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The
Malaysia
The Sarawak Regatta is a race of genuine cultural
diversity in unity in the pursuit of team glory
Bang! They are off! Putting every
muscle into their oars, the paddlers’
dig into the water in unison as the
long, sleek and beautifully decorated
boats glide over the water towards
the finish line. Welcome to Sarawak’s
Regatta, the premier boat race with a
proud tradition dating back to 1872.
Now an annual event, this spectacular
race is a cultural gathering of sorts as
boats associated with the different
ethnic races come together to vie for
the special prizes at stake.
Held along the scenic Sarawak River
with the new iconic state Legislative
building and British-styled Astana in
the background, the weekend races
by the famed Kuching Waterfront are
a crowd puller. Young and old, locals
and foreigners flock to the races,
captivated by the sheer energetic
splashes of the participants in the
race to glory. Apart from the races,
spectators are treated to cultural
performances and even to open
houses by the Malay community
on the other side of the river. The
entertainment includes display of
various dances associated with
the Malays and accompanied by
traditional drums, gongs and even
violins! Guests are encouraged to
participate in these dances and to
sample some of the delicacies specially
made for the occasion like traditional
cakes, curries and snacks. Many small
makeshift stalls are set up to sell drinks
and other food items during the
regatta weekend apart from the
established food and beverages
outlets facing the Waterfront. The
spectators are certainly spoilt for
choice in the range of food available.
Just how big is the regatta Well,
last year over 6,000 participants took
part in the races under the different
categories in over 300 teams of both
men and women events. Coming from
far and near, these race enthusiasts
are out for a taste of this spectacular
race that features boats of different
shapes and designs as well as a splash
of colours. Even more intriguing are
some of the costumes of these racers
which range from traditional gear to
modern slick cuts and designs and
array of hats, caps to captivate the
hordes of photographers busy shooting
amazing pictures of the races,
participants and crowd.
The Sarawak Regatta has come to
signify the spirit of the nation as
1 Malaysia in the sheer number of
participants from different ethnic
groups as well as members of the
participating crowd. There are
certainly no barriers to mixing during
the event and equally promising is
the extent of sharing and participating
in the different categories by the
various groups of people. Organising
this annual event is the team from
the Kuching Resident Office and
District Office who take pride in
the ever growing significant of the
regatta as a unifying factor for the
state and nation as well as putting
Sarawak on the global tourism map.
With the ever increasing number of
participants and crowd each year, the
organising committee has faithfully
added more events and shows as well
as other performances throughout
the day and night to make the
weekend event a showpiece for all
to remember and take home with
a smile. After all, Sarawak is a land
20 | BorneoTalkApr-Jun2010