Card game teaches the youth about Total Defence
Winners of Guardians of the City card tournament say they learnt about terror threat
Miss Chloe Chiam was surprised to emerge as a part of the winning team for the post-secondary education institution category of the Guardians of the City (GOTC) card tournament.
The Institute of Technical Education (ITE) College Central student told The New Paper: "I still cannot believe our team won the competition because I had spent only a day practising.
"It could have been the luck of the cards, but I definitely would not have been able to do it without the support of my teammates."
The second edition of the GOTC card tournament, held in conjunction with the Asia Game Festival, attracted over 300 participants last weekend at the Suntec Convention and Exhibition Centre.
On top of winning, Miss Chiam, 18, said she also gained a better understanding of Singapore's defence teams.
She said: "It allowed me to understand that it is not about if but when and that the terrorism threat is very real."
"The tournament really encouraged me to think more about Singapore's defence against terrorism," she added.
THREATS
Officially launched last year, the GOTC strategy card game is a Total Defence game designed to facilitate self-directed learning. It helps the youth recognise the complexity of terror threats and how they can help keep Singapore safe and secure.
Describing the experience as meaningful, Miss Chiam said the bonds built with her five teammates were more important than winning.
She said: "The effort that we put in and the whole experience was really important, even more so than winning. Winning was just a bonus."
Fuhua Secondary School student Lin Yi Bin, 16, whose team won the student category, also treasured the experience he shared with his four teammates.
"Through the training sessions in school, I could see that everyone put in their best... We cheered one another on during the competition and learnt from our mistakes together. We became more bonded," he said.
His teammate Vincent Png, 16, said he also learnt more about Total Defence.
He said: "The GOTC card game taught me more about Singapore's defence system and how to maintain a secure state and the bond among citizens."
The inaugural GOTC tournament held last year attracted 64 teams from more than 40 secondary schools.
This year, on top of the student category, three new categories were opened up: post-secondary education institutions, full-time national servicemen and open category.
Senior Lieutenant-Colonel Psalm Lew, Nexus' director for engagement, said: "Total Defence continues to be relevant against evolving security threats and challenges faced by Singapore. GOTC is a great learning tool that brings the concept of Total Defence to life for its players.
"Through the tournament, we can reach out to more Singaporeans and share how we can put Total Defence into action against new threats and play a part in our country's security."
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