By Francis Ochoa
Inquirer
TOKUSHIMA, JAPAN--As it were, all the Philippines really had at most to cross the wide expanse between here and Beijing was a bridge made of straw.
And on Monday, even that was burned down, torched by a Jordan team that played its best basketball at the right time -- depending on which side of the coliseum you were watching -- on the way to an 84-76 victory over San Miguel-RP in the FIBA-Asia men’s championship at the Asty Tokushima.
Jordan shredded the Philippines’ Olympic hopes in twos, with resident stars Rasheim Wright and Zaid Alkhas doing the tango in the third period and Islam Abbaas and Sam Daghles completing the demolition job in the fourth to book for their team a quarterfinal slot in this Olympic-qualifying event.
“I think we played the best basketball in this championships,” said Jordan coach Mario Palma, who continued to harp on the fact that his team had to play through the so-called Group of Death and now has to open its quarterfinal bid right the very next day against South Korea.
For San Miguel-RP, a team culled from the biggest names in the Philippine Basketball Association, the end to the dream of a cameo appearance at the 2008 Beijing Olympics came down hard on it, more so because of the fact that it produced its best start thus far in the tournament.
“We lost [in the second half],” said coach Chot Reyes. “We couldn’t make a basket and they (the Jordanians) made theirs.”
And the Jordanians made theirs in pairs.
Alkhas and Wright had eight points each in the third period as the two scored all but two of their team’s total output there to allow Jordan to grab a 54-51 lead going into the fourth.
Abbaas, who wasn’t even supposed to play because of an ankle injury -- and who at one point needed to be replaced to have the injury checked -- then scored six straight points in the fourth and combined with Daghes in a 15-4 exchange that ripped the game wide open, 69-55, with 3:16 to play.
“The last four months, people have been talking about the Philippines and how they prepared hard for four months,” Palma, a Brazilian, said. “But when they arrived here, I don’t think they were in shape. In the second half, they looked tired.”
Surprisingly, San Miguel-RP didn’t go with the zone early in the second half when Wright started wresting control of the match.
Wright had shown an aversion to the zone in a loss against Iran, a game that forced Tuesday’s knockout match for the final quarterfinal berth for Group A.
Asked why he didn’t go with the zone as the Iranians did, Reyes took a few seconds to ponder.
“I wanted [the players] to be more aggressive and falling back on the zone did not allow that,” he said.
“We tried it in the fourth but then [when Jordan missed shots], we couldn’t get the rebounds.”
The Philippines dropped to the lower half of the quarterfinal bracket, where -- at most -- it will battle for ninth place.
“We worked long and hard only to be derailed by two bad breaks,” said Reyes, who still rued “the technical foul that the Greek referee slapped on us” in a heart-breaking loss to Iran that virtually doomed the country’s chances.
The other bad break, Reyes said, was the “misfortune of the draw.”
At least, on that one he had an ally.
The volcanic Palma again failed to check his temper in the post-game press conference and blasted the FIBA for allowing the formation of the Group of Death and then making his team play the day after surviving the toughest draw.
The Philippines started out hot, racing to a 24-15 lead early in the first half. But it was also at that point that the team lost its grip of the game, forcing four defensive stops but failing to convert in any of the ensuing possessions that could have broken the Jordanians early.
“That’s where we lost the ballgame,” said Reyes.
“I take full responsibility for that. The boys played hard and I’m proud of the way they played.”
The Philippines opens its campaign in the lower half of the quarterfinal bracket at 9 a.m. (local time) against Syria.
The scores:
JORDAN 84 -- Wright 24, Daghles 22, Alkhas 16, Abbaas 9, Soobzokov 6, Al-Sous 3, Idais 2, Z. Abbaas 2, Anajjar 0, Bashir 0.
SAN MIGUEL-RP 76 -- Taulava 14, Alapag 10, Caguioa 9, Williams 9, Hontiveros 9, Helterbrand 7, Raymundo 6, Williams 5, Ritualo 3, Menk 2, Seigle 2, Pennisi 0.
Quarters: 13-18, 33-35, 54-51, 84-76
Notes: Danny Seigle was a non-factor again for the second straight game, obviously bothered by an injury that started out as cramps against Iran. Team officials noticed a bruise on his ankle and didn’t use him against China. He played only four minutes against Jordan and scored just two points... The loss disappointed a lot of Filipino fans who came all the way here to watch the games. A lot of the Filipinos had no tickets and relied on the generosity of the likes of SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella, SBP trustee Michel Lhuillier, businessman Arben Santos and many more, who purchased tickets so they could watch.
