Filipino paddlers made waves in the global stage, hauling medals in two major international competitions held in Poland and China.
Veteran canoeist Ojay Fuentes led the charge in Europe, capturing two gold medals at the recent International Canoe Competition in Poland.
The 27-year-old standout ruled both the men’s 200-meter and 500-meter canoe events, further cementing his status as one of the country’s top paddlers.
A former Southeast Asian Games and Asian Cup medalist, Fuentes credited his double-gold performance to the intensive overseas training camp held in Poland, which was backed by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragonboat Federation.
Fuentes trained alongside national teammates Janus Ercilla and Neljohn Fabro during a two-week camp aimed at preparing the team for upcoming high-level events. The trio is set to return to the Philippines this week to renew their visas in preparation for further training camps in Poland and Italy, ahead of their participation in the ICF Canoe Sprint World Championships in Milan this August.
Meanwhile, another Philippine team shone in Asia, delivering an outstanding performance at the 2025 ICF Dragon Boat World Cup held in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, China.
The Philippine delegation, also under the banner of the PCKDF and led by federation president Leonora Escollante, brought home a remarkable eight-medal haul—six golds, one silver, and one bronze.
The Filipino paddlers ruled the 10-seater Open 200-meter, 10-seater Mixed 200-meter, and 10-seater Mixed 500-meter races, as well as the 8-seater Mixed 200-meter, 500-meter, and 2000-meter events. They also secured a silver in the 8-seater Open 2000-meter and a bronze in the 10-seater Men’s 500-meter.
Upon their return, the team’s athletes and coaches were warmly received by PSC commissioners Olivia “Bong” G. Coo and Walter Francis “Wawit” K. Torres during a courtesy call held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
