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Manila Bulletin

Sports

Military athletes sorely missed in Chengdu

Sports

Military athletes sorely missed in Chengdu

By Ramon Bonilla

At A Glance

The amiable official admitted that the absence of their athletes serving in the military was felt terribly when they paddled through the waters of the Xinglong Lake.

CHENGDU, China — Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation President Len Escollante offered no excuses after the team lost five of its events in succession on Saturday, Aug. 9.

But the amiable official admitted that the absence of their athletes serving in the military was felt terribly when they paddled through the waters of the Xinglong Lake.

According to Escollante, the Armed Forces of the Philippines discourages its uniformed men from traveling to China as tensions remain high between the two nations due to territorial conflicts.

"It would be a big help if the top players are here. Unfortunately almost all of them are in the military," Escollante said shortly after the 8-seater 2000-meter team finished ninth out of the 10 boats in the finals.

"But this is not an excuse. It is their rule. And I fully accept our defeat here," she added.

The dragon boat contingent also yielded in the 8-seater 200-meter and 500-meter divisions and the 10-seater 200-meter and 500-meter categories.

It did not help that the Filipinos had no reserves and were lacking the manpower, with the athletes having little to no rest at all.

Despite the setback, Escollante said she was happy to see the potential of the paddlers who represented the team in Chengdu.

"With the full support of the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, I know these athletes can do better," she said.

The Philippine team will travel to Russia for the Governor's Cup in Primorsky Krai from Sept. 16 to 22. There, the military athletes can finally rejoin and represent the country.

(Photo from PCKDF)

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