July 2007 Archives
By Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines--From ardent cheerer to champion car racer.
That’s the amazing transformation Karen Navarrete-Anton underwent in just one week recently.
Karen, a Polynesian Dance School owner who used to cheer whenever her multi-titled racer-husband Carlos Anton is competing, found she also has the knack for competition driving when she emerged overall champion in the Marlboro Red Racing Competition at the Ferrari-owned Varano race track in Italy.
In doing so, Karen became the first lady driver and first Filipino to capture the crown since the event was launched worldwide in 2004.
Karen clocked the fastest time in the GT drift race using an Alfa Romeo, besting 19 men and lady racers from Ukraine, Russia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Dubai, South Africa, Bulgaria and the Philippines.
Karen also topped the Autocross race and shone in other events at the Fiorano Track.
And the amazing thing is, Karen only learned how to drive a manual car a week before she went to Italy.
“Carlos brought me down to the race track in Subic for one day to teach me how to drive with a stick shift,” said Karen, who calls Baguio City home.
“I guess what made me do well in Italy is the fact that my training in driving was geared toward racing and not city driving. Carlos is my number one supporter and he is an extremely patient and amazing teacher.”
“I’ve always believed that Karen has what it takes to be a champion; that is why I encouraged her to join the MRRS,” said Carlos, who also won the MRRS Autocross race in Italy in 2004.
In Italy, Karen got the chance to race the Alfa Romeo GTA, the Ferrari 360 and was able to ride in a special 3-seater Ferrari Formula 1 car driven by Formula 1 driver Luca Badoer.
During the farewell dinner, Karen brought the house down with solo dance number at Luciano Pavarotti’s famous restaurant in Varano. Roy Luarca
By Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines--The Philippines amassed 40 gold medals in different events and age groups in the First World Taekwondo Cultural Expo in Jeollabukdo Province in South Korea recently.
In the kyorugi or sparring, the RP team picked up 29 golds, 14 silvers and nine bronzes, and collected 11 golds, 16 silvers and 11 bronzes in individual poomse or form and three silvers and seven bronzes in group poomse.
“This kind of tournament is used as an incubation for our future stars,” said national coach Ricky Santiago, who added that Olympian Thsomlee Go and Southeast Asian Games winners Veronica Domingo and JR Rivero used to compete in this type of competitions.
With ages ranging from 10 to 28, the national jins competed against their counterparts from Korea, Russia, China, United States, Kazakhstan and Vietnam.
Juan Paolo Cipriano, Paolo Louis Jazmines, Daniel Pastrana, Emmanuel Moses Chan, James Edward Cruz, Anthony Gene Sarino, Joseph Benjamin Gohel, Anfernee Cris Dizon and Bernard Anthony Razon captured a gold medal each in the young junior boys kyorugi.
Gohel, Dustin Jacob Mella and Francis Aaron Agojo also bagged titles in the individual poomse in the same age category.
Young junior girls Patricia Gonzalez, Paulina Marie Naguiat, Mary Josephine Bahoy, Leigh Ann Nuguid, Xyleen Lei Paatan, Apriel May Solimen and Pamela Lois Gohel went home with golds. Solimen made it a double by also winning in the individual poomse. Marc Anthony Reyes
HERE'S an interesting sport that many Filipinos might not even be aware of -- underwater hockey.
According to the Philippine Underwater Hockey Confederation site, it's the fastest-growing water sport in the country.
Check out these clips of PUHC matches from the YouTube channel of jagcarpio to see this sport in action. Who knows, you might be inspired to try it out yourself.
By Salven Lagumbay
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines--Manny Pacquiaoâs looming fight against Mexican rival Marco Antonio Barrera has been overshadowed by recent world title conquests by a pair of unheralded Filipino boxers.
And if plans donât miscarry, five more Filipino pugs will show that there is more to Philippine boxing than just Pacquiao, the top-grossing pound-for-pound king.
Boholâs Czar Amonsot is scheduled to face Michael Katsidis on July 21 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. Amonsot will be trying to unseat Katsidis as World Boxing Association interim lightweight king.
