9-ball pool is a fast and furious game. Fifteen teams, comprising two players each, compete against each other to sink nine numbered billiard balls in ascending order. The team that pockets the final and ninth ball, regardless of the number of balls sunk before that, wins that game. The first team to win three games advances into the next round.
Despite its zippy nature, this version of pool is also a test of patience and stamina, as participants at the inaugural NUS STARS 9-ball pool tournament held on 8 May at the clubhouse of SAFRA Jurong can verify. “We’ve been playing for two hours and lost eight games”, said James Wong from NUS IT ruefully. “But on the ninth attempt we finally won!” Together with his colleague Jason Ng, they stayed on to play friendly matches with other teams.
Still, it is the experience that counts, along with the opportunities that such events create in providing a space for conversation and interaction. Dr Sunny Nazeer, who joined NUS just a month ago after completing his PhD in Italy, agreed. “We would have liked to win something but our purpose in signing up for this competition was more than that. This event is the perfect opportunity to meet new people from NUS.”
Dr Matteo Lo Preti, who completed his PhD a year ago but came to Singapore together with Dr Nazeer, felt the same way too. “My goal here is to grow professionally and personally, and experience the culture here. Joining this friendly competition allowed me to get out of my silo, and achieve that.”
Both Dr Nazeer and Dr Lo Preti work on soft robotics at Prof Cecilia Laschi’s lab in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the NUS College of Design and Engineering (CDE), and said that they appreciated the diversity of opportunities here and the chance to meet other colleagues at the tournament. “The transition to Singapore and NUS was pretty good – and this was exactly what we were expecting. NUS is a huge campus but events like this make it more accessible and homely.”
Kimberly De Guzman (first on right) and Niel Romuga (second from right) from NUS IT, took home the top prize. With them in the photo are: Runner-up team comprising Research Engineers Wang Yizhuo (first on left) and Wu Yuwei (second from left) from the Department of Mechanical Engineering; and Chairperson of the STARS committee, Derek Wong (centre).
Dr Janson Yap, NUS Chief People Officer, shared at the sideline of the event, “I’m happy to see our staff fulfilled and engaged at work and play. The important thing is to create an intentional space and platform for our staff to step out of their departments and mingle with others in a different setting. Research has shown that having diverse, interpersonal ties can boost our wellbeing and is important for helping us feel a greater sense of belonging in our communities.”
Derek Wong, who leads the STARS committee, added, “We have organised three successful events this year which have been very well received by the participants. I hope to see greater participation from the wider NUS staff community as we organise different games throughout the year.”
Dr Hou Xunan, a Research Fellow from the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at CDE who studies biodegradable polymers, concurred: “This is my first time attending a STARS event. It’s very well organised and I appreciate the committee’s efforts – from the planning to the manpower and logistics involved – to make this experience a very memorable one.” Dr Hou teamed up with Dr Krishna Singh from the Solar Energy Research Institute of Singapore, whom he had not known prior to the tournament.
The STARS programme, which stands for ‘Staff Talent in Athletics and Recreational Sports’, was launched by the Office of Human Resources in July 2023 to promote an active lifestyle through competitive sports amongst staff, and to encourage inter-departmental bonding. To this end, the committee organised three sporting events last year, including the inaugural NUS STARS run as well as the basketball and badminton tournaments in November.
The STARS committee has organised three events this year, including a Bowling and Darts competition held in January and March respectively. More competitive sporting events, like running, badminton and futsal, are in the works. Do visit the NUS STARS microsite for more information: https://nus-ohr.my.canva.site/nus-stars