​After joining the Royal Birthday Cycling Recreation, His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam took a closer look at the Bandarku Ceria activities and shared the joyous moment with the public who have been present since early yesterday morning.

The opportunity and experience in meeting the monarch in person was not neglected by the public present. His Majesty's warmth was the focus of the public and they also grabbed the opportunity to take selfies with the monarch.

Also in attendance were His Royal Highness Prince Haji Al-Muhtadee Billah, the Crown Prince and His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah.

The atmosphere shows that there is no dividing wall between the monarch and the people, portraying the loyalty and affection between the citizens and residents with the monarch is strong and harmonious wherever His Majesty visits.

The Special Olympics Brunei Darussalam exhibition in conjunction with the 50th anniversary of the World Special Olympics celebration every 21st of July, was among the activities lined up during Bandarku Ceria. It highlighted the achievement of the special athletes who are active in various special olympics games at the national and international arenas. To date there are more than 600 registered special olympics athletes. The Special Olympics Brunei Darussalam provides the opportunity for people with special needs to take part in Olympic-style sports events such as Bocce, Football and Bowling aside from advocating a healthy lifestyle through a healthy body and active mind.

The Emergency Aid Showcase by the Brunei Darussalam Red Crescent Society also attracted the monarch's attention. Established in 1948, the voluntary association which frequently assists and cooperates with agencies in the country in providing emergency assistance at various events, has more than one thousand members from every district.

During the Talent Identification Program, TID exhibition under the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, His Majesty was given a briefing on the importance of the programme in finding athletic talent and potential in sports. The talent identification uses sports science methods by testing the potential athletes' endurance and activeness in collecting data in order to produce individuals with the required characteristics for a specific sport. Since its launch in October 2010, the programme has targeted students and young athletes nationwide.

His Majesty also viewed the Ministry of Education exhibition through the Co-curriculum Education Department that highlighted the B-FIT4LIFE programme, a health and activeness programme newly launched this year. 12 schools are participating in the programme as a pilot project that is hoped to raise awareness and knowledge amongst the schools' students who are overweight by practising a healthy lifestyle. The programme is also aimed to tackle the issue of obesity at an early stage as well as non-communicable diseases in the country in an effective and cost effective way.

Another event that attracted attention during the Bandarku Ceria programme is the cycling polo sport organised by the Military Performance Optimization Centre, Royal Brunei Armed Forces. His Majesty took part in the new sport. Although faced with the challenge of riding a bicycle on grass while using actual polo playing techniques, the monarch enjoyed the sport. Also taking part was His Royal Highness Prince Mohamed Bolkiah.

The exhibition by the Department of Environment, Parks and recreation, Department of Water Services and the Survey Department focused on the respective department's role and initiative towards the importance and well-being of the country's people. Among the showcase was the effort to reduce environmental pollution by reducing the use of plastic bags in the country as well as the promotion for awareness on economical water usage.

At the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Special Religious Education Unit exhibition, the monarch was briefed on the teaching and learning of pupils with special needs at religious schools which focused on facial therapy for pupils with speech difficulties and ablution method for pupils with special needs.

His Majesty then took a closer look at the archery activity organised by Al-Rafi Archery Brunei and the Paintball activity conducted by Paintball Arena Jerudong. The two activities are increasingly becoming popular among the public especially those who love challenging sports.

The exhibition by the National Road Safety Council with the cooperation of the Brunei Automobile Traders Association disseminated information on the New Car Assessment Program, NCAP. The continuous dissemination of the NCAP system aimed to raise awareness and knowledge of the public on the importance of vehicle safety features in purchasing a vehicle.

Before leaving, His Majesty took a ride in a decorated rickshaw. Joining His Majesty was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. The vehicle was among the services offered to the public during every Bandarku Ceria programme for the public to explore the Bandar Seri Begawan area.

His Majesty's closeness and warmth in spending time with his subjects by carrying out recreation as well as interacting with all levels of society has created a caring and harmonious atmosphere. His Majesty's openness has become the core for citizens and residents to continue to loyally uphold and maintain the monarch's sovereignty.

Source:
@BRUDIRECT.COM

by Brudirect.com

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