Filipino Paddlers Win 3 Golds In 2016 Asian Dragon Boats Finals

Filipino men and women paddlers did not give up in a close fight and ended winning three gold medals in the 2016 Asian Dragon Boat Championships.

The Filipino men and women paddlers have proven that they are more than just familiar in the race course by claiming three gold medals in the 2016 Asian Dragon Boat Championships.

The Filipino paddlers dominated the 20-seater men’s 500 meter event as well as the 10-seater junior mixed 500 meter and small boat women’s 200 meter events before a huge crowd at the Baywalk Area in the city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan province.

Aside from the gold medals, the Filipino peddlers also garnered silver medals in the small boat men and women 500 meter events.

Filipino paddlers
The Filipino paddlers during the 2016 Asian Dragon Boat Championships.

They finished the race at 1:52.720 in the standard boat men’s 500 meter, leaving the Chinese Taipei, which finished 1:57.602, a full boat behind at the finish during the opening of the two-day race event organized by the Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation and top Puerto Princesa City officials led by Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

While the men’s team won with plenty to spare, the junior team had to push harder for the Filipino paddlers to nip Chinese Taipei by a split second at the line.

The junior team, headed by Ojay Fuentes and Herme Macaranas, finished at 2:10.387 time before Mr. Canoe of Taipei checked in at 2:11.197.

According to coach Diomedes Manalo, the race was too close but the Filipino paddlers did not give up. He was quoted saying: “I guess out familiarity of the course helped us a lot”.

Meanwhile, the women’s team got the small boat 200 meters title for the first time after edging Thailand and Indonesia with a 54.453 clocking.

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