The Singapore Law Gazette

Bench & Bar Games 2025

The 53rd Annual Malaysia–Singapore Bench & Bar Games was held in Malacca, Malaysia, from 12 to 14 September 2025. Led by Justice Woo Bih Li, the Singapore contingent competed in 20 sports against their Malaysian counterparts over three days of spirited competition.

List of events:

1. Badminton
2. Basketball
3. Boat Race (held at Closing Dinner)
4. Bowling
5. Chess (non-competitive)
6. Cricket
7. Cross Country
8. Darts
9. Golf
10. Hockey
11. Ladies’ Football
12. Masters’ Football (non-competitive)
13. Netball
14. Pool
15. Premier Football
16. Squash
17. Table Tennis
18. Tennis
19. Veterans’ Football
20. Volleyball

The Games were marked by high energy, camaraderie, and a strong sense of sportsmanship, with participants reconnecting and forging new friendships over the three days of competition. Team Malaysia emerged as the overall winner at the conclusion of the Games.

We recount below some of the events that were played and relive the exciting moments. Well done Team Singapore!

---

Badminton

This year’s Bench & Bar Games in Malacca was more than just another clash of racquets. It was a weekend of spirited competition, rekindled camaraderie and heartfelt tribute to one of the Games’ finest gentlemen.

Whilst the event is always a highlight in our annual badminton calendar, this year’s edition carried added significance – it marked the first Games without the familiar smile and leadership of long-time Malaysian Captain, Francis Ng, who sadly left us in September last year. His absence was deeply felt on both sides of the causeway.

The Singapore contingent arrived in the historic city of Melaka in high spirits, bringing with us a good mix of seasoned shuttlers and fresh recruits. Across the net, Team Malaysia also unveiled some “newcomers” – who, as it turned out, had professional experience – instantly raising the bar and making the already uphill task all the more challenging.

As the official matches got underway, it soon became evident that Lady Luck clearly decided to stay back in Singapore. Our 1^st men’s doubles pair (Xi Jing and Sean) battled bravely, but were outgunned in straight sets to a clinical Malaysian side. Then, hopes were briefly rekindled when our women’s doubles duo (Kelly and Shuzhen) lit up the court with a commanding first set win, only to be edged out in a nail-biting three-setter. With the team trailing 0–2 in the best-of-five format, our now-slender hopes rested on our 2^nd men’s doubles pair (Boon Tiong and Brendan). Despite their grit and determination, however, they were unable to overcome a formidable Malaysian attack.

At 0-3 down and with victory already out of reach, Team Singapore’s fighting spirit never wavered and the team continued to fight valiantly to restore some pride. Our mixed doubles pair (Dominic and Tricia) treated spectators to a point-for-point thriller that went down to the wire before slipping away in the deciding set. The final tie – 3^rd men’s doubles (Zhengxi and Alvin) – proved to be the closest encounter of the afternoon, with the game swinging both ways before ending 19–21 in heart-stopping third set, leaving the crowd breathless and both teams applauding each other’s tenacity.

Despite the eventual 0–5 scoreline, the team should be proud of their performance and fighting spirit till the end. Three of the five matches going to a third set decider is a testament to just how close the ties truly were, and on another day, it could very well have been a different outcome.

Final score – Singapore 0 : 5 Malaysia

With the formalities done, the spotlight turned to the VIP exhibition game featuring District Judge, Eddy Tham (SG) and Senior Registrar, Lee Kim Keat (MY) vs. Sng Kheng Huat (SG) and Sessions Court Judge, Yong Leou Shin (MY). The atmosphere then lightened further with the traditional mixed-team friendlies, where players paired up across borders in a knockout competition. The crown was eventually won by Thaanesh (MY) & Ying Ying (SG). In keeping with tradition, Team Malaysia hosted us to a sumptuous dinner after the games, featuring a hearty feast of local Peranakan cuisine, bellies full of laughter and even better company.

Perhaps the most poignant moment of the weekend came with the inauguration of the Badminton Francis Cup – a new tradition introduced by Team Malaysia in honour of their late Captain. The Cup, which will now be awarded annually to the winner of the Bench & Bar badminton series, was presented for the very first time by Francis’ daughter, Michelle, at the Closing Dinner – a fitting tribute to a man whose passion for the game was matched only by his kindness and generosity off court.

As the weekend drew to a close, one message resonated above all: Bench & Bar has never just been about who takes home the silverware. Beyond the thrill of competition, it is, at its heart, a celebration of lifelong friendships, mutual respect and shared love for the game – values that Francis himself embodied throughout his years on and off court. He will be deeply missed, but always remembered with fondness and love and his legacy will continue to shine in every Games.

