SMJA 3×3 Basketball

Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Peng-iran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports, in a group photo with the winners of the Museums Race Brunei

The Museums Race Brunei 2015, organised to explore the Sultanate’s rich history and cultural heritage, concluded with a ceremony held in Jerudong Park last Sunday.

Over the span of three consecutive Sundays, hundreds of Bruneians, majority of them youths from across the country, took to some of Brunei’s most historic streets and locations as they vied for prominence that could only be attained through knowledge and experience.

As part of the Museums Department’s initiative towards sharing with the people, especially the younger generation, the importance of learning local history, the past three Sundays witnessed 89 teams comprising 364 individuals exploring the country’s historical background for the inaugural Museums Race Brunei 2015.

The race was based on the concept of the popular TV show ‘Amazing Race’ and saw the teams racing to collect clues and solve puzzles hidden at various historical sites under the Museums Department’s jurisdiction.

In an interview, the members of the top two teams expressed enthusiasm for having been part of the Museums Department’s Golden Jubilee and shared that the experience opened their senses to the beauty that is Brunei Darussalam.

Team Alacrety was announced as the winner of the grand prize of the event – air tickets to Bali, Indonesia – that were presented by guest of honour Datin Paduka Hajah Adina binti Othman, Deputy Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.

The team, which also won prizes in two other categories, explained that the race provided them with an opportunity to venture beyond the confines of mainstream activities that took them to, among others, Tasek Merimbun in Tutong and museums in Kota Batu and the capital as well as encouraged them to learn more of what the Abode of Peace and the Kingdom of Unexpected Treasures, has to offer in terms of its culture, nature, art and practices.

Their success, it was shared, was attributed to team work, research and, more so, patience, considering the complexities and challenges of the race.

For second place winners, Dayang Semaun, the journey across the country was as unique as Brunei markets itself to be. The team, which won themselves air tickets to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, shared that other youths in Brunei should consider taking part should organisers arrange for a similarly themed event in the future, indicating that the response from the public has been positive.

“We learned a lot from our experience and the young people of Brunei should reach for these forms of opportunities if they are given the chance,” they said.

In his closing remarks, Pengiran Dr Karim bin Pengiran Haji Osman, Director of Museums and also the Museums Race’s Chairman, commended all participating teams for their support and effort in making the race a success as he acknowledged the camaraderie that was witnessed over the course of the event.

Apart from enriching the perspective of those who took part, the race collected funds and the mock cheques of $3,587.28 each were presented to Pusat Ehsan Al-Ameerah Al-Hajjah Maryam, Smarter Brunei and the Children’s Cancer Foundation (Yaska).
The closing ceremony was also attended by Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Muda Omar Ali, Curator of Natural History at the Museums Department; Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Qudduus bin Pengiran Lela Cheteria Sahibun Najabah Pengiran Anak Haji Abdul Aziz, Special Duties Officer at the Museums Department; and the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, Dato Paduka Dr Haji Affendy bin Pehin Orang Kaya Saiful Mulok Dato Seri Paduka Haji Abidin. Text courtesy of Siti Hajar and images taken from Jabatan Muzium-Muzium Brunei Facebook Page.

Yang Berhormat Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Utama Dato Seri Setia Hj Yahya Begawan Mudim Dato Paduka Hj Bakar, Minister of Industry and Primary Resources, guest of honour during the launch, with Hj Mahadi Hj Taib, owner of Mangrove Paradise Resort, and Hajah Normah Suria Hayati Pehin Dato Haji Md Jamil, permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources and Khairuddin bin Abd Hamid, deputy permanent secretary at Ministry of Industry and Primary Resources at the new villas of Mangrove Paradise Resort. Image courtesy of Vincent Hong.

I’ve stayed there before many years ago with my group of friends. Yes, it’s a great place to free your mind and be away from the hustle and bustle of eeer… Gadong and Kiulap. My last visit there was for a BIT Council meeting at a meeting hall and we had lunch there as well.

Fast forward to this date, the management of Mangrove Paradise Resort has extended with their 2nd phase which are the villas. For your info, this is located at Kota-Batu (quite a fair ride) and of course, what I love about the resort is the view of the Brunei River. If I were to detox with the busyness of my hectic schedule, this would be the best bet in Brunei in terms of logistics and convenience. My second choice would be the lodges in Temburong.

The 10 newly-built villas are each ideal for a family of six to 10. Each villa includes three ensuite bedrooms, two of which are located on the first floor, a spacious living room, a kitchen and a dining area, which are located on the ground floor. In addition, each villa comes with a jacuzzi, ideal for unwinding the body while basking in the scenic view. (As quoted by Rara :p)

Now with the school holidays kicking in, families can take advantage of the special promotional prices. During weekdays, it will be BND 250 while on weekends, it will be BND 300 per night. The deal will be until the end of the month and it includes complimentary breakfast for six people.

The resort is located at Simpang 912, Kg Sungai Belukut, Jalan Kota Batu. For any enquiries or booking, please call 2786868. For updates, check out Mangrove Paradise Resort’s Facebook Fan Page at ‘Mangrove Paradise Resort Brunei’ or its Instagram at @MangroveParadiseResort. Images courtesy of Vincent Hong.

The view of the newly built villas at Mangrove Paradise Resort

The bedroom at the villas

The pantry area of the villas

The TV room of the villas

The close up view outside the villa. Image taken from Mangrove Paradise Resort Facebook page.

I see a jet ski 😀

It’s happening next weekend from 11th to 13th September at the Hua Ho Manggis Mall. That should be interesting as the venue provided is at Hua Ho Manggis Mall. There will be four categories if you refer to the posters and this is open to both male and female. The tournament is organised by Shooting Stars.

You can download the form here and submit it to the SMJA office. As for the registration fees, you can submit them on the day of the event. The registration is BND 60 per team. You can also send your registration and email to shootingstarsbn@gmail.com and for more information, you can text 729 0011 or 885 5089.

The closing date for the registration is 5th September 2015. So peeps, gather your team and get your GAME ON for the SMJA 3×3 Basketball Challenge.

The registration form. Click image to download the PDF form

The rules of the tournament