Philippine dragon boat team is victorious in Hungary

There are no waves strong enough to deter a determined team of dragon boaters.

This is what the Philippine contingent proved at the recently concluded 11th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) World Dragon Boat Championship where they claimed two silver and two bronze medals.

A highly competitive sports, the event took place in Hungary last July 24 to 28. And while the gold medal proved to be elusive this year, the runner-up wins showed that the Cobra Philippine Dragonboat Team is a promising bet, a team of players hungry to bring glory for the country.

“The determination and resilience of the Cobra PDBF team is what brought them to place in the World Championship. We are proud to be part of their success, and the team has proven that perseverance truly does pay off,” said Jef Mendoza, senior brand manager of Cobra Energy Drink.

During the press conference sponsored by Cobra, the team’s corporate sponsor, and the country’s leading energy drink, some of the players admitted they could have used more time to train, saying they only had three weeks to prepare. Also, they believed a longer period of time in the host country would have helped them acclimatized to the cold weather more.

Despite the shortcomings, there were no traces of regret or defeat from the players—only a touch of pride for keeping the country in the map of the Dragonboat world.

With over 30 countries, and about 40,000 athletes vying for World titles, the Cobra PDBF Team won in 4 categories: Silver in the 500-m mixed premier standard boat; Silver in the 200-m women’s small boat category; Bronze for the 500-m women’s small boat; and Bronze for the 200-m mixed premier standard boat.

Top competitors were teams from Canada, China, Australia, and the USA. The Philippine paddlers could only be proud that they have always placed in the Top 5 in the categories they competed in.

Despite the fact that this is the first time that the Cobra PDBF team entered the women’s category, the local rowers took home their first silver and bronze medals, ensuring the beginning of more successful competitions.

Some of the lady paddlers said they were very nervous going into the event, having had limited experience in international competitions. But more than anything else, they said they felt privileged for the opportunity to compete and prove themselves worthy of the medals they won.

It was their power, speed, and endurance that gave them their medals. But it was their will and determination that made them champions.

Said Mendoza: “Now on our 4th year as their top sponsor, Cobra will keep on supporting the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation. We have always believed in their abilities. Similar to how Cobra espouses the Filipino strength, energy, and power, our paddlers emanate these values, and we know that they will continue to make our country proud.”