World famous universities compete in intl rowing challenge

The 2018 Changsha International Universities Rowing Regatta pushed off in the capital city of Hunan province on July 28.

The event attracted 20 varsity rowing teams from 19 universities including domestic ones like Peking, Shanghai Jiao Tong, and Zhejiang, as well as renowned international universities such as Yale, Cambridge, the University of Melbourne, Oxford Brookes University and the University of Otago.

The regatta was held on the Xiangjiang River close to the Changsha tourist attraction, Orange Isle. In the preliminary heat on July 28, Oxford Brookes triumphed in both the men's and women's 1 km races.

Cheng Shuiquan, director of the standing committee of Changsha's people's congress, noted in his speech that Changsha has gained momentum as a sports city over recent years. A host of international sports events are held in Changsha, helping the city become known to the outside world. He hoped that the university regatta will be a platform to showcase Changsha and enhance international friendship.

The regatta was jointly hosted by the Chinese Rowing Association, the Sports Bureau of Hunan Province, and the Changsha municipal people's government and organized by the management committee of Xiangjiang new district and the Changsha sports and education bureaus.