PADS paddlers sail for CdO’s Kagayhaan race

The Philippine Accessibilty Disability Services, Inc. (PADS) Adaptive Dragon Boat Team is looking to extend their winning run as they compete in the 2nd Kagayhaan Gold Cup Dragon Boat Competition this Saturday at the Cagayan River in Cagayan de Oro City.

PADS, the defending International Paradragon Championships titlist, will compete in the 200-meter and 500-meter mixed standard long and short boat categories in the meet which features the best paddling teams in Visayas and Mindanao.

They will also see action in the 200m women’s standard long and short boat race in the unique non-open event.

“Our paddlers have been training hard knowing that we will be competing against regular and strong teams in Mindanao,” PADS executive officer and team manager John Paul “JP” Maunes said.

Competing for the first time in the event, the team admitted that it is going to be a rough and uphill challenge for them since they will be paddling against the downstream current of the Cagayan River.

“(In our training) we focused on working our form and execution, agility, stamina, and endurance because we know that the Cagayan river is different from open water,” said Maunes whose team earned medals and respect in the 1st Triton-PCL Dragon Boat Cup in Manila last month.

The team members, who has earned admiration because of their resolve against their disability, won third place in the mixed, open men’s and women’s races in that tournament.

The team is also in high spirits following their big win in the Paradragon Championships in Hong Kong last June.

After the Kagayhaan Gold Cup, the PADS team will head to Iloilo on Aug. 19 for the 2017 Iloilo Double Dragon Boat Race Invitational.

The squad will fly for Cagayan de Oro today along with the Pink Paddlers Breast Cancer Survivors Team, the Gruppo Habagat squad and the Cebu Fireblades.