Manila: More than 1,500 paddlers from 26 countries will see action in the 2024 International Canoe Federation (ICF) Dragon Boat World Championships in the City of Puerto Princesa, Palawan on Oct. 28 to Nov. 4 It will be the first time a Southeast Asian country is hosting the world event that also serves a qualifying to the World Games to be held in Chengdu, China next year, Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation (PCKDF) president Len Escollante said. Powerhouse countries from Europe, such as the Czech Republic, Hungary, Ukraine and Russia are joining. In Asia, China will participate, too, along with India, which will have 150 athletes, and Thailand and Iran, which will send 80 each. The Philippines will be represented by 200 athletes who have been in Puerto Princesa since Sept. 26 following the juniors' training in Davao and the seniors in Tanay, Rizal. 'The paddlers alone, we expect over 1,500. Then we have other delegates. They are all excited to come here because they know that aside from the co mpetition, there will be other things to do in Puerto Princesa and Palawan,' Escollante said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila on Tuesday. 'This will also be good for our tourism.' A total of 54 gold medals are at stake in the 200m, 500m and 2,000m races. The Open national team division offers 18 gold medals, like the Masters 40-plus. Nine golds each will be awarded in the 50-plus and juniors for boys and girls. Escollante, a former paddler and volleyball player, also thanked Puerto Princesa Mayor Lucilo Bayron and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) for their all-out support. 'We're strong here (tournament) because our paddlers are young and at their peak,' Escollante said during the weekly session presented by PSC, San Miguel Corporation and Philippine Olympic Committee. In the 2018 edition, the Philippines bagged five golds, two silvers and one bronze in Atlanta, Georgia. The 2024 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships will be the biggest in terms of participating countries. In 2018, there were 18 while the 2022 edition hosted by the Czech Republic had 16. Source: Philippines News Agency
Wednesday, October 23, 2024