Brandon Chung
Badminton Captain
The Law Society of Singapore

---

Field Hockey

The Singapore field hockey team travelled to Malacca for Bench & Bar 2025 with quiet confidence and a touch of misplaced calm. A bit too relaxed, perhaps, for our teammate Nilesh, who was found fast asleep on the bus as our captain Thomas delivered the pre-match briefing beside him. At the other extreme, Ashwin was already doing sprints the moment we arrived, presumably to intimidate the Malaysian team who were still tying their shoelaces and looking slightly bewildered at the enthusiasm of their visitors.

pitch, however, had its own defence strategy. The turf was uneven, with a patch or two that might have been relics from a previous century. Players on both sides learned quickly that balance was a relative concept. Still, the weather was glorious, and the refereeing, firm yet fair.

The match began as a fast-paced contest with both teams playing fast flowing hockey with chances at both ends. The second half started with Malaysia taking an early lead through a stroke of fortune. A shot by a Malaysian player was seemingly heading wide but it found its way into our net via an unfortunate deflection. Their second came from a well-taken penalty corner. Undeterred, we pressed forward with our usual composure, stringing passes patiently down the flanks and keeping possession for much of the match. The Malaysians were forced to rely on long “Hollywood” balls and aerial flicks. We dominated possession and created several chances, including one remarkable penalty corner deflection that would have been a goal if not for an outstanding (and brave) save by their goalkeeper. With his head, no less.

Our perseverance paid off when our veteran and all-round sportsman Noel Oehlers produced a deft deflection at the top of the D that completely fooled the keeper and found the back of the net. We pushed hard for the equaliser until the final whistle, but the match ended 2–1 to Malaysia – a fair result in what was a spirited contest.

After the game, any lingering disappointment quickly gave way to camaraderie. Both teams met again that evening at the opening dinner, where the hockey players – long after the rest of the crowd had dispersed – took to the dance floor together to local classics, even forming an impromptu conga line that might yet feature in next year’s warm-up routine.

The following day, attention turned to the Masters exhibition match – a tradition featuring veteran lawyers from both sides of the Causeway who have swapped quick feet for cunning tactics and persuasive argument. Unfortunately, the heavens intervened during the first quarter, and torrential rain brought play to an early end. Yet under the shelter of the stands, the true spirit of Bench & Bar endured, as players and supporters shared good company, hydration and nasi lemak (the Malaysians, it must be said, do it better).

Thomas Benjamin Lawrence
Hockey Convenor
The Law Society of Singapore

---

Netball

The Singapore Law Society netball team secured a decisive 47–21 victory over the Malaysian Bar in this year’s Bench & Bar Games, showcasing incredible skill and teamwork from start to finish.

The Singapore team surged ahead early, leading 32-11 at halftime. Goal Shooter Genevieve Guiney was a key player in the attack. Her strong holds and shooting percentage left it difficult for the Malaysian defenders to gain any foothold.

Even with addition of new players this year, the Singapore team displayed strong chemistry throughout the entire game and the final score was 47-21 in our favour. This victory would not have been possible without our team officials and the supporters!

Jaime Lye
Netball Co-Convenor
The Law Society of Singapore

---

Pool

It was once again an exciting night for Pool with both MBC and LSS looking to take the final point on offer on the second last day of the 2025 Bench & Bar Games in Malacca. LSS won the last couple of iterations and MBC, led by their new convenor, Elaine, was itching to get back on the right side of the scoresheet. The games started with some friendly banter and of course, catch-up with old buddies and a group photo as always.

LSS started the night strong with our star player Kuan Chung (KC) and rising star Terry Xu winning their 9-ball doubles match against MBC veteran Sean and newcomer Irvin. However, it was clear that MBC was ready for the rematch this year as they came back strongly with wins in their 8-ball doubles games, with the experienced MBC pairs of Peter and Michael as well as Chun Li and Joe overcoming our pairings of Gopal and Bryan as well as Eugene and Marc. The LSS pairings performed admirably but were the MBC teams proved stronger over the tense encounter.

MBC continued their strong performances with MBC’s pool convenor Elaine and sharpshooter Alvin winning the 8-ball mixed double game over Elton and Zenglin, who was making her debut in the games. Chun Li ensured at least a draw for MBC by winning his 8-ball singles game over LSS’ Eugene, as MBC led the games by 4-1 at this point in time.

