Deputy Director of the Hangzhou Sports Bureau Xu Jianfeng believes the 2024 International Canoe Federation Hangzhou Super Cup will be a great legacy of the Hangzhou 2022 Asian Games.
Built for the quadrennial continental multi-sport event, the Fuyang Water Sports Centre hosted both canoeing and rowing events during the Games in September last year.
This year’s Super Cup is the first major international competition to be held at the venue, following the Games.
“The ICF Hangzhou Super Cup venue is a brand new one. It was built for the Asian Games. We wanted to continue using the excellent facilities and Hangzhou also wants to continue to host international sports events,” Jianfeng, who was also part of the Hangzhou 2022 Organising Committee said.
“When ICF approached us regarding the venue for the Super Cup, it was an easy choice.”
As a legacy of the Games, the ICF inaugurated a satellite office in Hangzhou earlier this year, representing a significant step towards making the Chinese city renowned for international sports events and conferences.
It follows a Memorandum of Understanding signed between the ICF and Hangzhou in October 2023.
“After the Asian Games, some of the national team athletes and those at provincial and municipal level used the venue for training. It is also the training base for the Hangzhou Water Sports Centre,” Jianfeng said.
“We also had some local events, but the Super Cup is the first big one after the Games. This will be a great legacy of the Games.”
Olympic and world champions from around the globe have heaped praise on the Fuyang Water Sports Centre.
Athletes and National Federations, especially from Europe, have expressed interest in using the venue as a training base during winter.
“We want to continue to have more international sports events and welcome countries from around the world to come and train in this beautiful facility,” Jianfeng added.
“Discussions are also in place for Hangzhou to host Asian and World Championships in the future.
“Given the history and importance of the Fu Chun river, where the venue is located, we are working hard to maintain sustainability levels and ensure that the environment remains clean and untouched.”
Full coverage of this week's ICF Hangzhou Super Cup featuring Canoe Slalom, Canoe Sprint, Canoe Marathon and Canoe Polo can be viewed on the Planet Canoe YouTube channel.
Join Planet Canoe's YouTube channel for €9.99 per month to unlock members-only content and features
Related links
