STORY: Myanmar's dragon boat team strives for gold at Hangzhou's Asian Games
DATELINE: Sept. 28, 2023
LENGTH: 00:04:27
LOCATION: YANGON, Myanmar
CATEGORY: SPORTS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of Myanmar's dragon boat team

STORYLINE:

Racing against time, a 30-member dragon boat team from Myanmar is diligently honing their skills on Yangon's Inya Lake as they prepare for the ongoing 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou.

These paddlers said that after the 32nd Southeast Asian Games, they started training intensively, preparing to face tough competitors in China.

Lin Lin Kyaw, a 27-year-old national paddler from Myanmar, told Xinhua on Tuesday she is aiming for medals, including gold, at the Hangzhou Asian Games.

The seasoned athlete has participated in many international competitions, including the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia, where her team narrowly missed the top three awards. However, she remains steadfast in her pursuit of medals at the Asian Games, determined to correct past mistakes and bring glory to Myanmar, Lin said.

"I made my dragon boat debut in 2016 with the enthusiasm of becoming a national paddler and to make my family proud," she said. Her father, a former national paddler himself, kindled her aspirations to follow in his footsteps, she added.

The Myanmar dragon boat team, which consists of two coaches and 28 athletes, 14 men and 14 women, will compete in men's and women's 200m, 500m and 1,000m dragon boat events on Oct. 4, 5 and 6.

For the Asian Games which are taking place in Hangzhou until Oct. 8, Myanmar will send a dragon boat delegation of 33 individuals, namely 28 athletes, two coaches, and three officials from the federation. They will depart for China on Oct. 2.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Yangon, Myanmar.
(XHTV)