Dragon Boat Championship Training Begins – Even an 18-Year-Old Girl Joins the Team

By Reporter Zhu t?幔?ū北ǖ技/p>

The Dragon Boat Festival is approaching, and the "2013 Taipei International Dragon Boat Championship" will grandly take place on June 8, 9, and 12 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on the Dajia section of the Keelung River in Taipei City. To give all teams ample opportunity to practice, the Taipei City Government Sports Bureau has opened the area under the Dazhi Bridge on the left bank of the Dajia section of the Keelung River for training from now until June 6. Surprisingly, a group of female rowers with an average age of under 20 has been spotted, making this year’s event even more exciting to watch.

%计骄?炅洳坏讲0岁的海院队妹妹也“下海”划龙舟！(图／台北市政府体育局提供)

The training ceremony was presided over by Taipei City Government Sports Bureau Director He Jinliang, who performed a river worship ritual to pray for favorable weather and smooth sailing for all. Although registration is still ongoing, the Dajia section of the Keelung River is already bustling with energy. As early as 6:00 AM, teams such as the Amis Youth Team, the National Taiwan Normal University Chinese Language Center Team, the Taipei Rabbit Team, and the National Taiwan Ocean University Team were ready to hit the water for practice.

Among them, the Amis Youth Team is a perennial contender in the competition, while the National Taiwan Normal University Chinese Language Center Team is composed of young students from around the world and is also a strong performer that makes it to the finals every year. They were eager to report to the dragon boat dock early in the morning. A special mention goes to the Taipei Rabbit Team, a group of brothers over 50 years old. Despite their age, their physical fitness is top-notch, and many of them are even company bosses.

%疾皇涓?昵崛耍√ū苯萃枚拥有的奶迨誓芤膊豢尚￡铩＃ㄍ迹?ū笔姓??逵?痔峁?┘/strong>