April `11: Boracay Intl. Dragon Boat fest

[OceanBreezeInn]

1,000 rowers in Boracay Int’l Dragon Boat fest

At least 1,000 foreign and local rowers are expected to participate in the annual American Tourister Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival, which starts on April 28.

The tournament, to be officiated by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation, will be held at the beach front of the Boracay Regency Beach Resort and Convention Center.

The races, which will showcase the paddlers’ teamwork, camaraderie, strength and power, will have two main divisions -- the 500- and 300-meter races.

These divisions will be split to several subcategories: Men’s, Women’s and Mixed Open.

The tournament, touted as the biggest annual international water-sports event in the Philippines, will be presented by the Department of Tourism (DOT). It is organized by the Boracay Island Paddlers Association (BIPA) in cooperation with the Municipality of Malay.

The event will be covered by major news dailies and TV news programs like Sports Unlimited, Hard Ball, Mornings@ANC.

Tournament organizers will also hold night parties unique to dragon boat racing.

It kicks off with the parade of teams and the opening ceremony with the traditional dotting of the eye of the dragon by the title sponsor and guests of honor, introduction of participating teams followed by cocktails and music.

It will culminate with the awarding of trophies and medals to all champions and a farewell dinner for all participants, sponsors and guests.

The event runs from April 28 to April 30.

Dragon boat racing started in China some 2500 years ago and is considered one of the most popular sports in the world.

Source: abs-cbn