BPAI hosts 1st int’l night

format dragonboat races

PANGLAO, Bohol (PIA)—Still rowing as one towards becoming a visible buoy in dragon boat racing, Bohol Paddlers Association Incorporated (BPAI) pulls out a 200 year-old tradition, slap in modern LED lights and hope to create neon ripples that radiate from the Bohol Tropics Resort of Tagbilaran City Bay to the world.

With its First Bohol Glow in the Dark International Dragon Boat Festival this April 18-19 at the Tagbilaran City Bay, BPAI adds up another trademark in its race events portfolio: this time a pioneering international night dragon boat racing, the first in Asia and possibly first in the world.

BPAI president Dr. Theodore Dumalu-an said the international dragon boat racing with visually stunning glow in the dark format, is a strategic initiative to position Bohol as a sports tourism hub and reflects the group’s commitment to sports tourism and community driven development, while generating substantial tourism revenues.

Aside from being a famed eco-cultural tourism destination, Bohol has also its bid becoming a strong sports tourism destination, to help its people escape from the grasp of poverty.

Offered as sanctioned by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation and in partnership with the Provincial and City Governments, the pioneering event is BPAI’s latest innovation in dynamic dragon boating.

BPAI formulated the highly rated “Ultimate Dragon Boat Race: an endurance non-stop 7-heats race,” that has since exhilarated paddling teams from across the country, when they offered it in 2024.

Considered a first in Philippine dragon boat racing circuit, the ultimate dragon boat has captivated teams whose paddlers intend to test their stamina and endurance in an epic paddling and clocking the shortest team time record.

Dumaluan said “when dragonboating was introduced, one concern was, we didn’t want a one-time deal, we planned for the sustainability, and we made our own boat, which assures us of sustainability.”

From then, the group envisioned ways to make the races even more competitive, thus the ultimate dragon boat race came out.

Formally organized in 2013 with PDBF, BPAI gathered paddlers who underwent rigid training in discipline and camaraderie, set it up, after successfully launching its first test of a local paddling competition.

After 13 years of existence, BPAI has organized local and officiated national events dragon boating events in Cebu, Negros Oriental, Dipolog City, Palompon, and even competed in international events, shared Aster Pocot, the group Vice President.

Now in time for the Saulog Festival season in Bohol, BPAI brings out the glow-in-the-dark race that would not just be a showcase of raw power in synchronized paddling, but also of synergy between sports development and tourism growth with potential tourism opportunities for Boholanos.

The competition opens for premier open, premier women and mixed masters categories of regular 200 meter sprint races in LED lit boats.

For this, with international teams from Canada, Malaysia and Japan already sending feelers to compete, BPAI dares: Mark your calendars, test your skills in this rare competition. (PIABohol)

PINNING BOHOL IN GLOBAL DRAGONBOATING MAP. Bohol Paddlers Association Inc President Dr Theodore Dumaluan with officers intend to showcase the daynamic nature of dragon boating when, after offering the exhilarating endurance race format, they hope the novel-glow in the dark night race would be another signature sports tourism product here. (PIAbohol)