PHILIPPINE Navy Staff Sgt. Nelson de la Noche helped paddle the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) team to win two gold medals, a silver and a bronze in the just-concluded 1st Dragon Boat World Cup held June 10 to 12 in Fuzhou, China.
The national squad won the 100-meter premier mixed event with 23.445 seconds as Canada finished second place with 23.825 and host-China in third with 24.049.
The Filipino paddlers also captured the gold in the 500-meter premier mixed event with a time of 2:03.693 seconds against host-China, which settled for second with 2:03.941, and Canada with 2:04.553.
The Filipinos also claimed a gold and two silver medals in the recent 11th Asian Dragon Boat Championship held last May 30 to 31 in Macau.
De la Noche said they thanked Julius Flores, Philippine Consul-General in Xiamen, for helping them during their stay in China. Flores is also a native of Bacolod City. (HGD)