Unnofficial? (FIRST Robotics Singapore)

[Elgin Clock]

With a new FRC competition on the brain, I set off to do some searching about the given clues.

Googling a bunch of different FIRST related key words, imagine my shock when I happened to stumble upon a Robotics competition in Singapore that just happened to be named FIRST as well.

Well, almost... The FRS or "FIRST Robotics Singapore" website describes a FIRST like game, and even gives links to Innovation FIRST a leading supplier to the FRC competition that we play.

Details can be found HERE.

Imagine my further shock when then I saw a picture gallery, and then.. it became apparent that FIRST Robotics Singapore, was in fact.. recycling an old FIRST game, and sizing them down to use the Innovation FIRST Robovation kit with.

The proof is in the picture(s)... Looks like a familiar game to me.. Sort of..

Could this be why FIRST patented 2003 game? Is FIRST Robotics Singapore "borrowing" FIRST's ideas and rehashing them as their own?
Maybe FIRST has partnered with them?
Does anybody know?

Thoughts?