HIS Royal Highness the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office presented prizes in the 10 categories of the morning session of the Brunei Regatta 2013, held at the Brunei River in Bandar Seri Begawan yesterday.

The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources emerged in first place for the 20-Rowers Fibre Glass Boat Race Between Ministries category, led by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Yahya bin Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Haji Bakar, while second place went to the Ministry of Defence and third place to the Ministry of Development.

Following the first category was the Five-Laps 40 HP and Below Speed Boat Race category in which first place was awarded to Hong Kok Leong from Tutong, followed by Mohd Amirul Hj Mohd Hassan from Brunei-Muara and Hj Mohd Norul Amin Hj Mohd Yusof from Brunei-Muara in second and third places respectively.

In the 12-Local Rowers Fibre Glass Boat Race category, the Brunei-Muara District team came in first place, while the Ministry of Development team came in second, and the Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council in third.

Kamis bin Besar won first place in the Eight-Laps 60 HP Speed Boat Race category while Kassim bin Jaafar and Haji Md Khairi bin Haji Marfuji came in second and third places respectively.

In the 12-Rowers Fibre Glass Boat Race Between Ministries, the Ministry of Defence came in first place, followed by the Prime Minister’s Office in second place, and the Ministry of Development in third place.

In the 25-Local Rowers Traditional Boat Race category, first place went to Gamta Brunei-Muara, while second and third places went to the Kampong Sungai Bunga team and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council respectively.

Competing brothers from Kuching, Sarawak, Mohd Yanto bin Haji Kadri and Mohd Affendy bin Haji Kadri – both utilising F1 Speedboats – came in both first and second places respectively for the 15-Lap MU Carburettor, while third place was claimed by Maarof bin Mahari of Kuala Belait.

For the Jet-Ski Four Stroke (Open) category, Awg Muhammad Arif bin Ahmad Tarmizi from Malaysia emerged as the first place winner, with Haji Idzam Norhaidi bin Hj Mashud and Gabriel Chong of Brunei coming in at second and third places respectively.

The 20-Rowers Fibre Glass Boat Race Between Districts category was won by Brunei-Muara District, followed by Tutong in second and Temburong in third.

In the 12-Invited Rowers of the Fibre Glass Boat Race category, Brunei Darussalam’s ‘Tara-Tara’ placed themselves in first place, while Brunei Darussalam ‘B’ came in second and Brunei Darussalam ‘A’ in third.

The Minister of Home Affairs presented prizes to the winners of two racing categories – the 25-Rowers Traditional Boat Race (Open) won by ‘Sayang Lawas’; and the Six-Lap Open 60 SST Speed Boat Race won by Jeremy Naweh from Kuala Belait.

Prizes were also presented by the Minister of Industry and Primary Resources to the 20-Local Rowers Fibre Glass Boat Race category won by Gamta Brunei-Muara; and to the Eight-Lap 85 HP Water Taxi Race category won by Muslidi bin Hj Tapa. - Borneo Bulletin (4 February 2013)