In autumn, Ukraine will host 2019 ICF Dragon Boat Club Crew World Championships. The event will be held September 9-16, 2019 in Kyiv, the capital and largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country. Racing will take place on the Water Stadium situated on the Dnipro River, Obolon Embankment.
Health and sports promotion has become a prominent focus of the event, according to the Ukrainian Dragon Boat Federation UDBF.
Dragon boat is a race over a clearly defined unobstructed course in the shortest possible time. The boat has ancient Chinese origins and dates back more than 2,000 years. Dragon boats are designed to resemble the classic dragon that had the head of an ox, antler of a deer, mane of a horse, body of a python, claws of a hawk, and fins and tail of a fish, so the bow is crafted as the head of a dragon with the stern the tail, the hull painted with scales and the paddles symbolically representing the claws. Modern dragon boat is generally recognised as having its origins in the Hong Kong International Races, first held in 1976.