Dragon Boat Racing World Record Philippines
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Photo courtesy Philippine Dragon Boat Federation
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At the IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Prague, at the end of August, 2009, Team Philippines broke their own World record and firmly established the Philippines as the premier dragon boat racing nation in the 200-meter distance category.
Team Philippines set the previous World record in Sydney, Australia, in 2007. In Prague they shaved almost two seconds off their Sydney dragon boat racing World record and set the new bar at 40.03 seconds, for the 200 meter Premier Mixed category, beating Team China by just one tenth of a second.
Overall in Prague, Team Philippines Dragon Boat Racing captured two gold medals and a silver medal in different categories during the biennial championship.
This achievement is even more surprising when you consider that Team Philippines only had three months to prepare – it was not until then that funds were confirmed enabling travel to Prague . . . heard the story before? Various corporations (the Administration of La Mesa Dam, Pacific Star Travel and Sports Unlimited) and individuals thankfully added to the limited official funding of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) but even then the funds were only just enough to cover basic food and accommodation. Read about the dragon boat funding challenge in this separate article “Filipino World Champs in Prague” from the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation.
We at GetWet think that aspiring Filipino World Champions should not have to beg for funds in order to proudly fly the flag. We believe that Philippine corporations throughout the country should do more to help. It is Filipinos like members of the Champion Dragon Boat Racing team and (from an earlier story) the Champion Lawn Bowls team, in addition to the more celebrated Boxing team, who demonstrate the passion and excellence of the Filipino on the World stage, and their success attracts much needed tourism and investment dollars into the Philippines.
We are all benefiting so let’s all contribute. If you are interested to support any one Team Philippines team or to support all Team Philippines teams then please write to us here and we will put you in touch with the appropriate team leaders now, so that they will have the funds they need to ensure participation and victory.
For example, the next IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships will be held in Tampa, Florida, U.S.A., in 2011. Lets make the Team Philippines Dragon Boat Racing campaign for 2011 successful from the outset and help them bring home more medals and establish more World Records by removing the funding challenge.
If you want to see the dragon boat racing team practicing on the water then various groups can be cheered and applauded as they paddle furiously near the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) ferry terminal and in front of the Manila Bay Baywalk, most days when the water is reasonably flat. Or, catch the dragon boat racing team team on the Manila Bay webcam overlooking the CCP.
Congratulations Team Philippines Dragon Boat Racing!
Links:
Filipino World Champs in Prague by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation
Champion of Champions Men’s Lawn Bowls previous article
Manila Bay webcam