PUERTO PRINCESA—The Philippine youth dragon boat team made an impressive debut at the ICF Dragon Boat World Championships on Thursday, bringing home two silver and four bronze medals from the scenic course, along Puerto Princesa Baywalk.
Competing in their first international event and in nearly perfect conditions, the young Philippine paddlers earned a silver medal in the 2,000-meter small boat race, finishing in 10 minutes and 15.51 seconds in Day 1 of the competition hosted by the city of Puerto Princesa City, led by Mayor Lucilo Bayron, and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Tingog party-list, and Lacoste watches.
“This is a strong performance, especially since the team only began training together in August,” said national coach Duch Co.
The team includes talented athletes Fiona Reign Minsing, Carla Joy Cabugon, Maria Kristina Mane, Chanal Maglasang, Ronen Estoque, Ivan Ercilla, Dirk Quinones, Jordan Jurado, Doree Rill Blanco, Angelo Osin, John Rex Senora, Jessa Mery Divine Dinampo, and John Brix Caasi.
The team’s successes continued early in the morning with another silver in the Women’s Masters 2,000-meter small boat event, completing the race in 14:04.67.
In addition to the two silvers, the Philippines captured bronze medals in four events, namely Junior Men’s, Women’s Open, 40+ Open, and 50+ Open 2,000-meter small boat races. These races were part of the International Canoe Federation’s centennial celebration, adding to the excitement of the competition.
The Philippine team also ranked 10th in the Mixed 2,000-meter race with a time of 9:46.34, which is one of the three events that will determine the top nine countries qualifying for the World Games in Chengdu, China, next year.
Coach Co shared that competing in the final group presented challenges as the team had to navigate through the waves created by boats ahead.
“It’s not an excuse, but starting near the end can make the race harder,” he explained, as teams are released at 10-second intervals.
“It’s tough when you’re at the back, so the steersman has to be very skilled,” added OJ Fuentes, the team’s experienced captain.
Coach Co highlighted that the Philippine team’s placement is a significant achievement, especially as regional rivals Indonesia and Thailand finished second and fifth, respectively.
Since the Philippines already qualified at the ICF Dragon Boat World Cup in Yichang, China, they are now ranked No. 8 for the World Games.
As the host nation, China is guaranteed one of the 10 spots for dragon boat racing when it debuts at the World Games in Chengdu.
