PWD dragon boat team

Bags two race trophies

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol, July 20, (PIA)—A team composed of persons with disabilities (PWD) proves they too can be competitive in a sport that banks on strength, endurance and timing to bring out a winning teamwork on a small boat by netting two championship awards in the recently concluded Sandugo 2019 Dragon Boat Festival held at the Miramar Promenade here.

Fresh from their international dragon boat feats, Philippine Accessible Disability Services (PADS) Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team of Cebu City marked history again in Bohol for perfect paddling to steer into winning the Sandugo 2019 women’s category and sopen masters category.

This year, 11 teams competed in the race.

Composed of amputees, deaf and blind, PADS team has always worked on the motto that says “Our combined disabilities are our greatest strengths,” has shown again that disability is no barrier to being winners.

PADS Adaptive Dragon Boat Racing Team beat Bohol favorites: Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates and Dauis Wild Dragons in the 300 meter race, the locals have to content themselves by settling as first runner up and second runner up in the day long race at the Tagbilaran City-Dauis Strait July 20.

The race, sponsored by Bohol Paddlers, the Department of Tourism, Provincial Government of Bohol, City of Tagbilaran and Municipality of Dauis, opened to the following categories: Small boat Women, small boat open, Small Boat mixed, small boat open Masters, and small boat mixed masters plus standard boat mixed category attracted teams like Aboitiz Dragon Boat (Cebu), Bagsik Dragon Boat Racing Team (Tacloban) , Cebu Fireblade (Cebu), Dauis Wild Dragons A (Bohol), Dauis Dragon Warriors A (Bohol), Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A (Bohol), Lions, Motley Crew, Nagabugsay (Cebu), Pundok Amila (Bohol), Sugbo Mighty Dragons (Cebu) and Bohol Paddlers.

In the small boat Open Category, claiming the Championship was Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A, followed by Cebuano Sugbu Mighty Dragons for first Runner Up and Pundok Amila (Bohol) as second runner up.

For the small boat Mixed category, champion was Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A, followed by NAGAbugsay Dragonboat Racing Team (Cebu) and Dauis Wild Dragon A

as second runner up.

In the small boat Open Masters category, PADS again emerged as champions, while the first runner up went to Bohol Paddlers Association Inc, and the next winner was Aboitiz Dragonboat Team

In the small boat, Mixed Master category, Sugbu Mighty Dragons snatched the championship while 1st RU was PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team.

For mixed standard boat Category, Dauis Wild Dragons A picked the prize as champion while Dumaluan Beach Resort Pirates A won as first runner up and PADS Adaptive Dragonboat Racing Team won second.

PADS trophies this might might just be a bonus, winning the recognition and admiration from the clearly unimpaired on the Natioanl Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week is a reaounding shoutout to those PWDs who refuse to come out.

Not only is there life after sulking, there is even a victory for the determined. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

FRENZIED PADDLING. Strength, endurance, stamina, cadence make up a winning teamwork as dragonboat paddlers compete for the fastest time in 300 meters race, during the Sandugo Dragon Boat Festival July 20 at the Tagbilaran City Strait. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)