IT HAS been smooth sailing for the Tiger Dragons as they clinched their third straight Inter-collegiate Dragon Boat Regatta crown and placed third in an international rowing competition.
The UST Rowers finished the local Regatta competition in the men’s 500-m last Oct. 14 at the Manila Bay in four minutes and 57 seconds. De La Salle University came in second at five minutes and eight seconds, while the University of the Philippines Dragon Boat team came in third at five minutes and nine seconds.
“We will always be proud to be the first to accomplish such feat,” team captain Chris Cueto told the Varsitarian.
The competition is composed of two races wherein the participants’ records in both races are added to determine the winner. UST placed first in both races in two minutes and 26 seconds and two minutes and 31 seconds, respectively.
Another UST team composed of neophyte rowers also placed third in the second race in two minutes and 39 seconds.
Earlier, the Tiger Dragons placed third in the 2006 China Tianjin Tanggu Cup International Dragon Boat Invitational Tournament (500-m, mixed) for university students last Sept. 29 to Oct. 5 at the Haihe River in China.
Pitted against more experienced teams from Europe and Canada, the Tiger Dragons refused to waver and clocked in at two minutes and 13 seconds for a podium finish. Italy’s Venetian University won the race in two minutes and nine seconds, while the Far Eastern National University from Russia finished in two minutes and 12 seconds to land second.
The Tiger Dragons were the first Philippine Rowing Team to compete in the event. They qualified to join the event after previously winning two straight inter-collegiate rowing titles in the country. Raymond Jude M. Dumaual
