THIS year was definitely a good year for Len Escollante, president of the Philippine Canoe Kayak Dragon Boat Federation (PCKDF), highlighted by the recent highly-successful hosting by the country of the Dragon Boat World Championship here in Puerto Princesa.

It attracted a record field of participating countries and participants , highlighted by our capturing the overall championship and Len getting a special award from her international federation for that successful hosting.

Then as an early Christmas gift of sorts, she was elected to the Board of the Philippine Olympic Committe (POC) in the slate of incumbent President Bambol Tolentino whose ticket swept the elections last November 29.

And it was good that our paths crossed here in Puerto Princesa, me for the Laro ng Lahi in the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia- Philippines -East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA) Friendship Games 2024 hosted anew by Mayor Lucilo Bayron in partnership with the Philippine Sports Commission( PSC), while Len visited her canoe kayak athletes in training at the Iwahig Penal Colony.

We met for dinner Tuesday night at Ke Nikko, a popular bar resto near the Edward Hagedorn Coliseum and caught up on her side after we saw each other at the world dragon boat event a month ago here. Colleague Danny Simon also joined us later on.

Over beer and pulutan for them and a regular coke for me, Len regaled us with her younger days of being a tough coach with her then volleyball players.

She was after all a former national volleyball team coach after days of being a setter.

I liked the punching story but I promised Len no details, it was a guy involved. Same with her story about our dragon boat team winning two bronze medals in a pre pandemic ice dragon boat competition in Mongolia with a temperature of -27 degrees that when you piss, it becomes solid immediately.

Their competitors were flabbergasted that a tropical country like ours can win under those conditions and asked Len how she trained her team in the Philippines.

Truth is, for three months, Len had her team, including herself, train in the water like-clogged Pasig River in Taytay where the plants were so thick that one can stand on them, talk about creativity.

. But I was interested in how 2025 will be for her sport, a busy year she said with the World Games in Chengdu, China, the world junior in Portugal, the world seniors in Hungary, the Asian Championships, and the SEA Games in Thailand practically one after the other.

I asked her how she looks at our chances and for the World Games, she is confident her teams can make it to the final round. As to medal chances, she would have a better idea after a few months of training.

Same with the juniors and seniors though the latter would be the hardest, the Asian level competition should be good while for the SEA Games, she is more confident about winning medals.

Too bad in Cambodia in 2023, her sport was not included.

Presently, she maintains two regular training centers in Taytay and Tacloban that covers both dragon boat and kayaking and a smaller one just for canoe kayaking at the Iwahig Penal Colony area in Puerto Princesa.

The good news is that Puerto Princesa Mayor Bayron and Len are already discussing the construction of a permanent training center with quarters for the athletes for canoe kayak in the same area.

.Mayor Bayron even plans to donate the land and hack out a 1000m. long course for dragon boat training. The old man is dead serious about making his city the sports tourism capital of the country with water sports as one of the anchor events for international competitions in the future, lucky for Len.

.Looks like a real busy year for Len as she tries to strike a balance in being an NSA President and a POC board member at the same time, add to this her wish to still coach the team, that I had to tell her she has already moved up and has bigger responsibilities now.

Good luck in 2025, Len.

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My condolences to the family of Faizal, the guy who runs cricket here in the country, on his unexpected and untimely death last December 2 , I meet him regularly as the sport is under the oversight of PSC Commissioner Fritz Gaston.

Makes you rethink of your life and of others, how it can suddenly be gone.My prayers for his soul.

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Lito Cinco