Sports day hit

Department of Defence

The Exercise Bersama Shield maritime task group enjoyed an operational pause during a sports day on Tioman Island, Malaysia.

Sailors and officers from HMAS Anzac, Royal Malaysian Navy KD Lekir and KD Gempita, and Republic of Singapore Navy RSS Vigilance came ashore to a scenic beach for games of beach volleyball and tug-of-war.

It was a chance for them to enjoy some downtime and have face-to-face engagement after six days of joint training at sea.

Able Seaman Jay Koke said he thoroughly enjoyed the visit to Tioman Island.

“It was a brilliant day and the venue was fantastic,” he said.

“The sailors from the Malaysian and Singaporean ships were all friendly and keen to socialise. There was a lot of interaction and exchanging of hats and ship’s merchandise.

“The sports day was a good opportunity to get a break from a busy routine and mix with people we wouldn’t normally get to meet.”

Physical training is an important part of life at sea. Anzac’s physical training instructor Petty Officer Tamara Prins runs four physical training sessions per day on board the ship.

This provides training opportunities for sailors and officers who work varied hours.

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