SINGAPORE – After an absence of almost six years, dragon boating made its return to Marina Bay, in support of mental health awareness in the Republic.

Themed Rise Above The Waves, the IHH Healthcare x Singapore Sea Regatta was launched on Sept 13.

It is believed to be the first time a dragon boating event has been held at Marina Bay since the Covid-19 pandemic, with the last such event being the DBS Marina Regatta in 2019.

More than 1,800 participants from 64 teams across five countries are taking part in the two-day event, which also features a carnival open to the public.

Health Minister Ong Ye Kung paddled in the opening race – called the Minister’s Cup – as part of a contingent from the Ministry of Health.

The 200m race – which flagged off at about 10.30am despite the rain – saw 70 participants from MOH, the Singapore Association of Mental Health (SAMH) and IHH Healthcare, as well as public healthcare clusters SingHealth, NHG Health and the National University Health System.

Funds raised during the event will go towards SAMH.

Mental health was chosen as this year’s focus as it is still something people do not talk about enough, said festival head Adeline Chi.

“We wanted to use this festival to try to break the stigma,” said Ms Chi, who is also a senior physiotherapist at Tan Tock Seng Hospital.

In June, the Republic launched a

round-the-clock mental health helpline and textline service

The