Usun United undisputed winner of Raft Safari
by James Ling. Posted on September 26, 2011, Monday
UNDISPUTED WINNER: Members of Usun United team show off their prize and challenge trophy which they receive from Nanta (standing fourth right). The team also won the Men’s Free Style event.
KAPIT: Usun United recorded the fastest time when it arrived at the finishing point at Kapit Jetty on the second and final day of the Baleh-Kapit Raft Safari 2011 rafting competition on Saturday morning.
The team which took part in the Men’s Free Style category (that began at the second transit point at Rumah Anding, Nanga Sepuna, Mujong) clocked a time of 3 hours 42 minutes and 55 seconds leaving the rest of the competitors more than half an hour behind.
Hulu Rejang MP Datuk Billy Abit Joo flagged off the rafters at Rumah Anding earlier in the morning.
This year, 26 teams took part in the rafting competition, of which seven were in the Men’s Open category, four in the Men’s Free Style category, ten in the Men’s Closed and another five in the Women’s category.
On the first day of the competition for the Men’s Open category which started at Rumah Ajai along Sungai Majau and ended at Rumah Anding, Nanga Sepuna, Mujong on Friday, Kelab Rekreasi Pendidikan was the first team to arrive
at the finishing point, followed by PBB Lelaki Baleh team 8 minutes later and Kem Oya.
The flag-off at the first station was performed by Minister of Land Development Tan Sri Dr James Masing.
The flag-off for the Kayak category was at Rumah Bengau at Nanga Sut on Saturday morning
Thousands of people including foreign tourists converged on Kapit Riverfront to witness the arrival of the participants. Among them were Kapit Resident and organising chairman Dahim Nadot, Deputy Resident (Development), Selamat Jati Yanjah, district officer Simon Japut Tiok, walikota Philimon Nuing and his deputy Jefferson Jamit Unyat.
Yesterday, a powerboat race was held at the riverfront.
Usun United was the toast of the safari when it won the Men’s Open for three successive years. It was also the champion in the Men’s Free Style category, while Bujang Tuai Nguji Ngapa Rumah Nuang and Medical Villa teams came in second and third respectively. MNTH and STB team was in fourth place.
Sempulang Gana F1 beat 10 other teams to capture the championship title in the Men’s Closed category. The team clocked a time of 4 hours 25 minutes and 58 seconds. In second place was Kadico in a time of 4 hours 42 minutes and 15 seconds while JKKK Rumah Anding was third with a time of 4 hours 55 minutes.
PBB Wanita (Wanita Boleh) won the Women’s Open category in a time of 4 hours 56 minutes and 51 seconds. With that win they also brought home permanently the Challenge Trophy for winning the category for three successive years. Meanwhile, PBB Lelaki Baleh team won the Men’s Open category in an accumulated time of 7 hours 12 minutes and 1 second from the first flag-off point at Rumah Ajai.
Prizes for the Men’s Bamboo Closed, Women’s Open and Men’s Free Style were RM2,000, RM1,500 and RM1,000 for the first, second and third places respectively. Consolation prizes worth RM500 were given to teams in fourth to tenth places.
For the Men’s Open category, the winner brought home RM3,000, a championship trophy and a challenge trophy while first and second runners-up received RM2,500 and RM1,500 and a trophy each respectively. Those in fourth to tenth places received consolation prizes of RM800.
Present to give away the prizes was Kapit MP Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi.
