8.40 am at the Bedok Reservoir: The morning sun was making a welcome reappearance after several consecutive days of rain.
As the sun's rays beat down strongly on the water, sinewy young men and women, 132 in all - and all wearing life vests - sat expectant in six dragon boats moored at the reservoir's edge.
When the signal was given, the dragon boaters paddled out together at a steady pace. At 1,000m from the shore, they turned and started paddling back.
About 300m from shore, a sudden mood change - the drums began beating louder and louder. The coxswain shouted: 'Charge!' One boat in the centre started surging forward at ferocious speed, followed closely by the other five boats.
For Singapore's dragon boating fraternity, the change of tempo was symbolic: It marked the infusion of new life into the sport after the Nov 23 tragedy that claimed five members of the national team taking part in Cambodia's annual water festival.
The poignant memorial 'row-out' was meant to 'support the national team during these difficult times and to revive the spirit of the sport', said Mr Kho Hao Yun, 35, a representative of the Mountbatten constituency sports club's dragon boat team, which lost three members in the Cambodia tragedy and which organised the event.
'We garlanded the individual boats to mark a new chapter of the sport,' he said.
The lead boat represented the national team, while the other five boats, manned by volunteers, represented a lost comrade each - Mr Chee Wei Cheng, 20; Mr Stephen Loh, 31; Mr Reuben Kee, 23; Mr Jeremy Goh, 24; and Mr Poh Boon San, 27.
The more than 600 participants and well-wishers at yesterday's event also observed a minute's silence and signed a commemorative book that will be passed to the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) when it is compiled.
The event was organised in conjunction with the 5th and final part of the SDBA Master Series held yesterday.
A seven-member panel of inquiry has been set up to find out what caused the tragic event and to help prevent similar future incidents.
A spokesman for the Singapore Sports Council told The Straits Times that a fact-finding team was in Cambodia last week.
A preliminary draft report is expected by the end of next month, while the final report should be ready within six months.
When the signal was given, the dragon boaters paddled out together at a steady pace. At 1,000m from the shore, they turned and started paddling back.
About 300m from shore, a sudden mood change - the drums began beating louder and louder. The coxswain shouted: 'Charge!' One boat in the centre started surging forward at ferocious speed, followed closely by the other five boats.
For Singapore's dragon boating fraternity, the change of tempo was symbolic: It marked the infusion of new life into the sport after the Nov 23 tragedy that claimed five members of the national team taking part in Cambodia's annual water festival.
The poignant memorial 'row-out' was meant to 'support the national team during these difficult times and to revive the spirit of the sport', said Mr Kho Hao Yun, 35, a representative of the Mountbatten constituency sports club's dragon boat team, which lost three members in the Cambodia tragedy and which organised the event.
'We garlanded the individual boats to mark a new chapter of the sport,' he said.
The lead boat represented the national team, while the other five boats, manned by volunteers, represented a lost comrade each - Mr Chee Wei Cheng, 20; Mr Stephen Loh, 31; Mr Reuben Kee, 23; Mr Jeremy Goh, 24; and Mr Poh Boon San, 27.
The more than 600 participants and well-wishers at yesterday's event also observed a minute's silence and signed a commemorative book that will be passed to the Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA) when it is compiled.
The event was organised in conjunction with the 5th and final part of the SDBA Master Series held yesterday.
A seven-member panel of inquiry has been set up to find out what caused the tragic event and to help prevent similar future incidents.
A spokesman for the Singapore Sports Council told The Straits Times that a fact-finding team was in Cambodia last week.
A preliminary draft report is expected by the end of next month, while the final report should be ready within six months.
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