Dubai: UAE-based watersport enthusiasts are battling it out with athletes who have taken part in the Olympics at the Dragon Boat World Championships in Ravena, northern Italy.
Four teams from the emirate — the Steelcraft Dragons, the Dubai Flying Dragons, the Dubai Dragon Warriors and the Dubai Diggers — are competing in the event until Sunday.
One of the members of Steelcraft Dragons, Sarah Bennett, said she was hopeful that her and her teammates could emulate their bronze medal at the 2012 World Championships in Hong Kong.
The Englishwoman said: “I am very confident in my teammates, as we have put time and effort into our preparation and now we have to go and race hard and hope it is good enough to make it back to the podium.”
Some people may perceive dragon boating, which is a paddleboat racing sport which originated in China more than 2,500 years ago, as purely a recreational activity.
But Bennett, whose team train at the Dubai Marina Yacht Club, said it is burgeoning in popularity, with more than 50 million registered competitors worldwide and in excess of 100 teams in the UAE.
She said: “Here in the UAE the dragon boating programme has been operating under the authority of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation for over eight years. Our next domestic event is on October 17, at the Shangri La Hotel, Qaryat Al Beri, Abu Dhabi.
“Like many other sports, it can be done at a variety of different levels. Almost anyone with good health is capable of participating at a recreational level, but to compete at an elite level, it requires a completely different standard of athleticism and commitment. A competitive team such as ours will train hard for approximately 20 hours per week and have a very high standard of fitness.
“In the premier division at the world championships, we will be competing against elite athletes, many whom have competed at the Olympics or other major water sport events in the past.”
Bennett encouraged people to join a club in the UAE, even if it was for purely recreational and social purposes.
“The club is comprised of a broad demographic, that includes over 20 different nationalities and a variety of ages, and we have a social team and an elite team,” she said.
“Dragon boating is a very social and inclusive activity for both men and women of any nationality or religion and it is a great way to keep fit. Anyone who wishes to join our social team is welcome to come and give it a try. There are more demanding criteria for those who wish to join our elite team. If anyone is interested to come down and give it a try, then please contact uaedragonboat@gmail.com or visit www.dubaidragonboat.com.”
