McKay elated with Ja’s dragon boat bronze medal

JAMAICA made a smashing international debut at the fourth Bahamas Chinese Dragon Boat Festival, claiming bronze in yesterday’s 200-metre Mixed Major Final at Goodman’s Bay in Nassau.

Jamaica, who only started training for the international event in June, also advanced to the 200-metre Major Open as Division A finalists alongside returning champions Buoys and Gulls and runners-up Nauti Crew.

The 17-member Jamaican squad set at least two records in winning two races on their way to three finals including two Division As. Captain Jason McKay pulled the mixed team out of yesterday’s 200-metre Minor Open final (Division A) conserving for the Major Open final, also Division A, due to limited manpower for races being run almost back-to-back.

Jamaica’s mixed team was particularly impressive, clocking 1:04.79 for third in Saturday’s round one, afterwards winning round two in 1:11.3, earning an aggregated time fast enough to not only qualify for Sunday’s Mixed Major Final, Division A, in which they won bronze, but also Minor Final, Division A, against open teams.

Jamaica’s open squad also set a national record in qualifying for yesterday’s 200-metre Major Final, Division A, clocking 1:03.95, the fastest second-round time of all 27 teams, including eventual champions, Boys and Gulls, who won their heat in 1:04.82.

Having won a bronze in their first international competition, captain Jason McKay said he was elated with Jamaica’s achievement.

“Words cannot describe this feeling,” he said during the medal ceremony at which Jamaica was lauded for their camaraderie, helping out other teams with drummers and steerers for the entire tournament.

“For a team that started training in June, after Jamaica staged its first-ever dragon boat festival, to come to The Bahamas for its fourth staging, racing and beating international and home teams who have been competing for years, I don’t believe I could have honestly asked more of this squad,” said McKay.

With plans already in place for next year’s tournament, May 2-3, McKay said Jamaica learnt a lot and will return with a bigger squad, aiming at three gold medals in 2026 before plotting a home domination at the Jamaica Dragon Boat Festival, late May to early June 2026.