Amonsot, the Cebu-based fighter from the ALA stable, holds the World Boxing Organization Asia Pacific crown. He has been working out at Freddie Roachâs Wild Card Gym in preparation for Katsidis.
On Aug. 4, another Cebu-based fighter, Rodel Mayol, takes a crack at International Boxing Federation junior flyweight champion Ulises Solis at the All-State Arena in Chicago. The Mayol-versus-Solis bout will be in the undercard of the Erik Morales-David Diaz World Boxing Council lightweight showdown.
Two popular names will gun for world titles on Aug. 11 at the Arco Arena in Sacramento, California.
Rey âBoom Boomâ Bautista will try to wrest the WBO super bantamweight title from champion Daniel Ponce De Leon. Gerry Peñalosa, on the other hand, takes on WBO bantamweight titleholder Jhonny Gonzalez.
Yet another Cebu fighter, Eriberto âYukkaâ Gejon, will go up against WBA minimumweight kingpin Yutaka Niida on Sept. 1 at the Korakuen Hall in Tokyo.
This will be a rematch of their 2005 showdown which was won by Niida via a highly-disputed 10-round technical decision in Yokohama, Japan.
The fights come on the heels of victories by Florante Condes and Nonito Donaire, who won world crowns less than 24 hours apart.
Condes, nicknamed âThe Little Pacquiaoâ due to his southpaw stance and tremendous punching power, was the first to become a world champion when he decisioned Muhammad Rachman in Jakarta last Saturday to take the latterâs IBF minimumweight crown.
Less than 24 hours later, Donaire, born in Gen. Santos City but now based in the US, shocked the world with a fifth-round knockout of the erstwhile unbeaten Vic Darchinyan to take the latterâs IBF and IBO flyweight crowns.
âI know they can also make us all proud,â Condes said in Filipino of his five countrymen who will seek world championships this year.
By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
TWO big men are amazingly shaking off the underachiever tag that had hung over them for several seasons in the UAAP men’s basketball competition.
Long consigned to the background, Ford Arao of the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles and Joseph Linga-Lingao of the National University Bulldogs came out of their shells over the weekend and took charge in their team’s first-day victories.
"He really wants to make a big impact this season," NU coach Manny Dandan said after his starting center powered the Bulldogs to a 73-70 overtime victory against Far Eastern University in Saturday’s opener.
The next day, Arao scattered 10 of his 20 points in the extra period of the Eagles’ 69-63 come-from-behind triumph against the Adamson University Falcons.
"We lost our three main men (to graduation), so I plan to keep on playing hard," the 6-foot-5 Arao said.
With their breakthrough performances, Arao and Lingao-Lingao shared the Player of the Week citation awarded by the UAAP Press Corps.
Lingao-Lingao, a wide-bodied 6-foot-5 Cebu native, unloaded 17 points, 13 rebounds, two assists and all of his team’s five blocks to put the former cellar-dwellers on top early with powerhouses La Salle, Ateneo and University of the East.
Arao, who normed 4.4 points last year, also exploded with a double-double effort of 20 points and 15 boards.
"I’ll give my best every game because this is my last playing year," said Arao, a former San Beda Red Cub standout.
Other nominees for the weekly honor include NU leader Edwin Asoro (17 points and 16 rebounds), University of the East’s Mark Borboran (13 points, four boards, three assists) and De La Salle University’s Cholo Villanueva (19 points, six rebounds, four assists).
By Salven Lagumbay
Cebu Daily News
JAKARTA, Indonesia--He left the Philippines a virtual unknown. Now, he knows he is returning with celebrity status.
Florante "The Little Pacquiao" Condes, raised in poverty in Sampaguita, Looc, Romblon, said he is preparing himself for the media and numerous interviews the moment he steps out of a Philippine Airlines flight from this city to Manila.
Condes, a devastating war machine of a human being, shocked the whole of Indonesia last Saturday evening by knocking down International Boxing Federation champion Muhammad Rachman twice en route to scoring a split decision verdict to snatch the IBF world minimumweight title.
The victory silenced a boisterous crowd that trooped to the RCTI TV studio in Jakarta that expected their local hero to easily dispatch the boyish-looking Condes.
"No problem," Condes said in English, this time trying to brush up on the language he knows would be very useful especially when he meets the international press. He was answering a query on whether he would give Rachman a rematch.
