The National Traditional Boat Racing Championships and the National Junior, U21 and U23 Canoeing Championships 2025 are being held in HCM City. - VNA/VNS Photo

HCM CITY — More than 700 athletes and coaches from 19 provinces, cities and sectors are competing in the National Traditional Boat Racing Championships and the National Junior, U21 and U23 Canoeing Championships 2025, which opened on Sunday in HCM City.

The tournament, organised by the municipal Department of Culture and Sports in coordination with the Việt Nam Canoeing Federation and the General Department of Sports and Physical Training, runs from August 12 to 22.

The event gathers strong teams from Hà Nội, HCM City, Hải Phòng, Cần Thơ, Bến Tre and Vĩnh Phúc, among others.

In canoeing, athletes are competing in 97 events across three age groups. The U18 category has 32 events, U21 has 31 events, and U23 has 34 events.

Competitors race over distances of 200m, 500m and 1,000m in both Canoe and Kayak disciplines, with additional mixed-gender events at 500m and 1,000m.

In traditional boat racing, athletes compete in 18 events across 200m, 500m and 1,000m distances for men, women and mixed teams. Boats of 10 and 20 rowers are used in these competitions.

Trần Thế Thuận, Director of HCM City’s Department of Culture and Sports and head of the organising committee, said the championships aim to promote the practice of canoeing and traditional boat racing, while preserving and developing the nation’s cultural and sporting traditions.

The events also foster understanding, exchange and solidarity among localities.

According to Thuận, the championships provide an opportunity to review the quality of training and select athletes for the 33rd SEA Games in Thailand, while preparing facilities for the 10th National Sports Games in 2026.

In the future, HCM City plans to expand and improve infrastructure, including the proposal to build a Boat Racing Training Centre, befitting its role as the country’s economic hub.

Following the opening ceremony, organisers presented awards to outstanding teams in the Canoeing events held earlier. VNS