Phil. Dragon Boat Team Rows Ahead Amidst Controversy
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 19 Aug 2011
Recognition or no recognition from the Philippine Olympic Committee, the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation will continue sending teams to future international competitions.National coach Nestor Ilagan, who guided the PDBF team bring home five gold medals and two silver medals in the recent 10th international Dragon Boat Federation world championships, yesterday assured that the local federation will retain its presence in international arenas even without the sanction of the POC and financial help from the Philippine Sports Commission.
Ilagan disclosed that before the year ends, the team, now known as the Philippine ?Dragon Warriors? in the world sporting community, is being readied to strut wares with their world-counterparts in races set late this year in Brunei, Singapore and Malaysia.
?The Filipino paddlers have been a force to reckon with in the world dragon boat scene this past many years and that distinction will stay,? Ilagan said in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura as he reacted to reports of some sectors, including congress, trying to put the PDBF under the Canoe-Kayak Federation.
Ilagan was referring to the POC?s withdrawal of recognition to the PDBF as the legal NSA in the sport and instead placing the federation under the canoe-kayak federation.
?Pinipilit kaming ma-under sa canoe-kayak para umano sa bansa.
Pero ang dragon boat at canoe-kayak ay talaga namang magkahiwalay na sports sa napakahaba nang panahon,? Ilagan explained. ?We have been competing in Asian, regional, continental and world championships at ganun din ang canoe-kayak, so what?s the fuss in that issue placing us under that federation?
The PDBF, according to Ilagan during the session, sponsored by Coca Cola Export, FILA, TV-5 and UNTV, is recognized by the Asian Dragon Boat Federation, which is recognized by OCA (Olympic Council of Asia). The POC recognized PDBF before as the national sports association for the sport.
?We cannot really understand why such recognition was withdrawn and only lately,? he said. ?To put the records straight, the national dragon boat team swept all the six gold medals in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games held here when we were still recognized by the POC, ?he recalled.
?And nobody questioned then the POC?S acknowledgement of us as the legitimate NSA. Bakit ngayon ay isinasailalim kami sa isang pederasyon na ang sport ay iba kesa sa amin?, he asked. ?At kung hindi kami papayag ay hindi kami ipadadala sa SEA Games this year.?
Ilagan thanked the support given them by the Lucio Tan Group of Companies and ABS-CBN network for making their trip to Tampa, Florida possible. He also acknowledged the financial incentives pledged by ABS-CBN, Manny V,. Pangilinan Group and the Lower House of Congress to members of the team.
Two members of the victorious team ? Rowena Enriquez and Thea Bartolome ? who accompanied Ilagan to the session, agreed with their mentor.
?Actually, hindi naman importante sa amin kung recognized man kami ng POC o hindi. Hindi rin naming inisip kung nabigyan kami ng pondo ng PSC o hindi. Without them, nag-sacrifice kami as athletes,? Enriquez told her audience.
?We trained on our own. Without monthly allowance that we were entitled to when the PDBF was still under the graces of the PSC and the POC,? she said. ?Pati pagkain naming at iba pang pangangailangan nanggagalling sa bulsa naming. Pero hindi kami umangal kasi para naman sa Pilipinas ang ginagawa naming.?
?That?s true,? Bartolome butted in. Me mga trabaho naman kami kaya na-a-afford naming mag-train sa sarili namin. Ni hindi nga kami naiinggit sa iba kasama naming sa national pool na tumatanggap tuwing araw ng suweldo mula sa PSC.?
?Ganun talaga ang buhay. Pinili naming maging atleta so, magtiis kami sa epekto ng pulitika sa sports at away ng mag lider. Mula noong mag-ensayo kamai hanggang lumipad na to U.S hirap ng katawan ang inabot namin,?
?Umalis kami ng walang naka[pansin maliban sa ilang sportswriter na sinulat kami.Sabi nga ni Rowie, para sa Pilipinas itong ginagawa naming. Yun lang ang ginamit naming insirasyon at motivation at salamat naman at nanalo kami,? Bartolome said.
?The bottom line here is, napatunayan naming na puede kaming manalo at magbigaay ng karangalan sa bansa kahit na hindi kami kinikilala nung mga dapat ay kumilala sa amin,? Bartolome said. ?Ngayon na pa ba kami titigil??
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