Eyeing to qualify for the World Games in Chengdu, China in 2025, the country’s host dragon boat team struck gold in the second day of the International Canoe Federation (ICF)’s Dragon Boat World Championships held in Puerto Princesa, Palawan.

Racing over calm waters under an overcast sky early in the morning, the Filipino paddlers carted away with four golds plus a silver and a bronze at the world-class course overlooking the Puerto Princesa Baywalk.

The hosts won by two meters, achieving their golden breakthrough off the bat in a wire-to-wire finish in the standard boat mixed 200-meter finals in 47.07 seconds to stave off a late charge by Canada’s team who recorded 48.69 seconds and the challenge of the Individual Neutral Athlete squad composed of Russian athletes (49.03), which came in second.

The country’s women’s masters squad likewise followed the men’s’ victory in securing the mint in the 40+ 200-meter event in time of 49.41 seconds, edging Czechoslovakia (50.84) and Hungary (52.12).

The Philippine men’s masters team also topped the standard board 200-meter event (49.01) while its women’s counterpart added the fourth gold (55.22) in the meet organized by the Philippine Canoe Kayak Federation and the Puerto Princesa City government led by Mayor Lucilo Bayron.

The hosts also scrambled to take the silver medal in the men's 20-seater standard boat open event (47.59) and a bronze in the women's 20-seater 200-meter event (55.22) in rounding out their sterling performance in the meet highlighting the centennial jubilee of the International Canoe Federation.