8th national dragon boat championship in Bhopal from Aug 29
Bhopal: The Lower Lake of the state capital is all set to host the 8th edition of the National Dragon Boat Championship from August 29. Indian Kayaking and Canoeing Association (IKCA) will conduct the event in association with MP Kayaking and Canoeing Association.
IKCA general secretary Prashant Singh Kushwah said the championship will be organised for both the junior and senior categories.
“Teams will start coming to Bhopal from Wednesday onwards. All preparations for the event have been done,” he said.
Events comprising 200m, 500m, 2,000m and mixed categories will be organised at the championship. Kushwah has made it clear that paddlers who are registered and having IKCA accreditation card will be allowed to participate.
Competition manager Mayank Thakur said the event is important for state players as Madhya Pradesh is all set to host the world championship next year. “We will be organizing the world meet in Indore. Through this national championship, players will get an opportunity to prove their mettle before the final selections of the national team,” he said.
Events comprising 200m, 500m, 2,000m and mixed categories will be organised at the championship. Kushwah has made it clear that paddlers who are registered and having IKCA accreditation card will be allowed to participate.
Competition manager Mayank Thakur said the event is important for state players as Madhya Pradesh is all set to host the world championship next year. “We will be organizing the world meet in Indore. Through this national championship, players will get an opportunity to prove their mettle before the final selections of the national team,” he said.
Praising the state players, Thakur said they are extremely good at dragon boat. “In 2018 Asiad, 20 players out of the 32-member Indian dragon boat team hailed from MP. This is good enough to gauge the significance of our players,” he said.
Last year, Indian hopes of winning a medal at the Asian Games was almost dashed after the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) did not consider the dragon boat team. Some players had even moved the Delhi high court seeking justice. The court had directed IOA to send a team for the Asiad.
Notably, the Indian team comprising Rajeshwari Kushram, Neetu Verma, Kirti Kewat and Ramkanya Dangi won a silver medal in the 500m category at the 5th Asian traditional boat (dragon boat championship) held last year in China. The team had also bagged two bronze medals in the same tournament.
In the juniors and U-23 world championship organised in Italy in 2017, the entire Indian contingent was made up of players from MP only.
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What is dragon boat race?
Dragon boat racing is a canoe-sport, and made its mark at the international circuit at Hong Kong in 1976. These boats are typically made of carbon fibres, fiberglass, and other lightweight materials. For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails. At other times (such as during training), decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for drummers to practice. For races, there are 18-20 people in a standard boat, and 8-10 in a small boat, not including the steersperson (helm) and the drummer. It was included in the 2018 Asiad.
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Dragon boat facilities are available in 18 states across the country. Prominent among them are the South Indian states, particularly Kerala, Sangli (Maharshtra), Chandigarh, Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Delhi and Darbhanga (Bihar).
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