Sri Pakatt

Boat Racing Club

During this weekend, something "big event" is going to be happened. The annually boat racing or what the local call "Lombak Perauk" competition will be held at Kampung Sejijak, Kuching. The competition will take 3 days which will starts on Friday morning until Sunday, 20 2014 evening. There are many boat racing teams will be competed among themselves during this annually event. One of the team which will join the competition is called Sri Pakatt.

The name of  SRI PAKATT team is derived from word "pakat" in Malay Language which mean togetherness, to unite or the unity. Whereas, the front word "Sri" is a word show the boat is more to be a female. It is believed that before the boat-maker begin to make a new boat, one have to find a tree that suitable for racing boat. The direction of the tree when it fall down after cut is important in order to determine the gender of the boat. Either it will become a male or female boat. If the tree fall to the right then it become a male boat, otherwise it fall to the left then it will become a female boat.

In addition, PAKATT also a short form for words PA- Pasukan (team) KA- Kampung (village) T- Tambirat and another T- Tengah. Sri Pakatt is an important boat racing team that represent my community who is living at Kpg Tambirat Tengah. Beside that, there are two more boat racing team which also come from my village. But, it represent for their own community. That two teams called Pelangi Saberkas, Kpg Tambirat Ulu and Puteri Bunian Club, Kpg Tambirat Hilir. Both of these two teams are the eldest boat racing club in my village. They won several award during the boat racing tournament in Kuching, Samarahan and Sri Aman Division a years before.

Sri Pakatt team is small boat racing club which only have 20 - 30 members. The limited capacity of paddlers bring the club management to focus on 7, 10 and 15 paddlers category in boat racing competition. Furthermore, it is quiet easy to manage the small boat racing club in comparison with the big club which have more than 70 paddlers. Luckily, since 2010 at the first race Sri Pakatt managed to get second place at Sarawak Regatta in 2011 for 7 paddlers category. Starting from 2010 until recent year Sri Pakatt still involve in boat racing race at Kuching and Samarahan Division and won several awards.