However, once he gets home, Condes plans to first take care of his aging mother Juanita, and take a 15-day rest from the three months of hard training for the fight.
A home for Mama
"Gusto ko po sana mapagawan ng bahay yung nanay ko po. Wala po kasi kaming bahay dun sa Romblon at pulubi lang kami. Kahit papaano makagawa man lang ako ng bahay para sa kanya, (I just want to build a house for my mother. We don't have a decent house in Romblon and we are very poor. I just want to give her a house)," said Condes, the youngest in a brood of six.
Condes' father, who like him is named Florante, had died years ago from a serious illness.
"Simple lang po naman ang ikinamatay ng tatay ko. TB lang po," Condes said, adding that due to extreme poverty, his family failed to bring his father to a decent hospital.
Condes also plans to recover some parcel of land that his father was supposed to inherit in Romblon, but were not given to them due to their lack of education.
"He really wants to get what is due his family. They have lands in Romblon, but some relatives took it all for themselves leaving Florante's family with nothing," Condes' manager Aljoe Jaro said.
Jaro believes that Condes, who initially worked as a gasoline boy prior to his foray into professional boxing, will ultimately earn the money that would allow him to give a decent life not only to his mother, but also to his other siblings.
Once in Manila, Jaro said he will immediately negotiate for a possible title defense for Condes in the Philippines. Jaro also said that Condes stands to earn a certain amount for the television rights once the fight with Rachman gets shown on Philippine TV.
"I will fight whoever my manager will want me to fight. That's for sure," Condes said in Filipino.
WHAT a great weekend indeed for Filipinos, particularly boxing fans!
From out of nowhere, two underdogs have been crowned world boxing champs.
Here's an excerpt from the Philippine Daily Inquirer story, which includes a report from Inquirer contributor Salven L. Lagumbay and Inquirer wires:
Florante Condes showed tremendous fighting heart in flooring champion Muhammad Rachman twice en route to snatching the International Boxing Federation mini-flyweight (105-lb) crown via a split decision on Saturday night in the studio of the private RCTI television station in Jakarta. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, unheralded Filipino-American Nonito Donaire knocked out the previously undefeated IBF and International Boxing Organization flyweight champion, Vic Darchinyan, in the fifth round of their scheduled 12-rounder. Condes and Donaire thus became the only reigning Philippine-born world champions at present. Condes hails from Romblon province, while Donaire came from General Santos City. Although he is the world’s most feared super featherweight, national boxing hero Manny Pacquiao holds only the belt of the lesser World Boxing Council (WBC) International, which groups fighters ranked outside the division’s top 10.
By Jasmine W. Payo
Inquirer
MANILA, Philippines--The University of the East Warriors got as much production from their bench as they did from their stars to put the University of Santo Tomas Tigers’ title defense off to a bad start via a 73-60 trashing Sunday in the UAAP men’s basketball tournament at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.
“I’m very happy that everybody played well, especially the five guys from the PBL (Philippine Basketball League),” said coach Dindo Pumaren, who cited the solid performances of Mark Borboran, who paced UE with 13 points, Marcy Arellano, Elmer Espiritu, Kelvin Gregorio and Jorel Cañizares.
James Martinez added 12 markers, including back-to-back triples that pushed the Warriors ahead, 65-54, with 2:52 remaining.
Earlier, Ford Arao held his own in overtime action as the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles survived a huge scare against the Adamson University Falcons, 69-63.
Playing his finest performance in five years, Arao shot 10 of Ateneo’s 16 points in the extra period as the Eagles recovered from poor shooting to climb out of an early double-digit hole.
“Sometimes you have to win ugly,” said Ateneo coach Norman Black.
UE and Ateneo joined opening-day winners De La Salle University and National University on top with 1-0 slates.
The Falcons shocked the favored Eagles with a 12-0 start that grew to 17-2, before Arao stepped up late in the game to lead all Ateneo scorers with 20 points and 15 boards.
“The most important thing is that we’re able to recover,” said Black. “In the beginning, we just couldn’t make any shot. We were getting good looks at the basket, but it just wouldn’t go down. On the other end, Adamson did just about everything.”
Adamson’s Patrick Cabahug, who shot a game-high 28 markers, scored on a running jumper at the buzzer to forge the extra period.
A seven-minute dry spell hit the Eagles again in the fourth period, allowing Cabahug to spearhead a 12-0 spurt to reverse a 48-39 Ateneo advantage to a 51-48 Adamson lead.
