MYANMAR secured the fifth place at the 14th World Dragon Boat Racing Championship, which was held in Pattaya, Thailand, from 21 to 25 August.
Team Myanmar won four gold medals, four silver medals, and five bronze medals in 15 competitions at the tourney.
Myanmar secured the gold medals in the U-24 Premier Open women’s 500-meter race, U-24 women’s 200-meter race, men and women 2,000-meter small boat race, and U-24 men’s 2,000-meter race.
Around 4,000 athletes from 30 countries,including Germany, Ukraine, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Great Britain, Italy, France, Japan, Sweden, the Philippines, India, Iran, the United States, China (Taipei), Russia, Spain, Switzerland, Singapore, Indonesia, and host Thailand, took part in the 14th IDPF World Dragon Boat Racing Championship.
“I led the Myanmar athletes in the championship. A total of 4,000 athletes from 30 countries took part in the championship. We were a team of only 40 athletes, and we first intended to compete in 18 competitions.
However, we only took part in 15 competitions as we didn’t have enough athletes for 18 competitions. We are satisfied as we got 13 medals from the 15 competitions we took part in. As it was a world-level championship, we are very proud of the federation as well as the country,” said U Kyaw Kyaw Hlaing, the vice president of the Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation. The athletes were welcomed at the Yangon International Airport by U Soe Aung, the Principal of Yangon’s Institute of Sports and Physical Education, Yangon’s Sports and Physical Education Department Director U Aung Moe and officials, patrons, vice presidents and executives of the Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation, students from Yangon’s Institute of Sports and Physical Education, and relatives and parents of the athletes. — Arkar Soe
