The Philippine dragon boat team is gearing up for the 2025 World Games in Chengdu, China, after securing their spot with a stellar performance at the ICF World Championships.
The team achieved its best-ever finish in the world meet, clinching 11 gold, 20 silver, and 8 bronze medals, and securing a spot among the top 10 nations, alongside Hungary, Malaysia, Spain, Ukraine, Chinese Taipei, Czechia, Cambodia, and the Individual Neutral Athletes (AIN) from Russia. Thailand and Indonesia, finishing second and third overall, respectively, and China, as the host nation, had already secured their berths.
Despite this historic achievement, national team coach Duch Co remains focused on future competitions. The team will celebrate their victory but quickly shift their attention back to training.
"We only had a few months to prepare, and we started later than some military athletes, so the team had to make significant adjustments. But I'm happy with their performance. We know we can improve even more," said Co.
While the team's overall performance was impressive, Co identified areas for improvement, particularly in power and nutrition.
"We know where we're lacking. We need to improve our strength conditioning and, most importantly, our nutrition. Proper supplementation is crucial," she emphasized, highlighting the team's fifth-place finish in the mixed 200m (52.13 seconds) and tenth-place finish in the mixed 2000m (9:46.34).
"We still lack power compared to other teams. Nutrition is a major factor, and it's something we need to address," she added.
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