Dragon boat team ready for foreign battle

MANILA, Philippines — An Army elite “Dragon” force is now up and ready to “wage” war in foreign waters.

Composed of a 31-man team of athletes and officials, the Dragon force is heading to Pattaya, Thailand for the 14th International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) Championships to be held Aug. 20 to 25.

“The bulk of the elite team of paddlers from the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation is composed of 24 soldiers from the Army, two airmen from the Air Force and five civilian athletes,” said Lt. Col. Harold Cabunoc, the Army Dragon team manager.

Cabunoc said the team has been training hard for months for the event to be participated in by thousands of paddlers from across the globe.

“Aside from our rigorous training, we have also taken care of our dietary requirements including nutrition supplements. We have emerged stronger and more focused in claiming more victories for the country,” Cabunoc said.

Cabunoc had steered the team to multiple gold medals in the world championships. The rowing team had bagged five golds and two silvers during the 2011 World Championships in Tampa, Florida. 

Three years later, as an Army Club Crew, the team bagged two golds during the World Club Crews Dragon Boat Championships in Ravenna, Italy in 2014, and four golds in the same event held in Adelaide, Australia in 2016.

T/Sgt Usman Anterola, the head coach and boat captain, led the daily training activities of the world-renowned team.

“We count on the high state of discipline and comradeship of our crew. We are focused in claiming victory in this race,” Anterola said.

Another veteran in the world championships, T/Sgt. Romy John Dionio is hopeful that the team will break their previous record of five golds.