PHL dragon boat team bags silver, bronze in world championships

Published August 2, 2013 3:41am

The Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) did the country proud, winning four medals in the recently-concluded 11th IDBF Dragon Boat World Championship in Szeged, Hungary.

More than 4,000 athletes from over 30 countries participated in the championships at the Tisza River and Szeged Olympic Center from July 23 to 28, the Department of Foreign Affairs said.

In a news release late Thursday, the DFA said the Philippines won in:

Silver:

200-meter premier small boat category (women) won by Thailand
500-meter premier standard boat (mixed) won by China

Bronze:

500-meter small boat (women) won by Thailand followed by Chinese Taipei
200-meter premier standard boat (mixed) category won by China, followed by Canada.

"Out of all the teams in the said event, the Philippine team always placed in the Top Five of the qualifying heat, semifinal or finals in all the categories they competed in," the DFA said.

The 43-member PDBF headed by its president Marcia Cristobal arrived in Hungary last July 23.

Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Eleanor Jaucian and the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy supported them.

Also, the local Filipino community supported the team, giving them food, drinks and cheers.

"Filipinos said that they were proud to have been represented in the championships against strong national teams such as Canada, China, Australia, the USA and other nations. The Philippine team proved that despite all the odds that they faced to get to Hungary, their strong will and determination contributed to their successful performance," the DFA said. — ELR, GMA News

Tags: dragonboat