SINGAPORE, Sept 15 — Dragon boat races are popular events and the IHH Singapore Sea Regatta 2024 attracted large crowds as well as an interesting participant: Singapore’s first dragon boat team comprised entirely of migrant workers.
The Straits Times reported that the 12-person Transient Paddlers Count Too team had participated in the IHH Singapore regatta and even made it to the semifinals of the 150m premier opens category.
Today they will participate in the biathlon category, one that combines dragon boating and running.
The team had its origins in the Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) association, when a volunteer from the group founded the dragon boat team, which then went on to participate in Singapore’s Pesta Sukan 2024 on July 27.
TWC2 provided S$20,000 in funding for the team, that trained on their once weekly day off for a year.
Their efforts led to IHH Healthcare Singapore, the title sponsor of the sea regatta, offering up S$2,000 in funding to join the competition’s two races, covering the competition fees, coach fees and equipment rental.
IHH Healthcare Singapore chief executive Peter Chow was impressed by the team’s efforts, saying:
“To think that after five, six days of labour, they can still organise themselves in a disciplined manner to train in sports and keep themselves healthy in both mind and body. It’s very, very inspiring.”
