2010 Singapore River Regatta (SRR)

[S-info]

Most sports provide more incentives apart from trophies and medals.
I don't understand why this HOT SPORT do not have them?
Cash prizes?
Sponsors?
Talent (Team) Scouters to represent our Nation?
etc...

Well done to all team out there who trained hard for this River Regatta. =)
Congratulation Team Vuvuzela! I believe your team caught everyone's attention and surprise. Good luck if SDBA allows you to go for WC.

Well done RP, NYP & SP!
You still have SAVA sprint to fight/defend your podium standing...all the best.

NTU 'A': Tough luck, great timing but bad event. If A & B were to swap position during semis, you definitely stand a chance on the podium. you guys did well!

[hard10]

If not mistaken, the PA events were suppose to be under the care of PA. If everyone noticed, SDBA had their own problems with their own races. There was supposed to be PA people checking this. I sincerely don't know what happened to that arrangement. Similarly to the Public Service events. But I personally saw the public service rep on duty

oic... then its not SDBA's fault. i guess it all boils down to the integrity of each team to adhere to the rules and reg set by PA themselves.

but having said that, why are rowers able to register themselves under two different teams? is there any way this can be screened?

[TheMachine]

The event venue is fun, though imperfect.  It's worth the lane inequalities to be at a cool location in my opinion.  I enjoy the BQ race as much for the atmosphere as the racing.

The main problem with this, and most races here in Singapore, is TOO MANY DAMN EVENT CATEGORIES.

Men's, women's, mixed, civil servants, PA, expat, inter-club, inter-corporate, tertiary, inter-CSC and whatever else.  Singapore needs to learn to host a one day race.  Heats, semi's and final (singular, not three finals per event).  Spending all weekend from morning until sundown at races sucks.  These "races within races" aren't needed.  Have them separately.

i totally agree with Amdragon on the increased number of event categories. Mass participation does bring about its benefits but the costs of it could really be avoided. Much of the time used to hold these extra categories can be used to improve the management of the event instead. I guess if there were less categories, it would also bring the sport to a more competitive level i.e. if there were only men's opens and tertiary only for 10 crew and 20 crew boats. It will definitely make paddlers much more competitive to strive for better results. Having too many categories just dilutes the competition within an already small community of paddlers. The best paddlers will be strewn all over many different teams within so many different categories it barely contributes to the collective effort to improving the sport as a whole.

Totally agree.

The corporate teams aren't going to push themself if they're not being challenged. The expat teams aren't going to improve if they only race against average opponents, the business houses and clubs aren't going to improve unless they're up against stronger teams. But perhaps its the Singapore mentality of being afraid to get knocked down? SAFSA not wanting to compete in any of the Premier events in CCWC and happy to stay in the junior league is an example. Even though their time would have got them into the Grand Final of the Open Premier.

HK competitions have different cups where teams are seeded. The top seeds all compete against each other, followed by second level seeds then the lower seeds. So you could get the top seeds such as SIM, SAFSA, MBT, AustCham all in the same cup. Might be too much admin to instigate here, but a broader National Championship category would raise the profile of this division and make it more competitive.

Getting smashed by a stonger team is a massive learning experience and you'll bounce back far stronger.

Inter-Corporate, Business Houses and Clubs, Expat and Tertiary should all be scrapped.

[sea-clown]

"  Inter-Corporate, Business Houses and Clubs, Expat and Tertiary should all be scrapped.  "

and if Sava take this into their race, you will see alot of team switching over to Sava.


You think HP or Exxon,  PlK or Mountbatten, Aust & German,  All the poly will be happy??
At least now they are,   limpei is simi champion, simi silver....  yaya payaya abit.

If just 1 cat to fight for, you think more team will be interested?

Why have Uefa cup, copa america, asian cup, euro championship,  just 1 World cup every 4 years will do. not to say those funny domestic cup.   This is what all team manager doesnt like, .. and those useless Friendly.

think big...

also, with all this cat, its where some of the funding coming in.

[amdragon]

You can have all those categories but not ALL AT ONCE.  Have the national championship level on one day, and all the club and society and gov't body events on another day on another weekend.  If teams want to do both, fine.  Otherwise, choose one or the other.

The "HK System" (which is actually commonly used in much of the dragon boating world) guarantees teams a certain amount of races while still yielding an overall champion.  SG should look into adopting it.

[Dragonboatlover]

It's time for SDBA to review its own performance at the Regatta.

1. Numerous clerical errors during lane draw at the briefing meeting.
2. Way behind schedules (up to 90 mins) at one stage on the first day.
3. The PA system was merely there to remind the teams to check in and launch but not to give updates on what actually happened on the race course. (Things were a bit better on the second day.)
4. Lots of errors, confusion and frustration on which teams actually qualified for semi's on the second day.
5. A very controversial decision to allow the 6th finalist to the Grand Final of National Championship Mixed, who later won the gold medal by having its own race.
6. Row of tents blocking most teams (those who could not afford the high rent) from enjoying the races with some tents being turned into roadside stalls; was it a Regatta or a bazaar?
7. Second day race results are still not published on the website by now (i.e. more than 48 hours after the Regatta concluded).

With two foreign teams being there, I'm not sure what messages they will bring back to their home towns on how dragon boat races were being organised in Singapore!!! Definitely a wake-up call to SDBA!!!

[wassuprai]

Agree with all the sentiments here. I personally rate SDBA's performance as 5 out of 10. Some of the errors are excusable, such as the clerical ones, it happens even at IDBF standards. Some are not, such as the delayed race results. I think the event has grown too big and has become a monster that SDBA can no longer tame.
Are there too many events? Definite yes. Shall we scrap some? Worth looking into. Follow the league format used in other countries? You'll end up with alot of kampong heros. I think our format better with revolving champs not the same each year. Root cause is too much competition.
FYI, this entire event is planned by just 2 persons. More need to come forward to volunteer to do this. It speak volumes that the most consistent volunteer, year in and out has been the Race Starter. Every other position changes. So why not some here in this forum come forth and offer your services?   

[wassuprai]

That thing with SMU is in all fairness was a fair decision. The race jury, made up of 5 people collectively agreed that SMU were unfairly impeded at the finish line. Believe it or bot, IDBF rules actually allow for such eventuality. In the 2007 World Champs, Germany was given the same treatment for the same infringement on them. It was done in the name of fairness to the victim boat. I seriously wonder would you want anything less if it's your team instead.
 

[wassuprai]

Anyway, the new SDBA president just formed a special competitions committee to look onto the long term management of our races. All I can say now is, there will be major changes to the SRR. Stay tuned. SDBA knew they did badly. The times they are a changing

[watchman]

Bros & Sis,
I found out that this years SRR was not planned by the SDBA husband-wife team that planned last years SRR and this years SDBF. Those were smooth going events with easy to follow race format. Understand that the two are involved with national team. They were at SRR but officiating only. SDBA should let them plan the SRR. I mean how much work can there be with national team?