Bohol Glow-in-the-dark race

Elite PNP dragonboat crews

bag LED-lit paddle trophies

TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol (PIA)—Faced with the thrill of a night race lit by colorful light emitting diodes, where misjudging the paddle dip affects short explosive strokes and the full reach making timing a challenge, the elite Team B of the Philippine National Police (PNP B) capped a 58:45 second finish for the final round to be hailed champions for the premier open 12 crew of the first International Glow-in-the-dark DragonBoat challenge in Bohol, April 19.

PNP B came 18 microseconds ahead of its other team composed of non-fulltime paddlers but police athletes and maritime law enforcers in Team PNP A, whose dragon head hit the finish line at 58:63.

Already participating in international dragon boat races, Team PNP showed how form and discipline can be converted to speed and efficiency while making sure local teams composed of a mix of amateur and competitive paddlers can be convinced of the way how its should be done.

Nevertheless, Boholanos did not simply go down without allowing the guest athletes to pocket the stylized lit resin paddle trophies without breaking sweat.

Taloto Wild Dragons proved they can keep pace with the elites when the 12 man crew emptied their tanks for the sprint to the end in clean catching and dipping their paddles in long strokes with the practiced cadence to bag the second runner-up at official time of 58:94, nearly 30 halt seconds ahead of host association Bohol Paddlers Association Inc. who finished at 59:39.

In the premier women category: Team PNP women crossed the finish line at 1:02:26, a quarter of a boat ahead Bohol’s Taloto Wild Dragon Women who posted a 1:03:06, while visiting paddlers SurviveOars Leytenos Paddling Team Women clocked in at 1:03:75 official time.

Team PNP Women bagged the championship paddle, Taloto Wild Dragons women got the first runner up while SurviveOars Leytenos Paddling team women took home the second runner up.

In the premier seniors category, Sugbo Mighty Dragons boat surged to cap the championship at 1:09:78 while SurviveOars Leytenos Paddling Team took the first runner up with their 1:10:30.

Bohol’s Taloto Wild Dragons Seniors settled for second runner up with an official time of 1:10:25 while host organization’s team Bohol Paddlers Association Inc., settled for the third runner up.

Beyond the competition, the event felt like a massive homecoming, giving us the chance to reconnect with old faces from the dragon boat community and welcome new friends into the fold, wrote a paddler from Tacloban, Ann Yang (All about Yang), in her facebook account.

We truly enjoyed every second of this experience, and we want to extend a massive congratulations to all the organizers, sponsors, and every single person working behind the scenes who made this wonderful event possible, she added. (PIABohol)

AT HOME WITH THE SEA. Team PNP B, largely composed of PNP maritime group and athletes converted form, discipline and power into speed and efficiency to bag home the LED-lit paddle trophy of Bohol’s first International Dragon Boat Challenge at the Bohol Tropics Resort, April 19. (PIAbohol)