ST Picks Arm yourself The sport gaining popularity in Singapore

SINGAPORE – At a HDB void deck in Tiong Bahru, a group of men were gathered around tables, hands covered in white chalk powder.

Arms at the ready, on the cue of “ready, go!”, grunts filled the air as the tussle for supremacy began.

It was the third day of Chinese New Year and the group was giving curious passers-by and The Sunday Times a glimpse into the world of competitive arm-wrestling.

They call themselves “The Sweaty People” and they are one of at least 13 clubs who are a part of Singapore Armwrestling (SGAW). Once a week, the athletes gather at the void deck for training sessions, where they practise on professional arm-wrestling tables which include elbow pads and side pads.

The sessions can sometimes see up to 30 arm-wrestlers.

While the training venue is by no means fancy, Jasper Chan – who founded The Sweaty People and became SGAW president in 2023 – has high ambitions for the sport, which he says has grown rapidly in recent years.

SGAW was formed around 2011 by former chief Valen Low and had fewer than 20 members in its early days, said Chan.

Today, there are least 200 members and SGAW’s athletes have competed overseas in countries like Malaysia, China and India.

Chan, 27, a Singapore Armed Forces regular, said: “The internet has allowed youth to be more exposed to arm-wrestling, and then they found it as a way to showcase their strength. The scene has exploded.”

The arm-wrestling group are working to get recognised as a national sports association here. Government funding, Chan says, can help SGAW secure a better training venue and hold competitions at locations with higher footfall.

He said: “I hope to reach a point where we can send athletes and properly remunerate all the athletes to