By BEVERLY C.
PAOYON
GLAN, Sarangani (May
25, 2013) – The Dadiangas Torpedoes team 1 from nearby tuna capital General
Santos City again asserted their supremacy at sea by crossing first the finish
line of this year’s 15-kilometer swim relay competition Friday (May 24) and
breaking their own record.
This time the
Torpoedos team 1 clocked-in at 2:34:21, followed by Lady Pipay Team from
Kamanga, Maasim (2:52:24) and Captain Rajik Kudarat (2:56:27) in the most
grueling sport of Sarangani Bay Festival, the biggest beach party in Mindanao.
The swim started in Maasim and landed in
Glan.
It was in 2007 that
the Torpedoes set their first championship record of 2:50:15.
Team leader Nikita
Dacera said the race this year was “easier compared to last time. Smoother ‘yung
seas ngayon, hindi masyadong maalon and hindi ganun kainit kasi may cloud
cover.”
“The risk,” he said, “aside from makainom ka ng tubig,
is nothing.”
Asked on their game plan, Dacera humbly replied “we just
swim our best, followed the spotter and communication between the teammates.
Kasi kung hindi, mawawala kami. Kailangan namin ‘yung cooperation at
teamwork.”
With the 2-minute swim switching requirement, the team
executed about 15 relays.
Dacera said he also experienced joining open-sea
competitions in Cebu and sometimes in international races but according to him
Sarangani’s swim across-the-bay is “more fun kasi meron ng teammates. Kasi if we
compare it with others, mag-isa ka lang. Here we have camaraderie at merong
teammates na magcheer-on sa iyo. I would recommend it to other swimmers na
magsali din dito.”
Torpoedos team coach Hurry Dacera said the team trained
everyday whole year round. “But the senior guys, they just got back from Manila
so the training that they got was not really solid. They just trained a couple
of months.”
Two of the team members are studying at Ateneo de Manila
and University of the Philippines while the rest are high school students in
General Santos City.
The coach said the competition this year was “more
relaxed, more organized and we have a very, very good boatman.”
He said, “this is a real challenge and it’s also a lot
of fun. Compared to other competitions, this is more enjoyable.”
“In my opinion,” he said, “the risk is very low. It’s
safe if you know what you are doing and I don’t recommend it to swimmers who are
really not fit but I would consider it as low risk.”
He pointed out “it’s still a strenuous competition and
you’re going to have to swim sometimes over big waves or against the current.
After all it is a 15-kilometer swim so it is really strenuous as
well.”
There are other open-water swim races like 5-kilometer
and 10-kilometer laps but Sarangani’s swim-across-the-bay “is the longest in the
country.”
Event organizer Nimrod Butil said unexpected teams got
to excel this time except for the Torpoedos who have been the consistent
champion. This is their 6th win here.
There are supposedly a total of 10 teams to join this
year but Butil reported a team from Marbel which also has been consistent in
second place was not able to make it as two of its teammates are still in
Hongkong.
Sultan team ranked 4th place (3:00:22) while Torpedoes
team 3 (3:02:06), Torpedoes team 2 (3:10:39), Kidapawan Swim team (3:32:47),
Kamanga team (3:36:58) and Tri Generals team (3:50:10), ranked 5th, 6th, 7th,
8th and 9th respectively.
48-year old Joy Co, the oldest in the race, said joining
the swim-across-the-bay “feels great. I never thought that I would be able to do
this. Another life achievement. We enjoyed the race.”
He said there are many competitive ways to enjoy the
bay. “It is good. The bay is more majestic if you are swimming in the bay than
just riding in the boat. You get a deeper view when you’re swimming out there to
enjoy at the middle of the bay.”
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