The Philippine SAG-1 dragon boat team ruled the 4th Guam Thanksgiving Day Dragon Boat Festival in Guam, USA bagging six gold medals, Nov 23 and 24.
Working professionals compose the SAG-1 team and they train on weekends.
The team won in the mixed races and in the women’s division.
“We were overwhelmed with the results, but I also believe that the two months of hard training by the team led us to victory,” SAG-1 Dragon Boat team captain Michael Lara said.
“We are not just a club team once we join an international event. Every stroke of our paddles is dedicated to the Philippines. We are grateful to represent our country in international competitions such as this one,” Ric Nacional the team’s head coach added.
The group hopes that their victory will make the sport popular. Dragon boat racing is popular among Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) in the UAE with about 10 active teams, some of which also compete in international events.
Guam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan also participated in the competition.
