Their trek starts when the sun starts to dip over the horizon. From all across the island, after work, after class, after school days end, they make their way northeast to the Seng Kang Stadium.
They turn up six days each week. Two to six hours at a stretch. Not because they have to, but because they want to, because of the pride they have in the red and white flag they wear on their shirts.
This is the Singapore National Women’s Hockey Team — a group that, under Head Coach Henry Wong, is slowly reshaping not just how they play, but how they train, how they interact with each other – how they think.
As the women prepare for the Asian Hockey Federation (AHF) Cup 2025 (18-27 April), quiet belief is brewing in the dressing room. Not in chest-thumping slogans or bold declarations, but in the way they run through drills with greater focus and higher intensity, and how players hold each other accountable for every small action.
“The most significant growth has come from the competition within the squad. The players have taken much greater ownership of their performance and are consistently challenging each other to perform at their best day in and day out,” said Wong on the team’s preparation in the lead up to the tournament hosted in the Indonesian capital of in Jakarta.
The Singapore women will face five teams – Indonesia, Uzbekistan, Sri Lanka, Chinese Taipei and Hong Kong China – in a single group, with the top two sides facing off in final to determine the winner of the tournament.
“We’ve been fortunate to have some top global experts join our training environment, including an Olympic Gold Medal-winning coach, a high-performance coach fresh from working with the NBA defending champions, the Boston Celtics, and a renowned European goalie coach.
“All of them have provided similar feedback regarding the development of our group’s high-performance behaviours and competitiveness in training.”
And so, that’s exactly what they did in preparation, increase intensity – all while improving game knowledge of every player.
Swipe to view Henry Wong's video interview!
Swipe to view Henry Wong's video interview!
Selection for the final squad was not easy for Wong. But he appreciated the intense competition for places, and what it shows about the ethos of this team.
“Some players who used to be on the fringes really stepped up. For me personally, the biggest positive is seeing the team’s ability to self-organise,” said Wong.
“Training has undergone a major shift, with players stepping up to lead and communicate with each other, particularly when faced with challenges. I’ll be truly satisfied when we begin to see this unfold naturally during matches.”
The women kickoff their campaign on Friday, 18 April against hosts Indonesia at the Gelora Bung Karno Hockey Stadium.
The immediate goal for Henry and his charges is to qualify for the Asia Cup through a strong showing at the AHF Cup. But this team has its eyes on the long game – and a medium-term target too with SEA Games success a key goal.
“Success in this tournament will be defined by the team’s ability to adapt to whatever the opposition throws at us while still playing our style of hockey and taking the game on, regardless of the situation,” said Wong.
“But we understand that building this group into a true high-performing team will take time, so our focus remains on long-term development, and this year, our ultimate target is performing well at the SEA Games.”.