Puteri Dang Balai Retains 'King Of River' Title At Sarawak Regatta 2024

KUCHING, Nov 3 (Bernama) -- Yayasan Sarawak has successfully retained its title as 'King of the River' for the third consecutive time in the main category, the 30-Paddler Bidar Boat event, at the Sarawak Regatta 2024, which concluded today.

This victory was achieved with their boat, Puteri Dang Balai 3, which emerged as the champion and lifted the Governor of Sarawak’s Trophy, thus claiming the 'King of the River' title and taking home a cash prize of RM30,000.

The prizes were presented by the Sultan of Brunei, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, who graciously attended the festive annual water sports event in Sarawak.

Yayasan Sarawak director, Mersal Abang Rosli, said that this achievement is an outstanding one, showcasing the determination and strong teamwork among the members of the team.

"I felt very nervous just now, but when we won, it was such a joy... this success is the result of the hard work of the entire team, who persevered tirelessly.

"They came fully prepared, they prayed, and placed their trust in hopes of achieving success," he told reporters after the closing ceremony of the Regatta at the Kuching Riverbank today.

Mersal added that the challenge of defending the title of King of the River was significant, especially with strong competition from other teams and internal challenges that needed to be overcome.

"The strength and energy of the team members, aged between 17 and 25, were key factors in this success. This is a new record; we will take the King of the River Trophy back and keep it permanently. After this, the government needs to buy a new trophy," he added with great joy.

The Sarawak Regatta 2024, which took place over 10 days from Oct 25 till today, featured a variety of boat racing events with participation from various government agencies, the private sector, and neighbouring countries such as Indonesia and Brunei.

-- BERNAMA