Straits Chinese Recreation Club

Founded in January 1885, the Straits Chinese Recreation Club (later renamed as the Singapore Chinese Recreation Club) was the first club to offer English games like cricket, lawn tennis and athletic sports to the Chinese community. Its founding members were Koh Tiong Yan, Koh Seck Tian, Chia Keng Chin, Tan Chew Kim, and Ong Kim Cheow.

The Clubhouse
The Straits Chinese Recreation Club (S.C.R.C.) first played at the open plain below the Commissariat Offices on Pearl's Hill, before moving to Hong Lim Green. The S.C.R.C.'s first clubhouse was a distinctively shaped octagonal pavilion erected at the centre of the playing field at Hong Lim Green. Designed by H.D. Richards, the building was officially opened by the Chinese consul Tso Ping Lung on 2 July 1887. In 1914, the original pavilion made way for the construction of a new single-storey building. Built at a cost of $12,000, the new pavilion had improved lighting and facilities, and its entrance now faced the New Bridge Road. In 1959, the city council decided to convert Hong Lim Green into a park for people of all ages to enjoy. In 1960, the clubhouse was demolished and Hong Lim Park was constructed at a cost of $173,000. Today, the Singapore Chinese Recreation Club is located at Balestier Road. Balestier Plain, the playing field which the S.C.R.C. shares with the Singapore Khalsa Association, Singapore Indian Association and the Ceylons Sports Club, has been designated as a historic site by the National Heritage Board in 2002.

Promoting Sports
The Straits Chinese Recreation Club was one of several sporting clubs formed by Asians for Asians during the colonial era. These recreational sports clubs provided opportunities for members to interact and bond. In the early years of the S.C.R.C.'s formation, cricket was a popular game that was regularly played. Hockey and football were also played, though only occassionally. The first of the S.C.R.C.'s cricket matches were played with Sepoy Lines Cricket Club in March 1885. By the 1920s, tennis and football had overtaken cricket as the preferred outdoor sport. Indoor games like chess and billiards were also played. On 15 January 1912, a seven-a-side match was played for the first time between the Singapore Chess Club and the S.C.R.C. Through the course of the club's history, it has groomed a number of outstanding cricket and hockey players.

Community Activities
Besides sports, the S.C.R.C. also organized various community and fundraising activities. On 22 February 1896, the S.C.R.C. held its first annual Chinese New Year Sports on Hong Lim Green. Previous smaller scale Chinese New Year sporting activities were held at Telok Ayer from land loaned from the Straits Insurance Company. In order to raise funds for the repair of the clubhouse's roof, the S.C.R.C. staged the first drama production by the Straits Chinese community titled 'A Race for a Dinner' during the early 1900s. On 7 March 1913, two dramatic performances 'After the Battle' and a three-act comedy 'Mustapha' in the Malay language were performed at the Victoria Theatre in aid of the Chinese Red Cross Society in Shanghai. On 21 February 1916, funds were raised for the British Red Cross Funds through tennis matches between the S.C.R.C. and the Penang Chinese Recreation Club.


Author
Joshua Chia Yeong Jia


References
(2002, April 1). Balestier sports plain is now historical site. The Straits Times.

Pereira, A. (2003). It's us against them: sports in Singapore. In Chan K. B. & Tong C. K. (Eds.), Past times: A social history of Singapore (p. 141). Singapore: Times Editions.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 PAS-[HIS])

Sin Chew Jit Poh and Archives and Oral History Department (1982). Singapore retrospect through postcards 1900-1930 (pp. 50-51). Singapore: Sin Chew Jit Poh and Archives and Oral History Department.
(Call no.: RSING 769.4995957 SIN)

Song, O. S. (1985). One hundred years' history of the Chinese history in Singapore (pp. 169, 216-217, 226-227, 287-288, 323, 359, 372, 473, 477, 533). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SON)

Turnbull, C. M. (1989). A history of Singapore: 1819-1988 (pp. 102, 104). Singapore: Oxford University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TUR-[HIS])

Tyers, R. (1993). Singapore then & now. (p. 188). Singapore: Landmark Books.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 TYE)

Uma D. G., et al. (2002). Singapore's 100 historic places (pp. 77). Singapore: Archipelago Press in association with National Heritage Board.
(Call no.: RSING 959.57 SIN-[HIS])

Urban Redevelopment Authority. (2003). URA calls for ideas to enhance public spaces in the city. Retrieved July 14, 2006 from www.ura.gov.sg/pr/text/pr03-29.html

(2000, April 26). Yan shou jiao luo hui bu hui you ren lu yin . Lianhe Zaobao.



The information in this article is valid as at 2006 and correct as far as we are able to ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.

Subject
Organisations>>Associations
Ethnic Communities
Peranakan (Asian people)--Singapore--Societies, etc.
People and communities>>Social groups and communities
Sports, recreation and travel



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