SINGAPORE — Between cooking and cleaning, domestic helper Surti would squeeze in sets of squats and 1km runs around her employer’s Housing Board block in Bukit Panjang. And on her rest day on Sunday, the Indonesian, who goes by one name, would travel over an hour by train or bus to Bedok Reservoir for a gruelling three-hour dragon boat training...
'6 days we work hard, Sundays we paddle hard': Singapore's first migrant workers' dragon boat team debuts in competitionPHOTO: The Straits TimesSINGAPORE — Between cooking and cleaning, domestic helper Surti would squeeze in sets of squats and 1km runs around her employer’s Housing Board block in Bukit Panjang.
Surti, 37, who has been working here for 14 years, said: "I felt butterflies in my tummy. It was my very first time . I wanted to do my best for the team." Though they did not reach the finals, their Singaporean coach Faris told The Straits Times that their maiden run was a triumph. The team started in July 2023 with Irene Ong, 73, a dragon boater and volunteer with non-profit organisation Transient Workers Count Too . She thought the sport could help migrant workers bond.
A Bangladeshi team member who designed their shirt, emblazoned with the motto "Six days we work hard, Sundays we paddle hard", had to drop out due to work. The team trained once a week due to the workers’ schedules, while others typically do so four to five times weekly, he noted.Surti, who cares for an elderly man whom she affectionately calls "Grandpa", tried to exercise between her chores and caregiving duties.
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