Awang Tengah (second left) shares a light moment with Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah at the Royal Wharf before the Special Category Boat Race.
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN: Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan yesterday represented Sarawak at the Brunei Darussalam Regatta 2019 held in conjunction with the celebration of Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah’s 73rd birthday.
The invitation to Sarawak and Awang Tengah personally from the Sultan underscored the close bilateral ties between the sultanate and the state.
Awang Tengah, who is also Minister of International Trade and Industry, Industrial Terminal and Entrepreneur Development and Second Minister of Urban Development and Resources, however extended his apologies to the Sultan for being unable to participate in the paddling race due to a back ailment.
Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah joined his children and brothers in the Boat Race Special Category which included cabinet ministers, distinguished persons, permanent secretaries and regatta committee members in the sultanate.
The team led by the Sultan crossed the finishing line first ahead of the teams led by his brother Prince Mohamed Bolkiah and Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office, came in second and third respectively.
The one-day regatta featured 12 boat race events at the Royal Wharf here.
These included a fibreglass regatta race between districts involving 20 rowers; an open traditional race involving 25 rowers; a fibreglass race among youths aged 30 and below involving 15 rowers; a two-rower traditional race among ministries; a 20-rower fibreglass race among private companies; an open traditional race involving 30 rowers; a special fibreglass race involving 15 rowers; a fibreglass race for youths aged 30 and below involving 20 rowers; a fibreglass race among institutions of higher learning involving 15 rowers; a fibreglass race among colleges and secondary schools involving 15 rowers; an open youth category involving 20 rowers; and a marathon regatta race involving 30 rowers.
The 100-metre race was flagged off at the Arts and Handicraft Training Centre, with the 2,000-metre race to be held at the Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Hajah Saleha Bridge and the 5,000-metre marathon race at Pulau Si Bongor.
All three races took place along a route on the Brunei River that ends at the Dermaga Diraja.
Three teams from Sabah, Lawas and Labuan also took part, in addition to one team from the People’s Republic of China and one team from Indonesia.
The regatta drew thousands of local and foreign spectators.