PUERTO PRINCESA, Philippines — The Philippine dragon boat team kicked off its ICF Dragon Boat World Championships campaign with an impressive haul, securing two silver and four bronze medals during Thursday’s races in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
Competing internationally for the first time, the Philippines’ junior team captured a silver medal in the 2,000-meter small boat event with a time of 10 minutes and 15.51 seconds.
“This is a solid start for the team, especially given that they only began training together in August,” said head coach Duch Co.
The junior team, comprised of athletes like Fiona Reign Minsing, Carla Joy Cabugon, and Ivan Ercilla, displayed remarkable skill.
The hosts also earned a silver in the women’s masters 2,000-meter small boat event, clocking in at 14:04.67 early in the morning.
Additionally, the team collected bronzes in the junior men’s, women’s open, 40+ Open, and 50+ Open races in the 2,000-meter small boat events.
Crucially, the team placed 10th in the mixed 2,000-meter race with a time of 9:46.34, one of the three key events for determining which top nine nations will qualify for the World Games in Chengdu, China, next year.
In a field of 18 teams, coach Co highlighted that racing ninth posed challenges due to the wake left by earlier boats.
“I’m not making excuses, but starting later can make the race harder,” Co noted, adding that “strong steering skills” are essential in such situations. Veteran team skipper OJ Fuentes commended the team’s performance.
Coach Co pointed out that Southeast Asian rivals Indonesia and Thailand placed second (9:30.99) and fifth (9:37.17), respectively, and observed that with a prior qualification in the ICF Dragon Boat World Cup, the Philippines is now effectively ranked No. 8 in the race for World Games slots.
As the event host, China is automatically guaranteed one of the ten available spots for dragon boat sports in the World Games.