The country’s hosting of the 2024 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships will open a door of opportunity for Filipino paddlers raring to see action on the international stage.
Aside from the various local squads that will compete during the Oct. 28-Nov. 4 meet, the national team has strengthened its junior ranks in a training camp that the Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation set up in Davao City.
From 21 junior men paddlers and eight women, PCKF president Leonora Escollante said they’d recruited more paddlers from Davao City, Iligan City, Zamboanga City, Samal Island, San Miguel, Leyte, Paoay, Ilocos Norte, Cebu City, Cagayan, Manila and Calbayog City.
“They’ve been training for over a month now. We will make sure that our junior paddlers will be competitive during the world championships,’’ said Escollante. whose under-18 paddlers now ballooned to 38 male and 19 female.
Davao City Mayor Sebastian Duterte hosted the training of the junior paddlers at the base camp through the help of Clarice Jane Calolot and Rey Sumagaysay.
Coached by John Paul Selencio and Ronald Tan, the junior team for the worlds will be finalized a month before the competition as the nation aims to corner a great fraction of the medals at stake.
At least 20 countries have already confirmed their attendance as the PCKF and host Puerto Princesa City Mayor Lucilo Rodriguez Bayron expect a much bigger turnout compared to the previous editions of the world championships.
With still five months away, the Philippines has already surpassed the participation of 15 countries back in 2022 when Racice, Czech Republic hosted the worlds with the organizers anticipating a much bigger record entry.
Filipino paddlers snagged the overall title during the 2018 worlds held at Lake Lanier Olympic Park in Gainsville, Georgia, United States by topping the 10-seater and 20-seater senior mixed 200-meter and 500m races.
At that time, they also brought home silver medals in the big boat mixed 2000m and small boat men’s 500m.
An estimated 3,500 paddlers from 35 to 50 countries across the globe are anticipated to see action in the world championships, all of them eager to experience one of the most elite beach destinations on the planet.
The PCKDF and the organizing committee together with the ICF, are looking forward to witnessing all national dragon boat teams to race in the 200 meters, 500m and 2000m distances.
The Philippine Canoe and Kayak Federation (PCKF) is the governing body of all paddling sports in the Philippines, which include canoe and kayak sprints, slalom canoe, stand-up paddling (SUP) outrigger canoe ocean racing and dragon boat.
The PCKF is a regular member of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), the South East Asian Traditional Boat Association, the Asian Canoe Confederation (ACC), and the ICF as recognized as such by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC).
