25 teams sign in for Sandugo

Ultimate Dragon boat festival

TAGBILARAN CITY, June 29 (PIA) –Slots are fast filling but Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated (BPAI), the Provincial Government’s partner in the 2023 Bohol Island Sandugo Dragon Boat Festival regatta said they can still accommodate three more slots in the dragon boating’s history of its first ultimate race for the festival.

Dr. Theodore ‘Doyet’ Dumaluan, BPAI president said the new race format, which they offer for the Sandugo Ultimate Race involves a test of endurance, skills, efficiency, discipline and teamwork that paddlers must possess.

To date, according to organizers, 17 teams joining the ultimate races include Dauis Wild Dragons, Dalipuga of Iligan City Lanao del Norte, Hilera Muzuchi of Dumaguete City, Alliance of Masters Dragon Boat Club, PADS (Philippine Accessible Disability Service) Dragon Boat racing Team of Cebu, Waray Bugsay Dragon Boat Crew of Tacloban City, Surviveoars Leyte paddling Team, Haguroz Dragon Boat Team of Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Cebu Mighty Dragons.

One Piece Dragon Boat Team Drakon Sangres of Pasay City, Manila, Dumaguete Yellowfins, Bomba Pilipinas Dragon Boat team of Ermita Manila, Ric Speed Dragon Boat team of Davao, Cebu Pink Paddlers, Maya Silliman University (MAYA SU) Red Blades of Mayacabac, Dauis, Atty Jordan Pizarras Paddlers of Totolan Dauis, , Boracay All Star and Dagun Pilipinas Dragon Boat Team of Manilaand LGU organized teams like Hibatang Paddlers of Calbayog Samar and San Jose Banati Dragon, bared Aster Pocot, BPAI officer and paddling instructor.

Other LGUS which are also looking at the possibility of organizing their teams are coming, organizers said.

The race involves a non-stop paddling for 7 heats of over 3 kilometers with five-minutes of ‘recovery time’ after every heat.

That recovery time however still means paddling at non race speed back to the starting line.

And when the standard dragon boat races involve regular sequence of boarding on for a heat and then disembarking to await for another heat; this race in Bohol is the ultimate.

The teams first paddle for the 200 meters, turn around and are given five minutes to be at the starting line again for the next heat would be started, with or without them. It’s 4 heats at 200 meters and then another 3 heats are 300 meters. The team with the shortest aggregate time wins, explain the organizers during the recent Kapihan sa PIA in support of the Sandugo Festival in July.

For those who will race with us, they are assured of 7 heats, unlike when you join the standard dragon boat races where if you are unlucky, the best you can do is two heats, according to Dr Dumaluan.

Himself an avid paddler efficiently managing his time as a sought-after eye-ear-nose-throat specialist, Dumaluan, who uses Doyet the Paddler tag on facebook, commented, “you train for two to three months, and you can only paddle for two heats?”

Bohol Island Dragon Boat Ultimate Race happens on July 22 to 23 at the Miramar Promenade at the back of the Dauis Church, and is open for teams who can put up an open small boat entry, small boat for women, and standard boat mixed competition, where each category has to complete the 7 heats before they can be eliminated.

For the small boat competitions, the team must be composed of 10 paddlers, a steersman and a drummer.

All teams must have an entry in all categories or they can not be included in the over-all rankings, as to the competition rules.

Other than these, the festival also opens to small boat senior competition, which is not included in the team points or ranking.

The seniors’ category assure the crew of at least 4 heats of 300 meter races with three-minutes of recovery upon which they have to return to the starting line to get to their newly assigned lane and prepare for another heat.

And still another exciting race is the Masters category, which would be joined by 8 teams, set on the second day of competitions. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

RAISING THE BAHRR. Dragon boating, although clearly competitive sports, boosts tourism sales of a place. A team competing in the 2023 Sandugo Ultimate races come in the minimum of 30 paddlers and their families, who would be staying here for at least 3 days. At 50 persons per team and at 25 teams, imagine the revenues they leave Bohol? Now, you would’nt ask why Bohol Association of Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants are financing a dragon-boat. (PIABohol/GLumayagfoto)