Globe Trotters paddle to 3rd in Shekou Dragon Boat Race

“Look forward! Follow the drumbeats! And keep pedaling!”

With these commands echoing across the Houhai Zhongxin River, Philippine-born Gerald Jek Manuel rallied his Globe Trotters team during the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on Saturday.

The Globe Trotters team had won their preliminary round against last year’s champions, securing their spot in the final of the fifth Houhai River Fun Dragon Boat Race, celebrating the upcoming Dragon Boat Festival. Along the river banks, local and foreign residents gathered, cheering enthusiastically for the participating teams.

Organized by the Shekou Management and Service Center for Expats (Shekou MSCE), the Globe Trotters were among the 40 teams competing in the race. Led by Manuel, the 14-member team comprised expat residents from 10 different countries such as France, the U.K., Argentina and Brazil, some of whom had previous paddling experience in the race while others joined for the first time.

Eledir Busanello from Brazil could barely contain her excitement after learning her team had reached the final. “I knew we were going to win,” she said. “We were better prepared this year compared to last year. We worked a lot on our paddling and on returning, aiming to improve on last year’s performance.” Busanello was also a member of the Globe Trotters last year, but the team capsized in the final during the return leg.

After last year’s paddling experience, Busanello has become an enthusiast of the water sport. This year she helped push for thorough pre-race training. “We need to have the same paddling. So training was very important for us to adjust ourselves to be a team in this event,” she explained. Under Manuel’s guidance, they had four sessions over the weekends leading up to the race. Manuel brought extensive dragon boat racing experience from the Philippines.

A professional pub singer in Shenzhen, Manuel had participated in the Zhongxin River race four times. “There’s been a big improvement with the Globe Trotters team this year, because we had a lot of training compared to the previous events,” said the Filipino singer.

“Besides being competitive, this team is more focused and they listens to instructions so we can maintain our standard strokes,” Manuel added. Since all his team members are athletic, their training focused on synchronization, “because dragon boating is a very different sport, which is more about teamwork.”

The 40 teams faced off in pairs during the preliminary round, with the fastest six advancing to the finals. As the horn sounded, paddlers propelled their boat through the water, evoking the image of legendary dragons emerging from the river.

The Globe Trotters achieved an impressive third-place finish. “This has been a great experience,” said Ignacio Loyola from Argentina, who competed for the first time alongside his wife. The couple, both water sports enthusiasts, had watched the races several times over the past few years, and decided to join to paddle in this year’s event.

The Globe Trotters paddle in sync during the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on the Houhai Zhongxin River on Saturday. Photos by Wei Jie

Members of the Globe Trotters celebrate and pose for a photo with the third-prize trophy in the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on Saturday.

Spectators cheer enthusiastically as racing boats glide down the Houhai Zhongxin River during the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on Saturday.

Gerald Jek Manuel of the Philippines, captain of the Globe Trotters team, gives instructions to his teammates after the preliminary round of the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on Saturday.

The Globe Trotters paddle in sync during the Shekou Dragon Boat Race on the Houhai Zhongxin River on Saturday.