Sashidaran Gunathevan
Sarawak International Dragon Boat Regatta or simply known as the Sarawak Regatta, one of the country’s longest-running boat races, will be back in action on October 28 to 30 at Kuching Waterfront, Sarawak.
This annual event features boat races with participation from various government agencies, private sectors and also participants from the neighbouring countries of Indonesia and Brunei.
For the local teams, the regatta is a grand affair, where they will be vying for the coveted King of the river (Raja Sungai) title. Each longboat carries thirty paddlers, and this category is always a closely fought affair.
According to Sarawak Tourism, the significance of regattas in Sarawak dates back to 1872 during the James Brooke era.
It started with the intention of stopping wars among local tribes, where they used headhunting to settle disputes. James Brooke then instructed all tribes to instead challenge each other by having boat races to prove their power and strength.
The inter-tribe challenge through the boat race has since continued to bring peaceful competitiveness between the tribes along the Rajang.
The programme includes various exhibitions and markets along the waterfront selling cultural crafts, wares and food.
The Sarawak Regatta will take place along the Sarawak River. The 1.3 km Kuching Waterfront provides excellent vantage points to watch the action on the water.
This year, there will be six categories of boat races involving 50 teams. They will be competing to win cash prizes and trophies. This race is an affiliate event of the International Dragon Boat Federation.
The categories for this year’s regatta are as listed below.
- International Premier Men
- International Premier Women
- International Premier Mixed
- International Premier Junior Mix
- International Premier Junior Mixed
- Malaysian Government Open
In 2019, the Sarawak Boat Regatta at the Kuching Waterfront attracted 1,400 participants from 14 countries.
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