PILI, Camarines Sur -- The Camarines Sur Dragon Boat Team fielded by Governor LRay Villafuerte displayed world caliber performance at the trial races run at Baywalk, Manila January 19 and 20 to qualify as one of the teams that will carry the Philippine flag at the 6th Club Crew World Championships slated August this year at Penang, Malaysia.

        In six events the local paddlers joined, the team won first place in four – men’s 200 meters, men’s 500 meters, men’s 2,000 meters and mixed team 2,000. The Camarines Sur team placed second in the 500 meters and fourth in the mixed team 200 meters.

        Times recorded by the team in all event joined were however well within the minimum world competition limits, earning the team to compete in all six race categories in the World Championships.

        Even as the unassuming Camarines Sur paddlers has lately been conceded among, if not the strongest dragon boat teams in the country, the team’s world-class performance at Manila Bay came as a shocking surprise to all the other elite teams at the trials, conclusively reinforcing the team’s globally-competitive stature and the most likely team to win the golds in the coming championships.

        In fact, final runs’ records during the trials showed the motley homegrown team of fishermen, nipa gatherers locally called “para-tiklad” and ordinary farmers living along the Bicol River bested by a decisive margin in the men’s category 2,000 meters the first place winning time of 9 minutes and 31.23 seconds in the biennial World Championships last held in Toronto, Canada in 2006. The hardy Camarines Sur paddlers negotiated the distance in 9 minutes and 4.04 seconds, close to half a minute faster and probably a world record in the category.

        Our team has a very good chance of winning in Penang, especially with over six more months to train and prepare, said coach Ruben Brazal who was instrumental in the equally successful first two stints of the team abroad, the first at the Sava Sprints in Singapore in September 2006 and the two-race excursion to Naning and Guangzho in China where the exposure to competing against foreign teams will be a plus factor for the men-paddlers.

        Coach Brazal admits that the team did not have as much training and preparation for the trials as he would have ordinarily given because of time constraints, in fact, the men trained seriously for about 10 days and 10 women-paddlers were recent recruits and did not have any competition experience at all. And yet, they performed very commendably.

        Governor Villafuerte, who delightfully received news of the team’s victory while at the Sinulog Festival in Cebu, assured them that he and the provincial government will be fully behind the team in terms of training logistics and participation in tune-up national competitions already scheduled by the Philippine Dragon Boat Federation before the team leaves for Penang, Malaysia.

        The team is set to participate next month in the Manila Dragons Cup at Lakeshore, Mexico, Pampanga, at the Dragon Cup at Baywalk, Roxas Blvd., Manila in March, the Earth Day Fluvial Parade in April, in the prestigious Boracay International Dragon Boat Races in May, and in June the Philippine Dragon Boad Federation Regatta and the dragon boat races of Araw ng Maynila also in June.

        Aside from the management officials composed of Governor LRay as team chairman, Ricky Magtuto as team manager, Ruben Brazal as team coach and Nikki T. Oriño as team coordinator, the Camarines Sur Dragon Boat team includes:

        Steersman Gerby R. Bergonio, signalman Jesus C. Bermundo, and men-paddlers Steuward Bermundo, Bernardo San Andres, Jr., Norberto E. Euste, Erwin M. Tayao, Edgar L. Tayao, Romeo F. Medina, Bernabe San Andres, Renante L. Borja, Rodel B. Peneda, Erwin V. Rivera, Alvin P. Tible, Jaime V. Buenszalida, Jr., Roberto Belencio, Jose San Juan, Jr., Gemo Villacote, Alex Villacote, Rommel Royales, Roberto Mahayhay, Santiago Aviera, Danilo Abordo, Ryan Abe, Dexter Rañon, Arnel Brazal, Jonathan Briliño, Michael Medina, Raymond Borja, Ronald Alimorong, Jimeniano Abarientos, Erwin Villacote, asin Noel Brabante.

        The women paddling component are Josephine Medina, Marilyn San Isidro, Linda Anay, Corazon Medina, Aiza San Isidro, Jeny Acayen, Gloria Boragay, Lally Mahayhay, Josephine Nolasco and Cristetuta Siruma.