Growing up surrounded by sport, Benjamin Lau dabbled in table tennis, badminton, basketball, and even field hockey during his early school days. But it was a resin-covered handball that he picked up in polytechnic that truly stuck, quite literally, and he’s never let go since.
The 30-year-old graduated from Republic Polytechnic as president of the Handball Club, but when he left for Melbourne to pursue his tertiary studies at Deakin University, it meant parting ways with the community he had grown close to.
Instead, he built a new one, representing the university’s Deakin Dragons in the Division One University Games and Melbourne-based amateur team St Kilda Handball Club in the Oceania Handball Champions Cup. Off the court, Lau took on managerial duties and was also player-coach for the varsity team.
The experience in Australia proved eye-opening.
But when he returned to Singapore in 2021, he was struck by how much the local handball scene had thinned. Amateur playing opportunities were scarce, and the pandemic had only worsened the decline.
“I realised that the community lacked a competition to look forward to, and that resulted in lesser participation,” the business development manager at Rakuten Sports said.
Not one to sit back, he took matters into his own hands. With support from fellow handballers and French expatriates Bruno Duchene and Sylvain Lacroute, Lau founded the Singapore Handball Supercup. It was inaugurated in October 2022 and has since been held annually, with a fourth edition concluding this May.
“For us, it’s very simple. Our motto is we just want people to come and play handball together,” he said.
The competition, which began with six teams and expanded to nine teams in 2024, offered a fresh alternative to the existing National Handball League.
An initial omission of a women’s category in the National Handball League also created an opening, one that the Super Cup quickly filled by launching its own women’s edition in November 2023.
It also operates on a self-sustaining model, with participation fees kept low and volunteer referees. Proceeds are reinvested in upgrading equipment and enhancing tournament operations.
The tournament’s community-driven format has been well-received as participants feel more invested in the eight-week competition by taking on various supporting roles behind the scenes. Beyond competing, players also take turns timekeeping, collecting match statistics, and filming games for the tournament’s YouTube channel (@SingaporeSupercup).
Kenson Oen, team manager and player from one of the participating teams, Power Dreamers, feels that these roles help him “appreciate what goes on behind the scenes.”
“Being aware I also contributed to the experience of the other players, made my efforts and the tournament itself feel more rewarding and meaningful,” Oen said.
But it hasn’t been all smooth sailing for the organising committee – now made up of Lau, Duchene, and Lacroute’s former teammates Alvin Tan and Arun Kumar, following Lacroute’s relocation to Geneva.
One ongoing hurdle has been the exclusion of national team players, due to the tournament not receiving official endorsement from the national sports association, Handball Federation Singapore. Disagreements over uniform requirements and the use of paid referees are some of the sticking points.
“The vision has always been to include everyone. There’s no need to segregate anything,” Lau said. “I think the goal has always been there since year one. But it’s just, at this stage, we haven’t been able to find an agreement between both parties.”
But that has done little to dampen the popularity and competitiveness of the Supercup.
“Now, people are always looking forward to this competition, and when they’re looking forward to it, they always want to train to win,” he said, adding that attendance for training sessions saw an increase, particularly during competition season.
Riding on that momentum, Lau hopes the tournament can also expose youth players to higher levels of play. The Supercup regularly draws participants from handball-strong nations like Japan, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Germany, and France.
“It’s just giving a platform for them to play at the highest level. Handball is not a very strong sport in Southeast Asia. Including players from all these other countries, who are known to be stronger on the world stage, can uplift the entire competition as a whole,” he added.
Beyond improving the standard of play, Lau has focused on boosting the sport’s visibility and securing sponsorship. His background in sports sponsorship and sales has come in handy — Swiss Club Singapore has partnered with the competition to provide courts, while apparel brand Hazonas provides team kits.
“They’ve been very supportive from day one, but it’s also because they share the same vision,” he said.
A Hazonas spokesperson said, “It’s been incredible to see how the Supercup has grown over the past three years, and we’re excited to keep contributing to the local handball scene and becoming the number one local sports brand players and clubs trust.”
“We’re proud to be part of the journey, whether it’s spotlighting teams through our creative media shoots, sharing their stories, or engaging fans through interactive on-site activities like giveaways.”
As the tournament evolves, so do its ambitions. Lau and his team are planning a six-team invite-only edition later this year with a new competition format to “take the sport to the next level”.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s active social media presence has caught the attention of clubs in Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, and Australia, with all expressing interest in a potential regional tournament.
“There are so many ways we can grow, and social media is helping make that happen,” he said. “We just want more people to know about and celebrate handball in Singapore. Awareness is everything.”
He’s quick to acknowledge that launching and running such a competition isn’t easy, and credits his team’s shared passion for keeping it alive. That includes Amanda Teh and Teng Sok Ee, who help lead the women’s tournament committee.
But motivation isn’t scarce for his team, as all they seek is an opportunity to play the sport they love.
“Do it because you want to play. Do it because you want to see the community grow.”
