Just four days will separate the International Canoe Federation Dragon Boat World Cup in China and World Championships in the Philippines.
Zigui, Yichang in the Chinese province of Hubei will stage the ICF Dragon Boat World Cup from October 23 to 27.
This will then be followed by the ICF Dragon Boat World Championships in Puerto Princesa, the Philippines where races will run from October 31 to November 3.
The World Cup had been originally scheduled for the end of this month but has been moved to late October to enable athletes to go straight to the World Championships after competing in Yichang.
Dr. Wai-Hung Luk, Chair of the ICF Dragon Boat Commission, says the decision will benefit European teams as they will be able to remain in Asia for both major competitions before returning home.
“The original plan was to hold the World Cup in April before the Dragon Boat Festival in China,” said Dr. Luk.
“But to make sure that we get more teams we decided to move the event.
“Our President Thomas Konietzko said it would be better for all the teams, especially those from Europe, to have the chance to go to China first for the World Cup and then have a flight to the Philippines for the World Championships.
“It means that they would not have to make that additional trip as they would already be in Asia.
“The dates of the World Cup have been changed to October 23 to 27 so there would be four days in between that competition and the World Championships.
“For the European teams, they will have to fly a long way to compete so it is better for them to have the opportunity to paddle in two events in Asia.”
Zigui, situated in the western part of Hubei province, is the hometown of the great patriotic poet Qu Yuan and is located at the head of Three Gorges Engineering Dam.
Puerto Princesa is nicknamed “The City in a Forest" as it is famous for its breathtaking views and covers a large area with a lot of natural, cultural, and historical sites that local and international visitors can explore.
“When I was in Puerto Princesa for a technical visit in March, I was able to experience the city’s beauty,” said Dr. Luk.
“There is an underground river, which is amazing and in the night time you can see the fireflies which light up like a Christmas tree.
“It will be great for the athletes to spend some time before the competition to look around Puerto Princesa, visit the islands and enjoy the food there.”
Paddlers will have the additional incentive of fighting for quotas for The World Games 2025 at both the World Cup and World Championships.
A total of two spots for Chengdu 2025 will be up for grabs at the World Cup with the other 10 available at the World Championships.
Results accumulated over the mixed team 200, 500 and 2000 at the World Cup will be put towards the overall ranking with the top two nations qualifying.
“It will be a fantastic opportunity for teams to guarantee their place at Chengdu 2025 before heading to the World Championships,” added Dr. Luk.
“I am sure the organisers in China and the Philippines will put on amazing events and paddlers will produce their best performances.”
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