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Ningbo to host ICF Dragon Boat World Cup

Updated:2019-10-14 (chinadaily.com.cn)

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The 2019 ICF Dragon Boat Word Cup is set to kick off at Dongqian Lake in Ningbo, East China's Zhejiang province on Nov 1, according to a press conference held in Beijing on Oct 10.

Nearly 1,000 athletes and referees from 30 countries across the world including Russia, Germany, Ukraine, United States, Malaysia, South Africa and Switzerland will take part, according to the organizing committee.

The event, being held for the first time, aims to popularize dragon boat racing around the world, with the ultimate goal of having it become part of the Olympic Games.

The event is sponsored by the International Canoeing Federation and is being organized by the China Canoeing Association and Ningbo Municipal People's Government.

ICF is an international governing body for canoeing, with its headquarters in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The event will contain two straight track races of different lengths – 200 and 500 meters – and adopt two different sized race boats with capacities of 10 and 22 people respectively.

Liu Aijie, chairman of the China Canoeing Association, said that the dragon boat sport, which originated in China, embodies the core values of Chinese culture – unity, struggle, and forging ahead.

A wide array of activities including forums and parades will also be held on the sidelines of the event, organizers said.