ICF Dragon Boat Commission activities Q2 2025

The World Masters Games
Dragon Boat featured as part of The World Games held in Taipei City and New Taipei City. Competition was organised from May 26-28 at Dajia Riverside Park, Breeze Canal in Chinese Taipei in which a traditional type of dragon boats was used. All the master paddlers enjoyed themselves very much while the youngest group of spectators loved the atmosphere of the races. During The World Masters Games, the ICF Dragon Boat Commission held good discussions with WMG2027 representatives on preparation of Dragon Boat events to be held in Shiga, Japan.

Big Turnout for World Cup
From June 12 to 15, an ICF Dragon Boat World Cup was staged in Chifeng, Inner Mongolia, China. It was held at Zhimeng Lake with participation from teams from Asia, America and Europe. This attracted huge numbers of spectators not only at the Opening Ceremony but also the races. 

Final Preparations for The World Games 
The World Games 2025 in Chengdu, China will see Dragon Boat and Canoe Marathon competitions held together on August 9 and 10 at Xinglong Lake, Wetland Park, Tianfu New Area, Chengdu. For Dragon Boat events, the 12 qualified countries/regions are CHN, INA, THA, HUN, MYA, ESP, UKR, TPE, CZE, CAM, PHI and KOR. They will compete for the six medal events namely the 10-seater mixed 200m, 500m and 2000m as well as the eight-seater open 200m, 500m and 2000m races. The short list of participating athletes and officials will be finalised at the end of July. 

Ruse inspection 
From September 18 to 22, Ruse in Bulgaria will be the host of the 2025 ICF Dragon Boat Club Crew World Championships. Races will be held at the Regatta Course in Ruse. The ICF Dragon Boat Commission staged a final site inspection in the last week of April. The venue has been well prepared for the World Championships.

Hangzhou demonstration 
Before the World Championships, Dragon Boat is set to be a demonstration event at the ICF Hangzhou Super Cup on September 13. Held at the Fuyang Water Sports Centre, Dragon Boat races will take place over the distance of 500m. There will be more inclusion of local teams with a view to attracting the public.  

What Next 
Excitement is already building for the 2026 ICF Dragon Boat World Championships, which will take place in Regina, Canada. A site inspection and meeting with NOC has been scheduled for August 30 to 31, 2025.  

By Waihung Luk, Chair of the ICF Dragon Boat Commission