OLYMPIC VETERAN. Rower Cris Nievarez at the Tokyo Olympics Athletes Village Plaza in 2021. Nievarez will banner the team in the World Beach Games Asian qualifying event on April 25-30, 2023 in Pattaya, Thailand. (Contributed photo)
MANILA – The Philippine rowing team is undergoing a three-week training in Cavite preparing for the World Beach Games Asian qualifying tournament in Thailand this month.
Tokyo Olympian Cris Nievarez (CM1X), Feiza Jane Lenton (CW1X), Edgar Ilas and Joanie Delgaco (CMIXED2X), Zuriel Sumintac and Christian Joseph Jasmin (CM2X), Amelyn Pagulayan and Kristine Paraon (CW2X), and Kharl Julianne Sha Bengco (CW2X) have been training at the Ternate Rowing Academy Center since March 29, aiming to be battle-ready when they see action in the April 25-30 competition at the Ambassador Hotel in Pattaya City.
"We have a bigger chance in the Asian qualifying. First, because of the short distance. Second, we train here on the beach," said head coach Ed Maerina in an interview on Thursday.
He and coach Nick Jasmin will join the trip to Thailand.
Also part of the rowing team coaching staff are Ma. Concepcion Fornea and Uzbekistan's Shukhrat Ganiev, who has a one-year contract that will expire in December.
The coastal rowing beach sprint course covers 600 meters -- 50 meters to start and finish the race with an on-water distance of 250 meters from the beach to the farthest turning buoy.
The distance between each of the three big buoys is 80 to 85 meters.
The race begins with the rower sprinting along the beach, climbs into the boat and rows slalom for 250 meters, then makes a turn at the third buoy, rows back to the beach and sprints back to the finish line.
It will be the third time for the Philippines to compete in an Asian-level tournament, having joined the 2016 Asian Beach Games in Danang, Vietnam and the 2019 Asian Championships in China where Ilas pocketed the bronze medal.
"In Asia, the strong teams are Thailand, Indonesia, Hong Kong and China," said Maerina, who competed at the 1988 Seoul Olympics two years after he joined the national team.
He was a full-time athlete until 1997, a playing coach from 1998 to 2001 and was appointed head coach in 2002.
The Association of National Olympic Committees organized the first World Beach Games in Doha, Qatar in 2019 with more than 1,200 athletes from 97 countries participating.
This year, the World Beach Games will be held on Aug. 5-12 in Bali, Indonesia which hosted the inaugural Asian Beach Games in 2008.
The World Beach Games features aquathlon, air badminton, 3×3 basketball, beach handball, individual Kata, kite foil, beach soccer, beach sprints, surfing (longboard and shortboard), open water swimming (5km), beach tennis, beach volleyball 4×4, beach water polo and beach wrestling.
Coastal rowing is included in the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Victoria, Australia and the 2026 Youth Olympic Games in Dakar, Senegal. (PNA)
