Doha: German sailors Wagner Jan-Jaspe and Baldwein Dustin - having clinched their maiden podium finish at the international level at the 47th World Military Sailing Championship (470 Class) here on Friday – are hungry for more success.
Jan-Jaspe and Dustin, who emerged winners at the end of 11 races and after four days of racing, aim to raise the bar further in the coming months and win more medals.
Speaking on the sidelines of the closing ceremony of the World Military Sailing Championship in Qatar yesterday Dustin said: “This is our first win at the international level. We have won a number of events at the national level in Germany.”
The German said the win in Doha will spur them to achieve more success on the global stages.
“We will take fond memories of the event back home. We were expecting a warm weather but when we reached here and we were competing, we found the weather was perfect and not what we had in mind.”
The winning duo, who overcame the tough challenge of Ukraine pair of Broys Shvets and Pavlo Matsyev , said they adjusted well to the sudden strong winds in the last two days of the competition.
“The weather in the form of cool breeze and the wind conditions during the first two days and the last two days of the championship was to our advantage and helped our cause to win the championship,” said Jan-Jaspe, in the presence of Andre Dupont, team captain and Tobias Puck, team doctor.
The winning team plan to take part in a few international military championships, including one in Rio de Janiero, and win more laurels.
“We plan to take part in a few championships in the coming months. The win in Qatar will motivate us and provide us the confidence and drive to win many more races,” said Jan-Jaspe.
The pair had a word of praise for the organizers, the Qatar Emiri Naval Forces and the Qatar Armed Forces. “The organization of the championship was perfect,” all the members of the victorious team said in unison.
President of the Qatar Military Sport Association Major General Dahlan Al Hamad handed the prizes to the podium winners in the presence of Staff Major General Mohammed bin Nasser Al Mohannadi, Commander of the Qatar Emiri Navy and chairman of the organising committee.
Major General Dahlan also declared the championship close.
The six-day championship saw around 100 sailors from 17 countries. Sailors from Canada, Sri Lanka, Germany, Pakistan, Denmark, France, Norway, Poland, Ukraine, Finland, Tunisia, India, Turkey, the USA, Indonesia and Qatar competed in the men’s section. Germany finished on top of the summit in the men’s section followed by Ukraine and Poland.
In the women’s section, France took the top honours followed by Russia, while Poland came third.
The other countries who saw action were Indonesia, USA, Ukraine and Germany.
The Peninsula
