Latest news with #Bahtiar
Borneo Post
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Borneo Post
Sarawak dragon boat team win Sabah Head of State Trophy
Phoong (sixth left, back) presenting the Sabah Head of State Trophy to N82 Bukit Sari Lawas of Sarawak. KOTA KINABALU (May 18): N82 Bukit Sari Lawas of Sarawak paddled their way to the Sabah Head of State Trophy in the 10th Sabah FCAS International Dragon Boat Race in Likas Bay here on Sunday. This was the first time N82 Bukit Sari Lawas won the main title in the annual race organised by the Federation of Chinese Associations Sabah (FCAS). Bukit Sari Lawas won in a record time of 3:38.55s to edge seven other finalists in the 800m race. Lautan Biru SLDB Dragon Boat Team Tuaran finished second in 3:41.66s while Jetama Entulon Family DBT third in 3:42.58s. Bahtiar Sajeli, the team manager of N82 Bukit Sari Lawas, was a mirror of happiness when met after the prize presentation by Industrial Development and Entrepreneurship Minister Datuk Phoong Jin Zhe. 'We were quite confident going into the final race based on our performance in the heat. 'We finished second (in the heat) but we did well considering the time we achieved. 'So, we went back and conducted a post mortem to identify and rectify our weaknesses as well as to plan our strategy. 'It went well and we are very happy to have won the TYT Trophy,' he said. Bahtiar went on to say that the team, which finished second in the Sabah Chief Minister Trophy last year, underwent a one-month training after the recent Hari Raya Aidilfitri to prepare for the FCAS race. 'Our focus next is the inaugural Lawas International Dragon Boat and Cultural Festival from May 22-25,' added Bahtiar. Ten other finals also took place on Sunday which saw Kota Kinabalu Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry (KKCCCI) emerge winners in three of the categories. KKCCCI teams won in the FCAS Trophy for HZ & Local Kota Kinabalu FCAS Member Mixed Team (minimum eight women) category, FCAS Trophy for Malaysian Chinese Mixed Team (minimum eight women) and FCAS Trophy for Malaysian Chinese Men's Team event. The rest of the winning teams were Jetama Entulon Family Senior in the Sabah Chief Minister Trophy; RMP Paddlers (Sabah FCAS Dragon Trophy for International & Malaysian Mixed Team); Sibling Performance Team (Kinabalu Junior Trophy for local junior 15-20 years old teams; PS Dragon Boat Team (Kinabalu Dragon Trophy Men's Team Open); Dragon Boat Club CUHK (Kinabalu Trophy Mixed Team Open); Karapaw (Kinabalu Phoenix Trophy Women's Team); and PNK Master Dragon Boat (Kinabalu Master Trophy International & Malaysian Men's Team). The top three teams also received prize money – in the Sabah Head of State Trophy RM10,000, RM5,000 and RM3,000; Sabah Chief Minister's Trophy and Sabah FCAS Dragon Trophy (RM8,000, RM4,000, RM2,000); and the rest of the categories RM3,000, RM2,000 and RM1,000. Meanwhile, FCAS president Tan Sri TC Goh said despite heavy rain midway into the final day on Sunday, the races went well without any untoward incidents. 'The Sabah FCAS dragon boat race took place successfully and well done to all including the participants who have helped made it happened,' he told reporters. The event this year saw new high of 75 registered teams, including from Singapore, Hong Kong and Brunei Darussalam. Overall 141 teams comprising 988 paddlers were involved in the 11 categories contested. All the winning teams also set new records in their respective category, said Goh. 'Hopefully next year there will be more teams, including international entries, for the dragon boat race. 'We have set May 15-17 for next year's race and it also coincides with the Harvest Festival month. 'So, hopefully the participants will not only come here to compete but to visit and tour around,' said Goh. Earlier, Phoong who represented Chief Minister Datuk Seri Panglima Hajiji Noor, led in the symbolic opening of the final day race and presenting the prizes to the top three winning teams. FCAS deputy president-cum-organising chairperson Datuk Susan Wong and invited guests including Mayor Datuk Seri Dr Sabin Samitah were also present Full Results Sabah Head of State Trophy N82 Bukit Sari Lawas 3:38.55s Lautan Biru SLDB Tuaran 3:41.66s Jetama Entulon Family DBT 3:42.58s Sabah Chief Minister Trophy Jetama Entulon Family Senior 3:41.09s Landas Kasihnya Warisan 3:41.67s Sri Sundar 3:42.11s Sabah FCAS Dragon Trophy RMP Paddlers 3:54.97s DBKL 3:58.43s Sabah River Raptors ITCC 3:59.51s FCAS Trophy (HZ & Local KK FCAS Member Mixed Team) KKCCCI 3:53.61s KK Hakka DBT 3:56.23s MACMA – Mushu 4:13.27s FCAS Trophy (Malaysian Chinese Mixed Team) KKCCCI 3:53.83s Kuching Dragon Boat Club 3:57.80s KK Hakka DBT 3:58.47s FCAS Trophy (Malaysian Chinese Men's Team) KKCCCI 3:48.14s Kuching Dragon Boat Club 3:57.11s KK Hakka DBT 3:58.79s Kinabalu Junior Trophy Sibling Performance Team 3:45.46s Lentuong Junior SLDB Team 3:46.14s Jetama Entulon Family Junior 3:46.72s Kinabalu Dragon Trophy (Local Junior Boys) PS Dragon Boat Team 61.47s Sri Sundar 61.73s Dragon Boat Labuk Beluran 62.27s Kinabalu Mixed Trophy Dragon Boat Club CUHK 61.05s DBKL 63.21s Sabah River Raptors ITCC 63.35s Kinabalu Phoenix Trophy Karapaw 66.48s KKCCCI 67.14s Kuching Dragon Boat Club 68.14s Kinabalu Master Trophy PNK Master Dragon Boat 59.90s DBKL 60.59s Lela Cheteria 61.59s
The National
19-03-2025
- The National
Exposed: Kurdish smugglers bringing death to shores of Europe
An investigation by The National has uncovered an Iraqi-Kurdish town which is a hub for people smuggling, where gang leaders make a fortune from the misery of people desperate for a new life in Europe. Deals are carried out in plain sight in Ranya, where the hawala money exchanges are used to grease the criminal enterprise. Our reporters took just a few minutes to track down smugglers willing to arrange for families to be transported across borders, using fake IDs, to reach northern France where they would risk their lives crossing the English Channel in flimsy dinghies. At least 77 people died making the crossing last year alone. Using court records, interviews with experts and speaking to victims, we were able to find the headquarters of a mastermind smuggler called Bakhtiar, known as 'the boss' by his henchmen and those who rely on him to secure a spot on the deathtrap boats. But Bahtiar has gone into hiding, spooked by a recent crackdown by UK and Iraqi Kurdistan authorities who are belatedly trying to get a grip of the situation which has seen tens of thousands reach the UK illegally. The crackdown has also seen success in Britain, where two Kurds were jailed after they were caught operating a carwash in South Wales that was actually a front for a people smuggling business. We also heard the plight of a 15-year-old girl who comes from Kurdistan and has spent months trying to reach her cousins in England. She has tried six times to make the crossing, foiled each time by police, violent gangs and even by a panic attack brought on by almost drowning during her journey. She reveals how the system works, what life is like for a migrant living in makeshift camps in France, and why she is willing to risk it all to get to retain. Investigation: Hunting trafficking's big boss inside Kurdistan's smuggling hotspot Underground: Kurdish trafficker sending migrants to Europe in hiding after crackdown Podcast: Are UK crackdowns deterring Iraqi Kurdish smugglers?
