Channel NewsAsia - 1 hour 2 minutes ago
SINGAPORE : Parents of students at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary decided to raise funds for the school’s needy pupils, but they wanted to do something different.
So they organised a 24—hour badminton marathon which ended on Saturday, and set a new record.
14—year—old Mathew Bellido can now join his classmates who will be leaving on an overseas trip soon.
Mathew comes from a family of six and could not afford to pay for the trip.
But the school and the parents’ association have pitched in. They have organised a 24—hour badminton marathon to raise funds for students like Mathew.
Grace Chua, Vice—Principal, Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, said, "We are talking about helping about 96 of our students, and some of them with family incomes of less than S$1,000, and with this fund, it would mean that we could help them with very basic things, such as providing them with pocket money, for food, or to purchase textbooks and even to purchase uniforms."
Organisers have even roped in a former national player.
Li Li, a former national shuttler, said, "I’m glad they have chosen to play badminton for their fund raising event. That’s because the sport is very dear to me. I hope through their efforts they will be able to raise the money for the school’s needy students."
Organisers have raised over S$11,000 with the support of over 350 shuttlers.
The effort has been locked into Singapore’s Book of Records, for the highest number of badminton matches played in a single location. — CNA/ms