Asian Dragon Boat Championships: world chief urges Hong Kong government to invest in sport
Hong Kong poised to host the 2027 World Dragon Boat Racing Championships, as Asian event provides lessons for organisers
The boss of world dragon boat racing has urged Hong Kong’s government to follow the lead of the executive in his native Italy and pump more money into the sport.
Hong Kong is staging the Asian Dragon Boat Championships, in which China swept the honours on Saturday.
Claudio Schermi, the president of the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF), called Hong Kong “the home of dragon boating in the modern era”, but acknowledged improvements were needed at the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter venue before the city hosts the 2027 World Championships.
However, there were no complaints from fans and competitors on the second day of action, as Chinese boats claimed a hat-trick of titles, most thrillingly when the Open Championship crew reeled in Chinese Taipei to win the day’s closing race.
“This is a big event and it is very difficult to organise something like this, but for us it is also a stress test for the World Championships,” Schermi told the Post.
“This is a great project and a new course. From this experience, we can understand how to make tailor-made improvements for the best success [of the World Championships].”
