Army, PAF top Cobra dragon boat tilt

MANILA, Philippines - Army and Air Force shared the spotlight as they dominated the 2013 Cobra Energy Drink Dragon Boat Regatta at the Manila Bay recently.

Fresh from their stint in the recent IDBF World Dragon Boat Championships in Hungary, the Army paddlers stamped their class and topped the 300-meter men’s standard Open division race in a fast time of one minute and 8.14 seconds.

“Majority of the members of this team saw action in Hungary that’s why they’re in top form,” said Army team skipper Sgt. Ronald Tan, whose squad served as the backbone of the PDBF-Cobra contingent that won a pair of silver and bronze medals in the IDBF worlds.

Buhi-Camsur placed second (1:09.98) while dark horse Lake Buhi, which won the opening leg but just recently returned to training, was relegated to third place (1:10.67) in the event backed by Cobra, the country’s leading energy drink, and also supported by Cetaphil, Lufthansa and Manila Water Co.

The Air Force rowers, meanwhile, made an impressive debut in the Cobra Regatta series, ruling the mixed 300-meter standard (1:15.40) and the women’s Open division 300-meter small boat event (1:26.16).

“We are pleased with the outcome of our initial performance in the competition and are here to stay,” an Air Force spokesperson said.

Coast Guard took runner-up honors in the mixed division (1:16.86), nosing out third-placer Triton (1:17.04) while Triton A (1:29.76) and RCP Sea Dragon (1:32.08) were second and third, respectively, in the women’s race of the event also supported by Manila Ocean Park and Ticketway travel agency.