
From almost the start of our CTC membership, several club members have visited clubs as part of the CTC reciprocal program. This year, our club took part in three team events involving 31 members and supporters. All experienced the flavours of international tennis through the fellowship and goodwill that is the CTC. This bond links clubs from around the globe. Our club has embraced the values that underpin the CTC, and a program for 2026 is already being planned. We’ll have more details early next year.