Nepal-China Dragon Boat Race Festival begins in Pokhara (photos)
The event is taking place at the picturesque Phewa Lake, a popular tourist destination in Pokhara, and will feature athletes from Nepal, China, and Singapore.
KATHMANDU: The second edition of the ‘Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival’ began today (Sunday) in Pokhara, with the goal of enhancing cultural and people-to-people relations between Nepal and China, while promoting tourism in Nepal.
The event is taking place at the picturesque Phewa Lake, a popular tourist destination in Pokhara, and will feature athletes from Nepal, China, and Singapore.
The competition is scheduled to run until Dec 30.
Jointly organized by the Gandaki Provincial Government, Pokhara Metropolitan City, the Chinese Embassy in Nepal, and the Nepal Tourism Board, the festival will see participation from 20 teams.
Pokhara Mayor Dhanraj Acharya confirmed that all preparations have been finalized for the event.
A group of 129 athletes from Chengdu, China, arrived in Pokhara on December 26 via a chartered flight. The teams have been practicing daily at Phewa Lake ahead of the competition.
The event will feature eight teams from China, one from Singapore, and 11 teams from various regions of Nepal.
The participating Nepali teams include Gandaki, Bagmati, Karnali, Tribhuvan Army Club, Dragon Boat Gandaki, Begnas Team, Rupa Lake Team, and the Nepal Rafting Agencies Association (NARA).
Races will be held in two categories: 500 meters and 200 meters.
The winners will receive a cash prize of USD 5,000, while the runners-up and third-place finishers will be awarded USD 2,000 and USD 1,200, respectively.
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