NATIONAL rowing coach Edgar Maerina confirmed yesterday that the Philippine Rowing Association has hired noted German coach Benedikt Schwarz, who will assist Pinoy rowers in four international meets this year, including the 33rd Thailand Southeast Asian Games in December.
“We will have a new foreign coach in Benedikt Schwarz and look forward to working with him in our international competitions this year, including the Thailand Southeast Asian Games,” said Maerina of the successor of longtime Uzbek rowing mentor ShukratGaniev.
Ganiev has been the national rowing team’s consultant even before the pandemic and helped local rowers to three gold and one bronze medal during the 30th Philippine Southeast Asian Games on top of helping CrisNievarez and Joanie del Gaco qualify for the Tokyo and Paris Olympic Games, respectively.
The Pinoy bets, however, were only good for two silver and six bronze medals during the 31st Vietnam SEA Games in 2022 while the Cambodia edition of the regional meet two years ago dropped the sport from the roster of disciplines.
Rowing chief Pato Gregorio had said that it was time to rethink the approach and strategy in the national rowing program so he decided to look for a new foreign coach that turned out to be a Schwarz, who handled the German national youth team.
The Germans won one gold from Oliver Zeidler in the men’s singles sculls and one bronze in the women’s quadruple sculls in the Paris Olympics, finishing fifth in the overall standings.
Maerina said that with the German on board, the plan is to have the Nationals, who have been training at the La Mesa Dam reservoir in Quezon City, see action in the World Cup 1 and 2 meets from June 13 to 15 in Italy and June 27 to 29 in Lucerne, Switzerland.
He also said the team is eyeing the World Rowing Championships from June 27 to 29 in Shanghai, China, and the Thailand SEA Games scheduled Dec. 9 to 20 in the Thai capital of Bangkok and provinces of Chonburi and Songkhla.
A total of 10 golds – five each for the men’s and women’s divisions – will be up for grabs in Thailand.
