Enter the dragon...boat

MANILA, Philippines - Dragon boat paddling is a sport rooted in ancient traditions. Its origin is intertwined with the life of China’s Great Poet, Qu Yuan (340-278 BC).

Qu Yuan was a brilliant statesman and diplomat. Legend has it that in protest over a corrupt government, he threw himself into the Mei Lo River.

The townspeople, knowing him to be a good man, rode on their boats in an attempt to rescue him but were too late. They beat their paddles in the river, banged on drums and gongs, threw rice in the river to divert the attention of the fish so as to preserve the body of the patriot. 

This occurred over 2,000 years ago, thus making dragon boat the earliest of water sports.

Modern dragon boat races started in the 1970s, in Hong Kong, spreading to over 60 nations worldwide. It aims at propelling a single-keeled flat-bottomed boat over a prescribed length. 

Uniformity of the paddlers’ strokes and synchronicity are key elements in dragon boat racing. Often it is said that in dragon boat, the strength of one paddler is the strength of all – making dragon boat racing the ultimate of team sports.   

Dragon boat racing is slated to be an exhibition sport at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. The Philippines’ national dragon boat team is under the Philippine Sports Commission’s Philippine Canoe and Kayak Federation. The team has repeatedly broken world records and has just recently won six gold medals and a silver one at the International Canoe Federation’s World Dragon Boat championships held in Milan, Italy last Aug. 30.  

How to be a dragon in Manila

Organized in 1991, the Manila Dragons Dragon Boat Rowing team is one of the pioneer dragon boat clubs in the country. It has won numerous local and international competitions; the most recent wins being the 2011 Diamond Cup (mixed category) in Hong Kong’s King of World competition where they bested 36 foreign teams. The Manila Dragons placed fifth among 91 teams at that Festival.  

Locally, at the 2012 Ibalong Festival in Legaspi City, the team placed second for overall outstanding performance.

The team has among its ranks an ultra-marathonist, a triathlete, badminton players, cyclists, divers, an aikido aficionado, runners, a yoga instructor and a wrestler; as well as occasional weekend athletes. While athletic prowess is not a must, anyone interested in joining the club should be able to swim at least 100 meters. Age and sexual persuasions are non-issues.

If you are interested in the sport, please contact Doris [email protected] or Odessa [email protected].