With 3 remaining games, it was up to our anchor players, KC, Gopal and Terry to bring home a draw and half a point for LSS. KC led the way with a strong 10-ball singles victory over Peter, while Terry followed up with a win against Melaka’s hometown boy, Michael. The score was now 4-3 to MBC with everyone’s eyes on the last 8-ball singles game between Gopal and Joe.

In line with the rollercoaster history of the B&B pool games, Gopal completed the comeback for LSS with a great performance (reminiscent of his singles victory in 2024) and won the last match of the day.

Pool thus ended late in the night with the final result of a 4-4 draw between LSS and MBC. This rounded off one of the more exciting pool matches in our rich tradition of the sport, and we look forward to welcoming the MBC team to Singapore next year.

Elton Goh
Pool Convenor
The Law Society of Singapore

---

Tennis

Singapore beat the Malaysians by 4 matches to 3 in Singapore in 2024. The Singapore team travelled to Malacca on 11 September with a sense of explosive purpose, even though we went as holders of the Vong Poh Fah Cup. The team travelled with a lot of baggage. In 2024, our men’s first pair lost to the Malaysians even though we had a former national champion, the vaunted Achilles of Singapore, the much respected and feared Chen Chee Yen, partnering a young bull growing stronger by the year – Gavin Neo, nicknamed, “Red”. The Grecian Achilles is dead, ours was only old. Against a much younger, former professional, Asykal, pairing with their hitherto number 1, Jason Tay, the Malaysian pair won.

Our current number 1, Low Zhe Han, was strategically placed to play in the second men’s tie, which, partnering another former national player, Choo Wei Pin, swept their opponents aside. The third men’s pair of Leong Chee Jun and Marcus Tay played the Malaysian former number 1, and eked out a narrow win in two close tie-break sets. The fourth men’s pair of Tan Xu Teng and Keith Yong, a strong pair on paper were put in that slot to ensure victory in the event the matches were tied at 3-3 when it comes to that match.

But Tan and Yong lost, and so did the ladies pair of Joanne Lee and Low Zhe Ning. Our mixed doubles pair of Ray Chiang and Grace Lai won. So indeed, the matches were tied at 3-3. What saved us was not the vaunted men’s fourth “Rescuers” but the pair of veterans, one on the verge of retirement and the other dragged out of retirement to make the numbers. Paul Wong and Albert Teo pulled off a hard-fought win in the super-tiebreak.

This review of last year’s matches is necessary to explain the context of the enormous baggage on the Singapore bus to Malacca. It was in Malacca in 2008 that the Vong Poh Fah Cup was introduced. It was in Malacca in 2008 that Malaysia beat Singapore in tennis after more than 13 years losing streak.

This year’s edition of the tennis match was an occasion for redemption from many perspectives. Zhe Han went back to the men’s first pair in the hunt for Asykal. But this year, Asykal, went in the men’s third pair.

Zhe Ning who spent the past 12 months fashioning a killer instinct and a murderous drive, paired with Christine Fong and they overwhelmed the Malaysian pair of Adeline and Melody. Han and his new partner, a lean and powerful young graduate, Shawn Ng won their match comfortably. Xu Teng thrust himself into the veterans with Wei Pin, hoping to redeem himself from last year’s loss. They won comfortably in a match that, Wei Pin, in jest, pointed his finger in the wrong direction when signalling his partner that hilarity ensued among the supporters.

All that remained was for the mixed doubles of Ray and Juthika to wrap up their match and the cup was Singapore’s. Arif and Katelyn Yeoh proved stubborn, and they recovered from a set down to force a super tiebreak, during which they had a match point before giving Singapore the overall win at 9-11. Forming the men’s second pair were Gavin and Timothy Kuah, his new partner, a young man of the strong and silent variety; a perfect foil to his exuberant partner. They restricted their opponents to just one game in two sets. The men’s third pair of Captain Marcus and Chee Jun (again) fought like gladiators before losing to Asykal and Toi Tee Toen. Finally, Keith Yong partnered Nicholas Poon. At last Left-handed Keith found his right side of the court, which is the left – ending the debate and failed experiment of last year with finality. Nicholas, built like a cannon, fired unstoppable shells, and Keith casting magic shot after magic shot, and banished his nightmare of the previous year.

And so, when the dust of battle settled, the Vong Poh Fah Cup remained in the hands of Team Singapore. There was as much relief as there was jubilation in the Singapore camp after victory was declared. And as always, the players played hard, sometimes a little too hard, but in the end, a dinner marked the long history of friendly rivalry. The Malaysians were splendid hosts and the Singaporeans presented them a limited edition whisky named “Harmony”.

The Watcher