Cobra paddlers brace for World tilt in Canada

MANILA, Philippines - The Cobra Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) team seeks to live up to its lofty billing and make waves once again when it races in the 12th World Nations Championships slated Aug. 19-23 in Welland, Ontario, Canada.

“We’re targeting at least three gold medals,” PDBF official Rhowie Enriquez said yesterday.

Owners of standing world records in the men’s open 200-meter and 100-meter distances, the Pinoy paddlers have been training thrice-a-day, daily except on Sundays in Manila Bay determined to meet their goals in the event to be held at the Welland International Flatwater Centre.  

“Grabe ang training namin kaya kundisyon ang tropa (We’ve been undergoing vigorous training so everyone is in top shape),” said men’s team captain Alberto Hugo, who serves as pacer for the team.

“Talagang pinaghahandaan namin itong championship; nagpe-prepare kami since June pa before kami lumabas sa Macau at Hong Kong, tuloy-tuloy lang ang training (Our preparations have actually begun last June when we trained for previous races in Macau and Hong Kong and we haven’t stopped since).”

The 17-member Phl delegation, a mixed of athletes from Navy/Marines and civilians, will leave for Canada on Aug. 17. The Pinoy paddlers will vie in six events in the mixed and men’s divisions in the 200m, 500m and 2,000m distance races for small boats, expecting to strike mints in the mixed events and the short distance races.

“Sa tingin namin, malaki ang chance naming manalo doon (We feel good about our chances of winning,” said Riza Cananoy, skipper of the women’s team.

“One hundred percent positive ako sa mixed half boat, all categories. Sa men’s naman, hindi rin tayo papatalo, kahit may dalawang babae sa men’s team, ensayado naman sila kaya lalaban at lalaban tayo (I’m 100 percent positive about our chances in the mixed half boat. As for the men’s open events, where we’ll field two females, we’ll be there fighting),” said Hugo.

The Cobra PDBF team vaulted into international fame when it set the world mark in the men’s open 200-meter lingoat in 2009 in Amsterdam. Two years later, the Phl paddlers shattered it while setting a new record in mixed standard. In the 2011 edition, it collared six golds in six events. But in 2013 in Hungary, it came home with two silvers and one bronze. Last year, Phl erected a new standard in 100m in the World Cup.

The Pinoys said they expect host Canada, China, the US, as well as Thailand and Chinese-Taipei to be their fiercest rivals in the 16-nation meet.