After a three-year hiatus triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic, Cambodia’s highly anticipated Water Festival made a triumphant return on Sunday.

The festival, renowned as the country’s grandest, attracted tens of thousands of oarsmen and spectators from all corners of the Southeast Asian nation to the riverfront in Phnom Penh.

The focal point of the three-day celebration is the exhilarating boat race, captivating crowds with 337 participating boats carrying approximately 20,417 crew members, as confirmed by Bou Chumserey, vice chairman of the boat-racing technical control committee.

He told Xinhua “Oarsmen will race their boats along a 1.7-km-stretch of the Tonle Sap river that runs in front of the royal palace.

“The boat race honours the strength of the powerful Khmer marine forces during the ancient Khmer Empire in the late 11th century.”

Furthermore, the festival commemorates the conclusion of the yearly rainy season and celebrates the extraordinary reversal flow of the Tonle Sap River, which links the Tonle Sap Lake with the Mekong River, stated the official.

Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni, alongside Prime Minister Hun Manet and other esteemed dignitaries, is scheduled to observe the boat races from a stage specially erected on the riverbank in front of the royal palace.

Beyond the daytime regatta spectacle, attendees can revel in the nighttime procession of illuminated floats, dazzling fireworks displays, and vibrant concerts,” highlighted the official.

Addressing safety measures, Phnom Penh Municipal Governor Khuong Sreng emphasized that over 10,000 security personnel have been mobilized to safeguard and ensure the safety of festival-goers throughout the three-day holiday, which extends until next Tuesday.

A father of four, Lukman Soladoye, on Tuesday told a Shari’a court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna that he beats his wife, Kemi Soladoye, and their children.

He defended his actions, stating that he resorted to such measures to correct their wrongdoings, emphasizing his love for his family and his desire for their well-being.

The complainant, represented by her counsel B.A Tanko, had sought a divorce due to the continuous assaults.

However, she later reconsidered her decision and opted to reconcile with her husband, settling the matter between them.

She requested the court’s intervention to prevent the defendant from physically harming her and their children.

When questioned by Judge Malam Isiyaku Abdulrahman about stopping the beatings, the defendant agreed to refrain from beating his wife but indicated hesitance in ceasing to beat their children.

The judge advised “If your wife does anything wrong to you, talk to her about it and show your displeasure; you are not supposed to beat your wife.

“As for your children, beating is not the only way to correct a child; always show love and affection to your children, pray for them and advise them.”

The judge assured ongoing oversight of the defendant’s conduct and urged the complainant to report any future assaults by the defendant, emphasizing the court’s readiness to address such incidents promptly.

The association was birthed simply for fitness purpose for Itire residents/breeds that are above 40years of age.

The first and second seasons were awesome as men congregated. Some that left Itire for over a decade, some 2 decades were able to converge at Denedo Street and thereafter at a member’s hotel- Fitt Hotels were they wined and dined.

The 3rd anniversary was a turnaround as the association deepened their purpose and saw the need to bless the community that contributed to their growth.

They contributed 10,000 copies of notebooks to Itire Community Primary School and Ansar ud Deen Primary School.

Those items were given on-a-need-basis. The school requested for a generating set as they had a power issue and a 5KVA Generator alongside school uniforms. They also provided school uniforms for those their parents are unable to provide same.

They also did road rehabilitation from the night market at Adeniyi junction to Odo Eran and provided vehicle that graded it. The association also bought 150 jamb forms to Itire residents. The process of distributing the forms were painstakingly done as they had to do road/town storming of all the streets to make announcement and give a date for interview. The pupils that made their result in first seating were considered first before others. Interestingly, the success rate was 85% as most of the participants are now in different institutions of learning.

The association also provided generating set for Itire police station and two new tyres to aid their vehicular movements and all these were tailored made. Motor bike for the vigilante group to facilitate the security architecture in that area.

The health sector was also beneficiary of their largesse. They provided 4 units of three sets of seat and three testing equipment for the hospital.