Singapore, 22 August 2025 – Singapore Sea Regatta (SSR) has partnered IHH Healthcare (IHH) through a S$580,000 title sponsorship that will see the international dragon boat festival return over the next three years till 2027.
Bringing dragon boat racing back to the Marina Bay area, this will be the first time the “IHH Healthcare x Singapore Sea Regatta 2025” is taking place at the iconic The Promontory @ Marina Bay. It’s inaugural outing in 2024 was held at the Water Sports Centre in Kallang.
With 64 teams across 5 countries, SSR 2025 brings together healthcare professionals, community leaders and the public to champion mental health support and awareness through sport. Beyond the races, there will also be a two-day waterfront carnival on 13–14 September 2025, open to the public.
As Asia’s largest private healthcare group, IHH Healthcare is committed to advancing community wellness beyond its hospital walls. The Singapore Sea Regatta offers IHH Healthcare a unique opportunity to champion population health and active living through an international sporting event that unites both public and private sectors – a commitment we uphold across all our markets,” said Dr Prem Kumar Nair, Group CEO of IHH Healthcare. “We are proud to extend our sponsorship of the IHH Healthcare x Singapore Sea Regatta for another three years, and to further support the cause with a S$40,000 donation to the Singapore Dragon Boat Association.”
Alongside IHH, SSR is supported by the Ministry of Health (MOH), Singapore Dragon Boat Association (SDBA), Sport Singapore (SportSG), and People’s Association’s PAssion WaVe. SPAG FINN Partners is the official communications partner for this year’s event.
The competition will feature diverse racing categories, including healthcare divisions, premier categories, cancer survivor divisions, corporate and youth teams. Additionally, the event has incorporated a Rojak Race, an innovative mixed-team category that champions community integration as a key highlight. Paddlers across different teams will be grouped together for a fun race, promoting camaraderie and interaction across the local and international dragon boat community.
Visitors and athletes alike can enjoy booths that serve food and beverages as well as family-friendly activity stations designed to spark interest in sports. Everyone is welcome to take part in fun challenges like Pull-Ups for a Cause — where every pull-up completed raises a dollar for charity.
To encourage discussion of mental wellbeing, talks and panel discussions on health and wellness with personalities like Dawn Sim, Naomi Yeo, and Darshen, alongside healthcare experts will also be held over the weekend.
Founded by healthcare professionals passionate about dragon boating, SSR uses the sport to advance health advocacy. Dragon boater and neurosurgical doctor, Dr Benjamin Huang, Co-Founder, Organising Committee of SSR, shared his hopes that the competition will bolster interest in sports as a means to maintain an active and healthy wellbeing for all.
Dr Huang said, “Sports, especially team sports like dragon boating, have always been a great unifier for people. We have paddlers coming from all walks of life, and of all ages. When you’re paddling, it’s impossible to feel alone. And that’s the message we want to send about mental health.”
Under the theme “Rise Above the Waves”, the event focuses on a different cause each year – from breast cancer awareness in 2024 to this year’s focus on mental health.
