MYANMAR’S men’s dragon boat team is hoping to find glory at the Asian Beach Dragon Boat tournament that will be held in Bali, Indonesia, on October 18, said U Pe Win, the general secretary of Myanmar Rowing and Canoeing Federation.

“To triumph in Asia is included in our long-term strategy, with success at the Olympics one day our goal,” U Pe Win told The Myanmar Times.

To test its strength against regional rivals for Bali’s tournament, Myanmar’s men’s team took part in the Thailand International Swan Boat Race on September 13 and 14. And took home first place.

“But in that race, we were only competing against clubs from other countries and not the national teams, except for the Thailand national team. The Philippines’ team was due to attend but did not compete and Indonesia, one of the big teams in Southeast Asia, was not included in the schedule,” said U Pe Win.

For the 1st Asian Beach Dragon Boat tournament, Myanmar’s team of 26 has been in training since Thailand Sea Games finished.

“Although there are three distance categories – 250 metres, 500m and 800m – we’ll be focussing our attention on the 800m event. Because this is a long race, our paddlers will need perseverance and loads of stamina,” he said.
In Bali, Myanmar will have to face the Asian heavyweight teams of Japan, China, Korea and Indonesia.

He said one challenge the team is looking at is racing in the sea, something the team is unused to.

“We normally train at Inya Lake. But in Bali, we have to compete in the sea. So, we are planning to practice at Chaung Tha or Ngwe Saung beach to get some sea experience,” said U Pe Win.

“The Asian level is more difficult than the SEA Games, so we’re not expecting too much. But I know that the team will be doing their best for our country,” he added.

In the 24th Sea Games, Myanmar’s men’s team won gold medals in 500m and 1000m Dragon Boat tournaments, while the women also took home gold in the 500m.