DBS Marina Regatta sees more than 100 teams take part over weekend
SINGAPORE — The annual DBS Marina Regatta was held at the Promontory@Marina Bay from Friday (31 May) to Sunday, and saw more than 100 dragonboat teams from eight countries compete for a combined prize purse of $115,000, the largest for a dragonboating competition in Asia.
The final day saw the dragonboaters racing in five 200m sprint categories to bring the event to a close.
The Go for Gold Dragonboat team from the Philippines clinched two titles – Premier Mixed and Premier Women, while Team Mushu of Hong Kong Disneyland won the Corporate Open. The DBS Bank Asia Dragons retained the Corporate Women title, while Kembangan-Chai Chee Community Sports Club took home the Premier Open trophy.
Eveline Lau, captain of DBS Asia Dragons, said, “We’re beyond happy that we retained our title. The team have been training very hard for 10 months and thanks to their commitment and discipline, we have emerged victorious.”
“The 200m sprints meant that, besides physical strength and endurance, paddlers had to adapt to the water and wind conditions in a matter of seconds. The team had to work together to synchronise our strokes and follow the pacers closely to get the fastest speed possible.”
On Saturday morning, 30 teams took part in the community races. They include teams representing Breast Cancer Foundation, Singapore Cancer Society, Lakeside Family Services, Stars Lions Blind Darkness Fighters and Orca Vancouver.
The afternoon saw dragonboaters participating in six competitive categories – Prime Warriors Mixed, A Division Girls, A Division Boys, Millennial Mixed, Premier Mixed and Corporate Mixed.
Kelvin Ho, captain of the KPMG Dragonboat A team who won the Corporate Mixed category, said, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going – this is exactly what we did, and we are delighted that our mental and physical trainings paid off. Our win is truly a team effort, with each member playing an important part.”
The three-day regatta also provided a range of sensory experiences for the public to learn about environmental issues and ways to be more eco-friendly. Building on DBS’ mission to go green, it featured Singapore’s largest eco-maze, Race the Maze, as well as hands-on workshops and showcases by social enterprises.
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