All About Dragon Boating

Enthusiasm, perseverance and focus are the characteristics of this growing and energetic team of dragon boating aficionados in Qatar. This year, they go to town with a purpose of spreading awareness on breast cancer and focus on early detection with their routine and are asking the community to join in for this unique cause.

The AllandAbout team got to speak with one of its members, Ai Tanimizu about their journey and why they do what they do:

Q: When did you pick up this sport?

A: I picked this sport when I came to Doha last September. I was looking to do something I’ve never done in other countries I’ve lived in!

Q: How did you get started on this sport?

A: The first weekend I spent in Doha, my colleague invited me out to a Newbie session with Angry Dragons. She let me use all her equipment so, although I looked like a pro, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing!

Q: What interests you about dragon boating?

A: What interested me first was the fact that I’ve never participated in dragon boating before. I like new challenges. What keeps me going now is my team. Teamwork is very important in dragon boating, and we’ve got an amazing team with people from over 15 countries!

Q: How long does your team practice for on a daily/weekly basis?

A: We have 2 land trainings (bootcamp) and 3 water trainings (paddling) a week.

Q: How many members are in your team?

A: Currently more than 60!

Q: What do the members do for a living?

A: Our team is comprised of engineers, teachers, healthcare professionals, bankers, aviation industry professionals, lawyers, telecom professionals, film makers, social media experts, and pastry chefs to name a few.

Q: What is your motto behind using this fitness regime for yourselves?

A: I love sports, sports is my life! And most of all, I love being involved in team sports.

Q: What kind of fitness regimes would you advise people who want to get into this sport?

A: Get engaged in a variety of physical activity. Cardio, strength training, and flexibility are all needed for this sport.

Q: Where do you practice?

A: We have our land training at Costa Corniche Park and our water training at the Pearl.

Q: What are your future plans for the team?

A: To win the championship trophy during Qatar Dragonboat festival on November 24 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel beach J

Q: What is the scope of dragon boating in Qatar?

A: We have been a growing community from when we started in 2014. There is definitely a lot of potential as more and more people are learning about the sport and engaging in a healthy lifestyle. We started with just 1 team in Qatar in 2014 and now our dragon boat community comprises of 8 teams. From just 4 boats in Qatar, we will soon have over 10! From just a mixed team of men and women in Qatar, we will now have a women’s only category for races and have also introduced corporate teams and youth teams. So the scope is growing into a well-established sport!

Q: What does it take to be on the team?

A: “Team over self” mentality, mental strength, the will to improve and, most importantly, a good attitude (being humble and will to listen).

Q: Why the connection with breast cancer?

A: Breast cancer is the most common kind of cancer and the leading cause of cancer death in women living in Qatar and worldwide. And October is Breast Cancer Awareness month!

Q: What does collaborating with an issue of this magnitude mean to you?

I am an oncology nurse and have been working with people affected by cancer and healthcare professionals caring for people affected by cancer. I know the importance of early screening and how it can save lives. I wanted to do something with my team to promote health and increase breast cancer awareness.

As a team we wanted to do something with the community for the community. Regular physical activity helps to reduce the risk of breast cancer and our strengths as a team is fitness activities.  We are using our asset of our bootcamp training to bring people together to raise awareness and build a healthier community!

Q: Funny quirks about your team?

When someone says “ANGRY DRAGONS!” the whole team will respond with “AHOO!” and this never fails. We are obsessed with “ahoo!”

We also give odd nicknames to our members… We have a ‘Bunny’ and a ‘Bulgarian Squat King’ and many other unique nicknames!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AngryDragonsQatar/

Instagram: @angrydragonsqtr

Written by: Keertana Koduru