Dragon boating traces its roots from ancient China as part of religious rituals dating back more than 2,000 years. From an ancient practice of venerating a deity, it now evolved into a sport that tests the skills, techniques and endurance of a person. It is a team sport which comprises the helm, the drummer and the paddlers working out together and aiming to reach the finish line faster using the boat.
Its prominence as an adrenaline filled human-powered watersport became phenomenal worldwide and the United Arab Emirates is not spared; from the very few teams at its onset, it has grown into more than twenty teams actively participating and competing in local and international arenas, as well as producing world class paddlers and champions as evident on the recently concluded 10th Club Crew World Championship held in Adelaide, Australia.
With the growing numbers of paddling enthusiasts, the dragon boating community is becoming a big family and the birth of UAE Dragon Boat Nation is conceptualized to bond all teams and provide the social media platform of all dragon boating activities, news and information.
It provides directories for all UAE dragon boat teams to guide all would be enthusiasts to locate the different team’s training location and timings which they will find convenient if they wish to try. The sport welcomes everyone from all fitness levels and doesn’t discriminate whether you are a couch potato who decided to start being active or an adrenaline junkie who wants to try another sport.
The community page also gives an update for the calendar of events on incoming races locally and internationally to keep all the teams informed and to prepare them if they are sending contingents for the races. It also apprises everyone as to the latest happenings on the race itself including results of the competitions.
The Facebook page is now the unofficial source of what’s the in and out of dragon boating and a way to connect with other fellow paddlers and other teams in the United Arab Emirates. It provides an avenue to express the shared passion on the love of the sport. It captures the zeitgeist of the race event and shows not just the competitive side but also the quirky and fun nature of paddlers. They also share the knowledge of the sport and the new techniques being used to improve the paddling skills of the team.
In a water sport where synchronization and team work plays a vital role in winning, it also teaches every paddler the importance of making an alliance and fostering camaraderie and not to treat other teams as foe but friends as well. The UAE Dragon Boat Nation came into place to bridge this alliance, being a non-partisan and non-profit organization dedicated to uniting all teams in the United Arab Emirates and to cover all events related to dragon boating and promoting the sports.
If you are interested in meeting the UAE Dragon Boat Community and want to be part of it or simply curious to try the sport, you could check for the UAE Dragon Boat Nation Facebook page at facebook.com/UAEDBN/, they have the directory of various UAE teams’ in which you could test a dragon boat and most teams are offering free sessions for beginners.
Words by: John Panuelos
Photos supplied by: UAE Dragon Boat Nation
