ABU DHABI After having put on another spectacular show at the recently concluded eighth annual Shangri-La Abu Dhabi Dragon Boat Festival, the Dubai Diggers have set their sights on the world championship to be held in Australia in April next year.
A cut above the rest, the team notched up three victories sealing the Premier Mixed Race Category, Premier Open Race Category and the Premier Women’s Race Category titles at the local event. “Winning has become a habit for Dubai Diggers,” said Nick Hando, founder and coach of team. “The team came up with brilliant performances and as expected finished on a high,” he added.
Rigorous training
Not resting on their laurels, the team has already chalked out a strategic plan for the world championships. “We have begun our training at the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. For the next two months, we will have three days of sessions in the water and four days in the gym followed by altitude and conditioning training. In January and February, we will increase it to five days and will have a 15-day straight session before we depart to Adelaide,” said Hando, who founded the Dubai-based team in 2008.
Three teams that will travel to the World Championships will also include an all-women’s group as well. There will be around 7,000 paddlers from over 20 countries participating in the event. “We won two titles at the Club Crew World Championships in Hong Kong in 2012, so we hope go one step further,” he said, adding, “We have had immense support from the UAE Dragon Boat Association and our sponsors Cansco, IRE and 2XU.”
The Abu Dhabi Dragon Boat Festival, organised by UAE Dragon Boat and Siren Events, hosted 65 teams with over 1,300 participants. “The festival is all about building community spirit. It’s a sport that has gained popularity among UAE residents,” said Thomas Guss, general manager of Shangri-La Hotel.
