International Canoe Federation (ICF) President Thomas Konietzko recently announced that dragon boat racing will be featured as a demonstration sport at the Paris Olympics. Konietzko expressed his best wishes for the Dragon Boat Festival in a video shown at a press conference hosted by China Media Group (CMG) in Beijing on Thursday.
He also extended his congratulations on the Dragon Boat World Cup that will be held in Yichang City, Hubei Province, as well as the first ever International Canoe Super Cup that will take place in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, with both events set for October.
A dragon boat on the water during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Sea Forest Waterway in Tokyo, Japan, August 5, 2021. /CFP
Dragon boat racing first appeared on the Olympic stage at Tokyo 2020, and Konietzko said the sport's second appearance is the result of a joint effort between the ICF and CMG with the support of the International Olympic Committee.