But Rabeh Al-Hussaini scored on a putback in the next possession, then drew a foul from Paul Gonzalgo for a three-point play that tied the game at 51 with 58.7 seconds left in the fourth period.
Before Cabahug’s game-tying jumper, Ateneo seemed headed for a win as Chris Tiu nailed two free throws off a Leo Canuday foul with 12.9 ticks remaining.
The Falcons lost steam midway, scoring only a combined 15 points in the second and third quarters, following a 22-point output in first.
Offensive contributions from Jai Reyes, Chris Tiu and Jobe Nkemakolam pushed the Eagles within three 28-25, late in the first half.
The scores:
First Game
ATENEO 69 -- Arao 20, Reyes 11, Tiu 9, Nkemakolam 8, Salamat 6, Monfort 5, Al-Hussaini 5, Laterre 3, Baclao 2, Baldos 0, Barracoso 0.
ADAMSON 63 -- Cabahug 28, Hugnatan 14, Canuday 8, Yambot 5, Gonzalgo 4, Colina 2, Alvarez 2, Olalia 0, Canada 0, Margallo 0, Santos 0, Gorospe 0.
Quarters: 11-22, 25-30, 43-37, 53-53 (reg), 69-63 (OT)
Second Game
UE 73 -- Borboran 13, Martinez 12, Thiele 11, Arellano 8, Fampulme 7, Bandaying 5, Gregorio 5, Espiritu 5, Llagas 3, Lingganay 2, Cañizares 2, Lee 0.
UST 60 -- Cruz 16, Cuan 13, Taylor 9, Ababou 9 , Badua 5, Canlas 4, Mirza 2, Dizon 2, Scott 0, Espiritu 0, Cortez 0, Allera 0.
Quarters: 17-14, 33-27, 48-45, 73-60
WHO'S your pick for the University Athletics Association of the Philippines men's basketball tournament? Why do you believe your team will be the champion this year?
In Saturday's opening ballgames, comebacking La Salle massacred my alma mater, University of the Philippines, while National University shocked Far Eastern University in overtime.
Here's an excerpt from Jasmine Payo's story for the Philippine Daily Inquirer:
The De La Salle University Green Archers marked their collegiate comeback with an 82-61 rout of the University of the Philippines Maroons at the start of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum. Wearing green jackets printed with the words, “We’re back. We’re one,” the Archers wasted no time in establishing their dominance of the Maroons, with Cholo Villanueva getting to work early and winding up with a game-high 19 points for La Salle, which relied anew on its no-breathing-room defense to grab the victory. “We played defense pretty well, pretty solid,” said La Salle coach Franz Pumaren, whose wards spent a year cooling their heels after the school was slapped a suspension due to an eligibility scandal.
SO, what do you think of former senator Robert Jaworski's possible return to the Philippine Basketball Association?
Here's an excerpt from
MANILA, Philippines--Robert Jaworski will be making his much-anticipated return to the Philippine Basketball Association, the league he helped make great, in the next season.
That is, if a greater calling does not get in the way. The 6-foot Living Legend, one of the finest all-around players this country has ever produced, has resumed talks with Air21 management about a coaching job after the contracts of Bo Perasol and his team were not renewed.Are you a fan of Jaworski? If he does become the Air21 coach, do you think he still has what it takes to whip the team into shape and steer it to a championship?
By Juan Escandor Jr.
Southern Luzon Bureau
PILI, Camarines Sur--Little more than a year into professional racing, the Camsur [Camarines Sur] Dragon Boat Team (CDBT) bagged its second international cup and stole the scene in the 4th Nanning International Dragon Boat Tournament in China, sweeping the gold in all events.
In the open international competition in Nanning City from June 19-20, part of the celebration of the Chinese National Dragon Boat Month, the CDBT blitzed its way to bag all events of the 500- and 800-meter races -- both in the standard category requiring 20 paddlers and the 12-rower dragon boat speed race.
In all, the CDBT -- made up of farmers and fishermen from seven towns in Camarines Sur -- earned four gold medals and six trophies in the Nanning tournament that made them the overall champion in all events.
The new achievement of CDBT, which is composed of farmers and fishermen from seven towns in Camarines Sur, is a repeat of their top performance in Singapore September last year when, for the first time after seven months in professional competition, the team won all the gold in the international dragon boat competition of Sava Sprints.
