GALLERY: Centuary-old tradition of dragon boat racing
ROODEPOORT — Dragon boat racing draws crowds in at Florida Lake.
Dozens of rowing enthusiasts in Roodepoort pulled out for dragon boat racing on 3 May at Florida Lake. From first time participants to the more seasoned, the area was abuzz with activity and family members who came out to watch the race.
“We hold the dragon boat race once a month. We have five big races in the year and in October, we take the boats to Potchefstroom for a race at the Mooi River. We have 10 teams participating today in different categories.”
Enthusiasts can take part from the age of 13 and older, and each race usually boasts as many as 25 teams.
Shi Cheng-Man, captain of the Taiwan Embassy team, said dragon boat racing is a tradition in Taiwan but they were very excited to be taking part in the race at Florida Lake. The Spartan team from Roodepoort said they were looking forward to the race, and they have been competing in dragon boat racing since 2009.
Region C sports council president, Aubrey Thomas said he was impressed with the turnout and boasted about the sporting abilities of community members.
“We can boast three lakes in the area, the Florida, Fleurhof and Main Reef lakes which are great for sports development in rowing and canoeing. It is great to see so many people [who] came out not only to race but to support the local stalls and teams,” he concluded.
