Was it your love for sports that got you started? Yes, definitely. I started doing sports regularly after I realized that my liver would not last very long if I continued with the way I was living—barhopping and socializing late into the night—in Dubai, where I’d co-founded an investment advisory boutique. I became fond of sports not only because it kept me fit, but also because it allowed me to make new friends. When I moved back to Singapore, I had an urge to set up a business and sports immediately came to mind.What was the process like starting out? It took about one day to put a rough plan and financial projections together. After I’d done that, I shared my idea with everyone who was willing to listen to it, hoping for someone to tell me how bad it was. No one did and in September 2011, I took over the operations of a futsal court operator in Punggol and haven’t looked back since.What has been your proudest moment from this journey? I don’t have just one proud moment—each time we complete an event, whether it’s a recreational sport open night or a tournament, is a proud moment for my team and I. People seem to think that event organization happens overnight, but in order to differentiate ourselves from our competitors, we work 12-hour days everyday. Nothing beats seeing a smile on the clients’ face.Any less than positive feedback so far? When we first invested in our indoor street basketball court, people said we were crazy. They were right about the abundance of courts in Singapore, but they’d missed the point. We cater to the “after-work athlete”, and having an indoor court that opens till late (we usually play basketball till 2am in the morning) makes absolute sense!How would you describe Playlor! if it was a friend? Playlor! is someone who brings out the best in me.