Spending most of their time farming or fishing, the members of the 33-man CDBT learned rowing in childhood and honed their rowing techniques in local boat races during the celebration of Bicol’s regional fiesta for the Our Lady of Penafrancia in September.
The opportunity to showcase the homegrown rowers came when the provincial government sent a team of rowers to the invitational Atienza Cup held in Manila Bay in March last year, said Governor Luis Raymund “LRay” Villafuerte, who has provided full support to the dragon boat team program since it started.
Villafuerte said he instructed his staff to recruit rowers from among veterans of the regatta on the Bicol River, where a yearly fluvial procession of the image of Our Lady of Penafrancia is held to cap the regional fiesta.
The Bicol River, the longest meandering river in the region, cuts across Albay province to the two Camarines provinces.
In the Atienza Cup, their first professional race, the team placed third even if the rowers had no proper training and they were used to wooden boats and paddles, said Villafuerte.
After their first race, the team was given the proper equipment and training by the provincial government.
“I was convinced of their performance, that they could compete in the international races as a way of promoting our province and showcasing of our local talents,” added the governor.
The governor said that the second and third times it joined the Manila and Boracay open invitational dragon boat races, the CDBT humbled veterans of dragon boat races in the country by emerging champion.
Foreign teams also participated in the Boracay event.
“They were conspicuously farmers and fishermen, from the tone of their skin to their physical looks, and their being comfortable being barefoot rather than in shoes, so that our team was most often unheralded and underrated at the start of competition,” Villafuerte observed.
He noted that the local rowers developed their unique rowing technique, characterized by short and fast paddling strokes, the opposite of the strokes normally used by dragon boat teams.
Aggie Luque, a Filipina and member of the British team that competed in the Sava Sprints in Singapore last year, described the performance of the CDBT as having “set new standards in dragon boat racing.”
“They were really, really good. All the other teams were really in awe of them,” Luque told the Philippine Daily Inquirer, parent company of INQUIRER.net, in an e-mail describing the CDBT’s performance in Singapore.
Ruben Brazal, team coach, expressed apprehension that other teams they compete with are now adopting their unique short-and-fast-no-let-up stroke technique.
He observed instances during the competition when teams he perceived had adopted the CDBT's unique strokes gave them a tougher fight.
Brazal said, however, that the team from Camarines Sur still reigned in the long-distance races, owing to the stamina of its rowers.
But Brazal was grateful that the CDBT’s exposure to international dragon boat races also helped them improve their rowing techniques as they learned new ones from other teams.
Ricky Magtoto, team manager, said the CDBT was officially entered in the Nanning tournament as a contingent representing the Philippines and was the favorite since the two-day competition started.
Magtoto said they were not taken seriously at first and that he learned from an interpreter that the welcoming group could not believe they were competitors.
The team manager said the dragon boat competition is a revered sport in China that pays homage and respect to a popular Chinese hero who drowned in a river.
“I was quizzed by a CCTV reporter about what I know of the origins of the dragon boat race, which made me realize how important and big the event was,” he said.
Magtoto said when the races started they easily gained fans who cheered them when they finished first from the trials to the finals.
The team manager said that immediately after every heat, they were hounded by media there. They hogged headlines and were interviewed by CCTV 5, the sports channel of the Chinese network.
In all the heats, the Bicolano farmers and fishermen were the undisputed powerhouse, always two to three boats ahead of the nearest team as they finished the race first.
Brazal said the CDBT clocked 3’’34’57 in the finals of the 800-meter open straight speed race while the second placer, the team from Laos, had a time of 3’’43’43.
Two Chinese teams, the Guangzhu Panyu Lanhemeng Team and Liuzhou City Beijing Team, clinched the third and fourth places respectively, while the Vietnam Team placed fifth.
In sixth place was the Australian Black Dragon Team from Adelaide.
In the 500-meter open straight speed race, the CDBT reached the finish line in 2’’15’09 while second place Guangzhu clocked 2’’21’44.
The other finalists included Vietnam, third place, Nanning Dadi Architectural Ltd. Team, fourth place, and Nanning Xixiangtang District Team that placed fifth.
Brazal said the governor already approved a complete subsidized program that will train second-line rowers for men and women, considering that the present members of the CDBT are in their 30s on the average.
