International body rues RP paddlers exclusion

MANILA, Philippines - The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) has expressed disappointment that the Philippines is not fielding its men’s and women’s dragon boat teams to the forthcoming Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

In an email to Philippine Dragon Boat Federation (PDBF) president Marcia Cristobal, the IDBF said it was “extremely disappointed to hear that the Philippine Olympic Committee won’t send the RP paddlers to Guangzhou.

Mike Haslam, IDBF executive president, wrote in his email that the international body in the sport felt that the POC did not give “full consideration” to the controversy involving the RP men’s and women’s teams.

The RP paddlers underwent a performance trial last week but the POC found inconsistencies in the times they submitted, especially because they surpassed the winning times in the 2008 Asian Championships in Malaysia.

“If they (POC) really thought there were inconsistencies in the results of the time trials then they should have consulted the IDBF as the international federation responsible for dragon boat,” Haslam wrote.

He said the POC, which monitored the time trials together with representatives from the Philippine Sports Commission, should have sought the IDBF for “objective advice on what times are acceptable.”

The POC should have also asked the IDBF to adjudicate the trials before deciding to exclude the RP men’s and women’s teams, composed of 44 athletes, to the Asian Games set Nov. 12-27.

Jeff Tamayo, head of the RP soft tennis association, monitored the trials for the POC while Manny Ibay, former chief of the PSC’s procurement office, represented the government sports agency.

The RP paddlers, which won gold medals in the men’s and women’s divisions of the 2009 World Championships in the Czech Republic, were dropped by the POC from the Asian Games roster despite doing so well in the 200m and 500m trials.

The RP paddlers’ only mistake was in the manner they computed their times in the 1000m trials.

“The IDBF is still open to give such advice and adjudication as the Philippine dragon boat team is more than capable of winning medals at the 2010 Asian Games,” Haslam also wrote.