Narrow wins for Multiform Developments, NTU in DBS Marina Regatta 200m finals

SINGAPORE - Multiform Developments & Construction Pte Ltd, DBS Asia Dragons and Nanyang Technological University (NTU) emerged champions of the 200m races at the DBS Marina Regatta 2016 on Sunday (May 29).

Multiform and NTU had to battle tooth and nail to land the S$5,000 top prizes while DBS Asia Dragons had a more comfortable win.

In a thrilling battle, Multiform won the Premier Mixed 12 Crew 200m race by the skin of their teeth when they pipped the Singapore Paddle Club to the finish line, clocking 56.4sec to their rival’s 56.443sec.

Gajah Mada Paddle Club was third in 56.602.

Multiform skipper Toh Wei Jie said that the win was an unexpected one.

“Our opponents, including the Singapore Paddle Club and Gajah Mada, were very strong and we didn’t get the best timing at the start,” said Toh.

“But we were confident of our abilities and worked hard at the various race sets until we got the perfect one.

“It just so happened that our set happened during the finals, so the win and having our hard work pay off felt great.”

In the Corporate Mixed 12 Crew 200m final, DBS Asia Dragons had a relatively easier win as they crossed the finish line in 57.407sec, almost a second ahead of Keppel Dragons B (58.504).

Team Mushu of Hong Kong Disneyland A was third in 58.647.

DBS Asia Dragons captain Jolynn Wong said that the win was the result of her team’s hard work.

“We trained very hard for this, remained composed and gave every stroke our all,” she said.

“This is only the beginning and we’re not going to stop here. We’re going to train even harder for the next DBS Marina Regatta so we can compete with the best around the region again.

“We’re now looking forward to next week’s 500m race. The strategy for that is very different - we’ll focus a lot on power and endurance. I can’t wait to see what kind of results our training will bring.”

In the battle between the tertiary institutions, NTU emerged tops in the Tertiary Mixed 12 Crew after a fierce battle with National University of Singapore. NTU won in 57.105 while NUS clocked 57.365. Singapore Institute of Management took the bronze in 58.101.

More than 3,500 paddlers from Singapore and the region are taking part in this year’s DBS Marina Regatta which will be held over two weekends and offers a total prize purse of S$230,000.

The Regatta resumes next weekend (June 4-5) with the 500m races. The event is open to the public and also features off-water activities for spectators and children, including Singapore’s only pop-up urban beach and South-east Asia’s tallest inflatable slide.