The Dumaguete City Tourism Office gears up for an exciting summer by holding the 2017 Dragon Boat Challenge on April 8, at the Rizal boulevard.
The Dragon Boat Race is one of the oldest paddling races that started in China as a festival 2,000 years ago. Now, it is one of the fastest growing and most recognized water sports that is being held in countries all over the world, including the Philippines. And Dumaguete, the city beside a beautiful body of water, has already hosted four dragon boat races since 2014.
Mayor Felipe Antonio “Ipe” Remollo has expressed his full support to the dragon boat challenge as a testament to the city’s growing reputation as a sports tourism destination of choice of enthusiasts seeking more interesting venues for their races.
The Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge 2017 is expected to draw in some 20 dragon boat teams from all over the country, and will be joined by some of our own homegrown teams–the Hilera, Fitbox and Foundation University.
The race has two categories: Standard Boat/300 meters for Open, Mixed, and Inter-Barangay teams; and Short Boat/300 meters for Open, Mixed, Women, and Inter-Barangay teams.
Registration is still going on at the City Tourism Office, at P500 per paddler, inclusive of race singlet and post-race socials. The Office is inviting more teams from all over the region to participate in this fun and exciting event. Deadline for registration is March 15, 2017.
The technical operation of the 2017 Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge will be handled by the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation Inc. (PCKDFI), accredited by the Philippine Olympic Committee and recognized by the Philippine Sports Commission, as the governing organization for all paddling sports in the Philippines.
The City Tourism Office, headed by City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso-Antonio, and the City Sports Development Office, headed by Ike Xavier Villaflores, are the lead agencies of this year’s Dragon Boat Challenge, with the objective to promote water sports in Dumaguete, being a coastal city. Dragonboat races are also excellent team building activities that likewise foster fitness and good health, and to further develop friendly competition among the participants.
It may not be for everyone, but for the crowd or audience watching, dragonboat races are colorful and visually spectacular, and the power, harmony and synchronicity of purpose and movement can be exciting and exhilarating.
The 2017 Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge is co-presented by the City Government of Dumaguete and the Dumaguete Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce, and supported by the Department of Tourism, Silliman University, Double Dragon Properties Corp., Oceanic Container Lines, Inc., Pau d’ Arco, and other tourism partners.
In a related development, a Dragon Boat Sport Clinic will be held on April 6 and 7 in Dumaguete City which will be facilitated by the Philippine National Dragonboat Team, just fresh from their gold finish at the International Dragonboat Race in Russia last year.
Registration is now going on at the City Tourism Office, Quezon Park. Registration fee is P150.00 per paddler. Only limited slots are available to guarantee that each participant will get the attention and focus of experienced dragon boat coaches.
Participants in the Dragon Boat Sport Clinic will be trained in paddling basics and the principles and techniques of dragonboat racing.
For more information, either about the 2017 Dumaguete Dragon Boat Challenge or the Dragon Boat Sport Clinic, please call the City Tourism Office, 225-0549 and 422-9409, or email at tourismdgte@gmail.com.
