| Fadhil Yunus |
HIS Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam yesterday awarded prizes to the main winners of the Brunei Darussalam Regatta 2016, which took place in the heart of the capital along the Brunei River.
Putera Kuala Lawas emerged as the grand winner in the 30-Rower Traditional 5km Marathon Boat Race for the third consecutive year with the record time of 8:12 with their nearest challengers the Ministry of Defence team finishing second at 8:28.
The Kampong Lorong Dalam Boat Race Council settled in a distant third place in the marathon with a time of 9:17.
“We are proud to accomplish history for us in Lawas that we will return home with the championship trophy,” said the contingent’s leader Damit bin Ali Hassan in an interview with the Bulletin.
The champions were pleased that their three-month training stint, which mainly focused on repeating their past successes at the Regatta, finally bore fruit adding that all teams were strong. However, Damit believed their perfect strategy execution played an integral part in determining their success.
“Our victory was driven by our mental strategy and psychology. We did not only prepare ourselves based on training but also we trained on the mental aspect and psychologically,” the contingent leader added.
Damit said that around 150 rowers were narrowed down to the best 32, two of whom who were made the reserves for the grand finale. He admitted that this year added more pressure in defending the title for a second time.
His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ‘Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam in a group photo with the Putera Kuala Lawas team officials. – KHAIRIL HASSAN
Winners of the 30-Rower Traditional 5km Marathon Boat Race, Putera Kuala Lawas, in a group photo. – KHAIRIL HASSAN
Winners of the 15-Rower Traditional Boat Race in the Private Companies and Higher Learning Institutions Invitational – the Telbru Regatta Club. – TELBRU
“We are extremely proud because this is a historic moment for us in winning the championship. There are far more improvements this year compared to previous races in terms of rowing technique as well as the mental and physical aspects of the performance,” he said.
“Our speed was more or less similar compared to previous races but this year we had more stamina,” he added.
Kampong Lorong Dalam Boat Race Council prevented a double victory from the Lawas-based club after clinching the 25-Rower Traditional Boat Race in the Open Category with the time of 4:30. Mukim Saba claimed second place with the time of 4:37, while Lawas’ GP Punang Bersatu Lawas finished third with 4:40.
“We are delighted to win first place this year especially after a Lawas team won it last year,” said Team Manager Pengarah Haji Brahim bin Haji Mohd Yusuf.
The team manager added that they will be embarking on a fresh challenge in joining a competition in Kuching, Sarawak in November adding that preparations will be continuing.
He has also hinted at a youth boat race for the whole country which may be held in early September.
“Our preparations prior to the race ran smoothly, however, there were issues on the timing whereby we moved it during the afternoon up right to night time. We encountered several problems on accommodating our rowers but thankfully we were persistent with our training,” he said.
The TelBru Regatta Club prevailed as winners in the 15-Rower Traditional Boat Race in the Private Companies and Higher Learning Institutions Invitational after clocking 5:18 with Royal Brunei Airlines placing second with 5:22. Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD) took third place with 5:33.
Telbru lifted their first ever Brunei Darussalam Regatta trophy in their brief history months following the official formation of the team.
“Our first place finish is an achievement that most, if not all of us will always look back on as a reminder that we are capable when we believe we can,” said Telbru Team Captain Azizi bin Azmaan.
“Though this recognition is perhaps the pinnacle of the sport on a national level, the TelBru Regatta Club team will continue making improvements and we hope to compete again next year,” he added.
The Prime Minister’s Office team won the 25-Rower Traditional Boat Race in the Government Ministries Category with a time of 5:09 with the Ministry of Defence taking second place with 5:16 and Ministry of Development finishing third with 5:33.
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