1 August 2013 - The Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) won four medals in the recently concluded 11th IDBF Dragon Boat World Championship in Szeged, Hungary, where more than 30 countries and about 4,000 athletes from all over the world participated in these championships held at the Tisza River and Szeged Olympic Center from July 23 to 28.
The Philippines won in the following categories: silver for the 200-meter premier small boat category (women) won by Thailand; silver in the 500-meter premier standard boat (mixed) won by China; bronze for the 500-meter small boat (women) won by Thailand followed by Chinese Taipei; and bronze for the 200-meter premier standard boat (mixed) category won by China, followed by Canada.
Out of all the teams in the said event, the Philippine team always placed in the Top 5 of the qualifying heat, semi-final or finals in all the categories they competed in.
The 43-member PDBF headed by its President, Ms. Marcia Cristobal, arrived in Hungary on July 23 right in time for the registration of the teams. They were greeted by Philippine Ambassador to Hungary Eleanor L. Jaucian and the officers and staff of the Philippine Embassy during the opening ceremonies of the event until the actual races, providing food, drinks and moral support. The small but resilient Filipino community also came during the weekend to support the team, also providing the team with food, drinks and cheers. Filipinos said that they were proud to have been represented in the championships against strong national teams such as Canada, China, Australia, the USA and other nations. The Philippine team proved that despite all the odds that they faced to get to Hungary, their strong will and determination contributed to their successful performance. END
