What does it take to pursue a university education while representing Singapore on the international sporting stage?
For national cricketer Raoul Sharma (Y2, Business), it takes discipline, resilience and a relentless pursuit for sporting excellence. Raoul is one of only two student-athletes to have received the NUS Sports (Global Merit) Scholarship — the highest tier of NUS Sports Scholarship. Awarded to a select group of high-calibre students, the NUS Global Merit Scholarship recognises individuals who have distinguished themselves through academic excellence, outstanding co-curricular achievements and strong leadership qualities.
Being a NUS Sports Scholarship recipient has enabled Raoul to balance classes, training sessions and competitions, allowing him to remain committed to both his academic and sporting aspirations. Over the past two years, he has continued to develop as a student and athlete, while contributing to Singapore's success on the regional stage, including winning a gold medal at the 2023 Southeast Asian Games.
In this interview, Raoul reflects on the lessons sports has taught him, the challenges of competing at the national level while studying, and how the scholarship has shaped his life both on and off the field.
OSA: It’s been two years since you received the NUS Sports Scholarship. How has the scholarship benefitted you?
Raoul: I applied for the NUS Sports Scholarship because I wanted to be in an environment that recognised both academic excellence and sporting commitment, and would support me in representing Singapore while pursuing my degree. The scholarship’s financial support has been a huge help, and it has given me the flexibility to balance university with national team commitments. Over the past two years, I’ve been able to plan my classes around training and competitions while staying fully engaged in my studies. It has allowed me to continue growing both as an NUS student and as an athlete representing Singapore.
OSA: How did you begin your journey in competitive sports?
Raoul: I began competitive sports very young. In Primary 1, I was selected for track and field, specifically sprints, and that was my main sport throughout primary school. I picked up cricket in Primary 2 at the school’s Cricket Club. It was in Primary 6 that I realised I genuinely enjoyed cricket and wanted to take it further. I continued to balance both sports at lower secondary, but eventually shifted my full focus to cricket before the end of secondary school.
An early influence was my track and field teacher, Mr Fernandez, and club cricket coach, Mr Fred Marten. They encouraged me to believe that I could compete with anyone, regardless of age or experience, and that mindset has stayed with me throughout my sporting journey.
OSA: How do you balance your studies in Business at NUS with your sporting commitments?
Raoul: I’ve been balancing sports and studies from a very young age, so it has become something I’m used to. That said, it still requires discipline and being honest with myself about what needs the most attention at each point in time. I manage it in phases. If an important competition is coming up, I may prioritise training, and once it is over, I catch up and shift more focus back to academics. The key is to stay organised, communicate early when needed, and accept that balance does not always mean giving everything equal time every day.
OSA: Are there transferable skills from sports that you’ve applied to your academics, and vice versa?
Raoul: Sports has taught me how to perform under pressure, especially because cricket often comes down to moments where you have very little time to react or make decisions. That has helped me in academics as well, whether it is during exams, presentations, or interviews, because I’ve learnt how to stay calm and focus on what I can control. My studies have also helped me become more structured in the way I think, which carries over into how I prepare for training and matches.
OSA: What has been your proudest sports moment?
Raoul: My proudest sports moment would be winning the Man of the Match award in the final of the 2023 Southeast Asian Games six-a-side tournament, helping Singapore clinch the gold medal. That moment meant a lot because the few years before that had been quite challenging, with injuries, COVID, exams, and then National Service, where I had to balance cricket with the demands of Officer Cadet School (OCS). I had to consistently train on weekends despite being exhausted from the week of outfields and physical training, and there were moments where I questioned whether all the effort would be worth it. To perform well throughout the tournament and finish it by contributing in the final made the gold medal feel extremely special.
OSA: What is one quote that picks you up every time you are down, which you’d like to inspire young athletes with?
Raoul: A quote that has always picked me up is, “You can’t keep a good man down.” To me, it means that setbacks, unfair outcomes, or moments of disappointment are temporary if you continue to stay dedicated, driven, and disciplined. There have been times in sport where the result did not reflect the effort I put in, but I’ve learnt that if you keep showing up with the right attitude, things eventually turn around. Keep working hard, keep believing, and trust that your effort will show in the long run.
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