PH teams top int’l dragon boat race

DAVAO WINS Kampilan of Davao City wins the 200-meter small mixed major finals during the First Surigao International Dragon Boat Summer Festival, an event participated in by 20 local and four foreign teams.—ERWIN MASCARIÑAS

SURIGAO CITY — Filipino paddlers from this city, Davao City and Leyte province had beaten foreign teams, among them competitors from China and Hongkong, during the First Surigao International Dragon Boat Summer Festival held here last week.

In the 200-meter standard open finals, Bugsay Marajao of Surigao City clocked in first with 47.10 seconds, followed by Sugbu Mighty Dragons (47.84 seconds) and Manila’s RCP Sea Dragons (49.84 seconds). Cebu’s Umagu-Black Manta was fourth with 52.13 seconds.

Leyteños Paddlers topped the 200-meter small mixed minor finals with 1:01:13.

China’s Knight Dragons Guangzhou was second with 1:02:55, while Hongkong’s Rising Dragons came in third with 1:03:66. BSU Tacloban finished fourth with 1:04:24.

New teams

In the 200-meter small mixed major finals, Kampilan from Davao City took the top spot with 57:88 seconds, followed by Surigao City’s Bugsay Marajao at 59:78. Third place went to FSUU Alumni with 1:00:73, while Speed Devilz, a team from Manila, was fourth at 1:01:75.

“We were happy that even though we were one of the newer teams, we were able to meet the other teams head on and gave our best to be on top of our category. We hope to join more races in the next few months,” said Archie Suma of Leyteños Paddlers.

For the participating foreign teams, it was not really about the prize but the spirit of competition.

Exciting, fun

Steven Lim of the Orient Dragons from Penang, Malaysia, said the event was both exciting and fun.

“We are glad to be here. The sea is not as calm … but we like the water very much,” said Lim, whose team was formed only in December last year.

Mayor Ernesto Matugas said the international dragon boat competition on Saturday was the first event of its kind that his city had hosted.

“After the successful event, we plan to do this every year,” Matugas said. “There might be lapses and shortcomings but overall, the event has been a huge success. We will learn from this experience.”

He said a bigger event would be held next year.—ERWIN MASCARIÑAS