OEC DRAGON BOAT TEAM ENJOYS THE YANGTZE RIVER FESTIVITY

2013-05-30

The Chinese Dragon Boat Festivity in Zhenjiang City commenced today, 30 the May 2013, at the Yangtze River. Fifteen teams from the city areas marshaled at the river to compete at the qualifying rounds. The winning team from today’s preliminary pools will proceed to the semi-finals and final competition on 1 June 2013.

The OEC team fielded a mix team composing of two maiden and 25 gentlemen. The team’s ethnic composition comprised of students from the African, Middle East, US, Asia and Oceania Region. They had trained together for about 6 weeks for this significant national cultural occasion.

The team had very little time to mingle with the other teams at the competition venue as they had to start preparing for their race, which was schedule to start 20 minutes from their arrival at the venue. Having received their life jackets and their paddles the teams proceeded down to the river to board their race boat.

Under overcast conditions and light chilling rain the team took to the boat in high spirit for their warm up run before the race. The team went through the warm up routine in smooth fashion with the drummer shouting out the warm up instructions and the thumping of the drum beat settled the team’s nerves.

With youthful euphoria and soaring adrenaline the team blasted out of the starting line with lightening speed. Racing according to the team’s race strategy and assisted by the wind behind their backs the paddlers made in access of 80 meters of the closest team behind them. 100 meters from the finish line tragedy struck the team when their dragon boat veered off their race lane. Combined with corrective attempts by their sheerer and unceasing powerful strokes of the paddlers their dragon boat capsized and dump the team into the cold Yangtze River.

The team’s spirit and morale was undefeated by the tragedy and their disqualification from the competition as they jostled along to the shore in rescue boats, knowing that they had just experienced a thrilling and priceless moment in their life that they will cherish forever. Taking part in a dragon boat competition, in the mother land of dragon boat racing and having a cold dip in the Yangtze River is a unique experience not many foreigners can boast and reminisce about. It’s one truly exceptional experience and the team is grateful to OEC for the opportunity and their support in making it possible for the team to share in this exceptional Chinese cultural experience.