Tuesday, May 31, 2005
KILALANIN ANG UP DRAGONBOAT TEAM
here's a "commissioned" article about the team for the philippine dragonboat federation newsletter.
ARE YOU READY FOR UP
The University of the Philippines Dragonboat Team has the most stringent admission qualification among all the rowing clubs in the country. To even be considered for membership, one must first pass the UPCAT.
Can you just imagine how difficult it would be to be expected to engage in the physically strenuous sport of dragonboat rowing while discussing the geo-political impact of the Beijing economy to the sport as it is practiced in the country? Or computing the force you must exert and the corresponding paddling frequency in a split-second call to increase an 89.6% rowing load given the volume of water you must mobilize? How about debating the pantomic accuracy of the uniform textile as opposed to the electronically generated design? Simply put, at the risk of sounding rather academically elitist, a non-Mensa level paddler just cannot successfully assimilate into the UPDT.
O! Kinaya n’yo ‘yon? Kung hinde, ‘wag kayong mag-alala. Nakainom lang siguro ng Marikina River water ang nagsulat nito kaya ganyan. Anyway, 1993 pa nabuo ang UP Dragonboat Team. Actually, UP Dragonboat Rowing Team pa nga tawag sa’min nu’n kaya lang, recently, ‘yung mga taga-Sports Science sa’min eh in-argue na dragonboat is a paddling sport, not rowing. (Nerds!) Kaya ayun umikli na name namin. Napansin n’yo ba’yon? Eh, kung dagdagan namin ng P ang simula ng pangalan namin, mapapansin n’yo na kaya?
Moving on. The UPDT is among the few clubs that has successfully maintained both a Women’s and a Men’s Crew. Pinaka-happy ‘yung Mixed Crew kasi parang UP ang bangka kapag ganu’n – happy mix ng iba’t ibang tao: mga artists at mga artista, may heartthrobs at may ding pinandidirihan sa campus, merong athletes at merong makati pa sa athlete’s foot.
Kaya naman sa mga pagkakataong kinakarir namin ang pagsagwan, eh, nagbubunga naman ng saya. Tulad na lang ng mga international races sa Australia (’99 – Silver), Myanmar (’97- Bronze), Singapore (’98 – Silver) at Thailand (’99 – Silver). From the Boracay Dragon Run Regattas in the past two years, UPDT has collected two Golds, a silver and three bronze medals.
Marami pa kaming gustong ikuwento tungkol sa katangi-tanging team na nag-eensayo sa ilog, ang isa sa mga naunang naka-master ng standing row, at ng pinakamahusay na university paddling team. Pero these things are better witnessed and experienced than read. Sabi nga ng mala-diwata naming presidenteng si Monica (na weakness ang matatangkad, gentlemanly at smart guys): UP and all that jazz!
ARE YOU READY FOR UP
The University of the Philippines Dragonboat Team has the most stringent admission qualification among all the rowing clubs in the country. To even be considered for membership, one must first pass the UPCAT.
Can you just imagine how difficult it would be to be expected to engage in the physically strenuous sport of dragonboat rowing while discussing the geo-political impact of the Beijing economy to the sport as it is practiced in the country? Or computing the force you must exert and the corresponding paddling frequency in a split-second call to increase an 89.6% rowing load given the volume of water you must mobilize? How about debating the pantomic accuracy of the uniform textile as opposed to the electronically generated design? Simply put, at the risk of sounding rather academically elitist, a non-Mensa level paddler just cannot successfully assimilate into the UPDT.
O! Kinaya n’yo ‘yon? Kung hinde, ‘wag kayong mag-alala. Nakainom lang siguro ng Marikina River water ang nagsulat nito kaya ganyan. Anyway, 1993 pa nabuo ang UP Dragonboat Team. Actually, UP Dragonboat Rowing Team pa nga tawag sa’min nu’n kaya lang, recently, ‘yung mga taga-Sports Science sa’min eh in-argue na dragonboat is a paddling sport, not rowing. (Nerds!) Kaya ayun umikli na name namin. Napansin n’yo ba’yon? Eh, kung dagdagan namin ng P ang simula ng pangalan namin, mapapansin n’yo na kaya?
Moving on. The UPDT is among the few clubs that has successfully maintained both a Women’s and a Men’s Crew. Pinaka-happy ‘yung Mixed Crew kasi parang UP ang bangka kapag ganu’n – happy mix ng iba’t ibang tao: mga artists at mga artista, may heartthrobs at may ding pinandidirihan sa campus, merong athletes at merong makati pa sa athlete’s foot.
Kaya naman sa mga pagkakataong kinakarir namin ang pagsagwan, eh, nagbubunga naman ng saya. Tulad na lang ng mga international races sa Australia (’99 – Silver), Myanmar (’97- Bronze), Singapore (’98 – Silver) at Thailand (’99 – Silver). From the Boracay Dragon Run Regattas in the past two years, UPDT has collected two Golds, a silver and three bronze medals.
Marami pa kaming gustong ikuwento tungkol sa katangi-tanging team na nag-eensayo sa ilog, ang isa sa mga naunang naka-master ng standing row, at ng pinakamahusay na university paddling team. Pero these things are better witnessed and experienced than read. Sabi nga ng mala-diwata naming presidenteng si Monica (na weakness ang matatangkad, gentlemanly at smart guys): UP and all that jazz!
# posted by rey agapay @ 7:48 AM 
