HIS Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam consented to award championship trophies to winners of different boat racing categories after the conclusion of the Regatta Brunei Darussalam 2014, at the Dermaga Diraja in the capital yesterday.

The Putra Lawas Team emerged as the champions in the Open Marathon 30-rower Traditional Longboat race, which was the main highlight of the event.

The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources Sports Council were the first runners-up, while Gamta Brunei Darussalam crossed the finishing line in third place.

According to Awang Damit Ali Hassan, leader of the Putra Lawas team, the effort and hard work put in by the team paid off.

?We had trained for more than a month and were well prepared to showcase our new technique here,? he said.

Brunei ?C? won the 20-member Invitational Fiberglass category, with Brunei ?A? earning the first runners-up spot and Malaysia ?A? finishing in third place.

Meanwhile, the Regatta Brunei Darussalam Committee?s ?A? team, spearheaded by His Majesty, won the Special 15-rower Fibreglass category. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?s Regatta Brunei Darussalam Committee ?B? came in second place while the State Decorated team finished in third place.

Earlier in the day, His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and Senior Minister at the Prime Minister?s Office presented the championship trophies to all the winners, in which the Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources (MIPR) came out on top of the Inter-Ministry 25-rower Traditional boat race category.

The regatta champions have endured months of intense preparations to keep them in perfect shape and were rewarded for their efforts having attained the quickest time ahead of the Prime Minister?s Office and the Ministry of Defence.

Team manager, Hj Kaseh Hj Yusof, was delighted that the team won the championship, which was a culmination of persistence in training both on land and river. He added that the team had to be ready both mentally and physically.

In a sport that demands top physical condition, MIPR?s training involved spending time in the gym improving on their stamina and power.

Hj Kaseh said the team had aimed to cut their finishing times every occasion they stepped into their boat for training.

The Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources received a cash prize of $1,000, while the Prime Minister?s Office walked away with $700. The Ministry of Defence took home $600.

The Ministry of Home Affairs finished in fourth place, with the Ministry of Development and Ministry of Religious Affairs finishing in fifth and sixth places respectively.

Meanwhile, Eagle Speed 32 emerged victorious in the 30hp Speedboat category and earned $700 for their efforts, while JSM 56 finished in second place and RX7 finished in third place.

In the 15-rower Invitational Fibreglass category, Brunei ?C? claimed top spot ahead of Brunei ?E? and Malaysia ?A? who came in second and third places respectively.

Gemilang III finished on top of the 50hp and under Speedboat category, while Hj Idzan Norhaidi Hj Mashud triumphed in the 4 Stroke Normally Aspirated jet-ski category, and the first place in the Water Taxi category went to Boneka.

Gamta Team Brunei Darussalam clinched first place in the 25-rower Traditional Longboat category, followed by neighbouring team Pewaris of Kuala Lawas in second place and the Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council in third place.

The Miratrisyia racing team came out on top in the 60 SST Speedboat category, while the first runners-up and third place positions went to Eighty Ninety and Asian Racing respectively.

In the Private Sector category, (Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam) BIBD ?A? claimed top spot, followed by BIBD ?B? in second place and the Royal Brunei Airlines team in third place. Total finished in fourth place and TAIB in fifth place. - Borneo Bulletin (3 March 2014)