Singapore, 10 July 2025 – UOB today announced a S$100,000 sponsorship cum donation to the Singapore Tennis Association (STA) to support the dreams and aspirations of young talents. The Bank also held a dialogue where three young changemakers shared their inspirational stories with about 300 youth beneficiaries.
The sponsorship agreement with STA was signed at a ceremony today at UOB Plaza, and was witnessed by Mr Wee Ee Cheong, Deputy Chairman and CEO of UOB, and Ms Jasmine Quek, President of STA.
The sponsorship will fund coaching and training expenses, entry fees for international tournaments and academic-athletic expenses such as tuition support for young tennis players. Eligible players must meet certain criteria, including being ranked in the top 90 in the International Tennis Federation’s (ITF) world rankings, and show academic excellence.
This sponsorship is part of the Bank’s broader 90th anniversary efforts to support children and students across Southeast Asia. It underscores UOB’s long-term commitment in supporting social causes in the areas of education, youth development and art. Following earlier initiatives related to education that aim to empower, enrich and uplift the lives of young people, UOB has broadened its efforts to include the nurturing of young talent as they pursue their aspirations, to support them in realising their full potential.
The first male Singaporean to compete in the junior events of the Australian Open, Wimbledon, and US Open, 19-year-old Bill Chan, has been nominated by STA to receive the sponsorship. He has also represented Singapore in the 2024 Davis Cup and competed against other players from Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia. Since 2023, Bill has been a full-time athlete and is ranked top 621 globally in the ITF Juniors Ranking2, and No. 1 in ASEAN. Academically, Bill has been committed to admission in Harvard University in 2026, for the Class of 2030.
Ms Jasmine Quek, President of STA, said, “On behalf of the Singapore Tennis Association, I extend our deepest appreciation to UOB for its generous sponsorship and steadfast commitment to youth development and sport. This inspirational initiative continues to create meaningful opportunities, and we are honoured that our athlete, Bill Chan, has been recognised among the outstanding young changemakers. Our partnership with UOB affirms our shared belief in sport as one impactful platform to uplift and empower the next generation.”
Dr Su Chun Wei, Chief of High Performance Sport Institute, Sport Singapore, said, “We thank UOB for their generous support of Singapore’s tennis community. Partnerships like these between the corporate sector and sport organisations are key to growing the sport and enabling Team Singapore athletes to succeed. We hope this collaboration inspires more companies to step forward and be part of Singapore’s sporting journey.”
Ms Janet Young, Head, Group Channels and Digitalisation, Strategic Communications and Brand, UOB, said, “Beyond banking, we believe in creating positive and meaningful impact in our communities, by supporting education and youths across ASEAN. Through our efforts, we want to create a future where youths can dream boldly, pursue their passions and discover their purpose. By nurturing aspirations and pushing boundaries, we hope to inspire the next generation so that they too can create meaningful impact in their own capacities.”
This year, as part of UOB’s 90th anniversary, the Bank has pledged to provide education programs to 250,000 students and children across ASEAN over the next five years, with an aggregate impact of S$120 million. Some of these programmes are perpetual, as part of the Bank’s long-term purpose of creating opportunities for children and youths to realise their full potential.
Supporting aspirations – celebrating 90 years, inspiring the next 90 years
As part of the sponsorship event, a dialogue was held today at UOB Plaza atrium, featuring inspirational youths who shared their experiences with about 300 teenagers from lower-income families. The event was officiated by the Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Education, Mr David Neo.
At the dialogue session, Bill Chan shared his powerful journey of overcoming the odds to pursue excellence in tennis, showing how passion and grit enabled him to overcome challenges. He was joined by two other young changemakers: 22-year-old Stephy Chien, Top Winner of the 2023 UOB Painting of the Year and Most Promising Artist of the Year Award (Emerging Artist Category), and 25-year-old Bian Tong, a Wee Cho Yaw Future Leaders Award Scholarship recipient and Director of The Jazzlings, Singapore’s largest youth jazz collective. Together, they captivated the audience with stories of creativity, leadership and courage, showcasing the limitless potential of youths driven by purpose and perseverance.
The dialogue was part of a broader UOB90 celebration event where 300 beneficiaries from the ST School Pocket Money Fund, comprising lower-income families, were invited for an evening of fun, discovery and food. Apart from dinner, they went on a guided tour of the light installations around the Singapore River, including two i Light Singapore installations by UOB – the Bridge of 1,000 Dreams and the Reverse Waterfall. The beneficiaries also enjoyed the projection mapping shows lighting up UOB Plaza 1, including “UNITY” and UOB Painting of the Year showcase, in celebration of UOB’s 90th anniversary and SG60.
1As of 1 January 2024.
2The International Tennis Federation (ITF) Juniors Ranking is a global system used to evaluate and rank junior tennis players aged 13 to 18 based on their performance in ITF-sanctioned tournaments.
