SAVA Sprints International
Since the inaugural event in 2004, which was strongly supported by the Singapore Sports Council, SAVA Sprints International (SSI) has firmly established itself as an annual event in the local and international dragon boat racing calendar. Dragon boat teams from different countries, as well as top local teams in Singapore, have always marked this yearly event an essential part of their paddling experience.
Sava just recently held the 10th anniversary of this much-anticipated dragonboating race.
In 2006, SSI was held at Bedok Reservoir over the weekend of 16th & 17th October. It was one of the launch events for Singapore Waterfest 2006, a festival of selective water sports organized by the Singapore Sports Council. The participation rate was a quantum leap from the 28 teams in SAVA Sprints 2004, to 40 in SSI 2005 and 48 in SSI 2006.
SSI incorporates international race distances (200m, 500m and 1000m), attracting teams from Malaysia, Hong Kong, Thailand and the Philippines, as well as top local teams. It was the first dragon boat event in more than 10 years in Singapore to achieve such international and local participation.
SSI also had the prestige of being the first International Dragon Boat Federation 'Associate' event in Asia, the second such event in the world after Italy.
SSI is the only competition to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer in Singapore.
SSI 2006 also saw the "NECDC Challenge Cup" being staged, an event that was the culmination of dragon boat training sessions that SAVA had jointly organized with the North East Community Development Council ("NECDC") for teams within the NECDC.
Indeed SSI has forged an identity for itself. It is one of its kind, not only in Singapore, but Asia as well.
SAVA Sprints International
2014
