SINGAPORE \u2013 Every Sunday morning, on their way to cricket practice, Neel Ramnarayan, 10, and his seven-year-old brother Jay noticed groups of migrant workers playing cricket on a stretch of open grass outside the United World College (UWC) campus in Tampines. <\/p>\n
Under the hot sun, these migrant workers would spend hours bowling and batting amid long blades of grass, and running between stumps kicked into the uneven ground. <\/p>\n
\u201cThey would play on available open grass plains, but if you bowl on the grass, the ball would bounce very unevenly, or not bounce at all,\u201d said Neel. <\/p>\n
His brother Jay said: \u201cThey never get a chance to play the game properly… And we are able to do that every single day.\u201d <\/p>\n
When the brothers compared the pristine pitch they used for cricket training at the UWC campus with the bumpy grass areas the migrant workers played on, they felt a need to set things right. <\/p>\n
Neel and Jay, who study at the Singapore American School, were introduced to cricket in 2020 by their father, Mr Rajiv Ramnarayan, 43, a business owner in Singapore. Both of their parents are permanent residents, who moved here from India in January 2016. <\/p>\n
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the boys played mini matches at home with their father, before enrolling in a cricket academy to hone their skills. <\/p>\n Business owner Rajiv Ramnarayan taught his sons Jay (in blue) and Neel how to play cricket in 2020.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Recognising that the migrant workers share a similar love and passion for the sport, the brothers decided to host a one-day cricket tournament at a proper playing facility. <\/p>\n In early 2025, the brothers invited migrant workers at a construction site outside the Singapore American Club to take part in a friendly cricket match the boys were organising. <\/p>\n \u201cWe printed posters and showed them to the workers. We got their contact numbers and asked them to tell their other friends to come as well,\u201d said Neel. <\/p>\n The brothers also got help from It\u2019s Raining Raincoats \u2013 a charity for migrant workers\u2019 welfare \u2013 which helped spread the word and recruit more players. <\/p>\n About 40 migrant workers turned up on March 23, during the boys\u2019 joint birthday celebration at The Cage @ Kallang, to form four teams to play in the tournament. <\/p>\n The Ramnarayan family also served water, juice, fresh fruits and a warm home-cooked South Indian meal of sambar, rice and vegetables to all participants. <\/p>\n Migrant workers being treated to a home-cooked South Indian meal when they took part in the cricket tournament held on March 23.<\/p>\n PHOTO: GAYATRI RAMNARAYAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Calling the tournament a hit, Neel said: \u201cWe were shocked by how skilled they were. They played so seriously, and we could see how happy they were to be on a proper pitch.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cFor a few beautiful hours, it wasn\u2019t just a game. It was a celebration of shared humanity… For Neel and Jay, the most powerful reward was the connection they felt and the new sense of purpose it gave them,\u201d said their mother, Mrs Gayatri Ramnarayan, 42. <\/p>\n About 40 migrant workers turned up on March 23, during the boys\u2019 joint birthday celebration at The Cage in Kallang, to form four teams to play in the tournament.<\/p>\n PHOTO: GAYATRI RAMNARAYAN<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Encouraged by the success of their first event, the boys decided to work on a larger venture \u2013 to launch a Migrant Worker Premier League. <\/p>\n Instead of a one-day event, they envisioned an eight-team league that would play across several sessions, before one team would be declared champion. <\/p>\n To give it the feel of a professional competition, the league would include digital scoring and umpires. <\/p>\n To give it the feel of a professional competition, the Migrant Worker Premier League included digital scoring and umpires.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Apart from their big ideas and good intentions, Mrs Ramnarayan, who works alongside her husband, said she wanted her sons to handle every aspect of this project. <\/p>\n \u201cThey did the scheduling, coordinated with the venue, sourced recycled cricket gear, set up before matches and cleaned up afterwards. It was important that they saw the full picture, from planning to execution,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Apart from their big ideas and good intentions, Mrs Ramnarayan, who works alongside her husband, said she wanted her sons to handle every aspect of this project.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n After months of preparation, the league kicked off on May 25, with about 80 migrant workers spending four hours every two weekends at The Cage @ Dempsey. <\/p>\n The family booked three pitches for four hours over six days in total. The last match in the league took place on Aug 3. <\/p>\n Neel Ramnarayan playing in the Migrant Worker Premier League on July 20.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Mr Rasa Muthu Krishnamoorthy, 34, a migrant worker from India who has been working in Singapore for 13 years, took part in the competition with his friends and co-workers. <\/p>\n He told The Straits Times that he appreciated the opportunity to participate in a league like this on a proper pitch. <\/p>\n \u201cMy friends and I normally play on some grounds in Woodlands. Playing here on this court is very different, like the rules and the environment. It\u2019s something we have not experienced before,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n Mr Rasa Muthu Krishnamoorthy waiting for his turn to bat at the cricket league, which was held at The Cage @ Dempsey on July 20.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Another player, Mr Arul Selvan, 40, who has been working in Singapore for 20 years, praised the boys\u2019 initiative, which he said gave some migrant workers the opportunity to spend their days off enjoying a sport they love. <\/p>\n \u201cSome migrant workers just stay in their dormitories, even when they are on leave. But now many of them have a chance to play here… This is very good, and we are all very happy,\u201d said Mr Arul. <\/p>\n (From left) Brothers Jay and Neel handing a trophy to Mr Arul Selvan during the Migrant Worker Premier League on July 20.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Neel and Jay are already looking forward to expanding the league in 2026. <\/p>\n They have been approached by friends and non-profit organisations that have shown interest in sponsoring future leagues, but Mrs Ramnarayan said they will take things one step at a time. <\/p>\n Said Jay: \u201cIt makes us really happy when the players thank us… It feels good that we can do something small that means a lot to them.\u201d <\/p>\n Mr Rasa Muthu Krishnamoorthy (centre) playing in a Migrant Worker Premier League match on July 20.<\/p>\n ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI<\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n The family is encouraged to see the impact this league has had and hopes to organise it regularly. <\/p>\n Mrs Ramnarayan said: \u201cThis all started because they noticed something and decided to act on it. It\u2019s a simple idea, but they turned it into something real. And that, to me, is the most beautiful part.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/picture><\/div>
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