The RMMC Bluefins Dragon Boat Team of General Santos City emerged open small boat division champion in the 86th Araw ng Dabaw Dragon Boat Race held at the Davao Coastal Road, Tulip Drive, Ecoland.
Clocking one minute and 17.54 seconds, the RMMC Bluefins Dragon Boat Team raced past Davao City's Kampilan Dragon Boat Team and Gladiators Davao, who grabbed the second and third spots, respectively.
Kampilan timed 1:24.96, while Gladiators Davao registered 1:17.69 in the dragon boat competition that attracted 661 participants from 19 teams.
The CGY Oro Dragons, meanwhile, captured the mixed standard and women small boat championship titles.
CGY Oro Dragons checked in at 1:20.25 to rule the mixed standard class over the next two placers, Gladiators Davao Team A (1:22.35) and Amihan (1:30.29).
The Cagayan de Oro paddlers also topped the women small boat category with a time of 1:28.94, outclassing RMMC Bluefins (1:29.39), Amihan (1:30.38), and Ricspeed (1:33.94) who settled for the next three places.
Each champion team went home with the top P12,000 cash prize and a champion's trophy while the runner-up teams got P10,000 each and a trophy. The third placers received P5,000 and trophies.
Race organizer Clang Calolot said, "Given this is the first race since the pandemic, I can say that the event was a success. The race was run smoothly by the technical officials under the Philippine Canoe Kayak and Dragonboat Federation, the official NSA for dragon boat in the Philippines. We started on time and had no delays during the event."
She thanked the Davao City government through the Sports Development Division and the Philippine Canoe Kayak and Dragonboat Federation (PCKDF) for their support, ensuring the event's revival was a success following a three-year break due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Calolot also thanked their sponsors from the government and private sectors as well as their partner agencies Philippine Coast Guard, Central 911, Task Force Davao, City Transport and Traffic Management Office (CTTMO), City Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro), Barangay Bucana, and Matina Aplaya Elementary School.
The dragon boat race was part of the city-funded 27-event 86th Araw ng Dabaw Sports Festival. MLSA