The 2003 Shanghai International Dragon Boat Championship will stir the Suzhou Creek waters on Sunday afternoon.

Eight boats, each with 28 crew members, will vie for the men's title on a cordoned-off section of the creek between Zhejianglu Bridge and Wusonglu Bridge, while another six teams signed up for the mixed race.

Both groups will compete on a 800-meter course for a 10,000 yuan (US$120) first prize. Paddlers from the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Taiwan and the United States will participate.

"We scheduled the race in the afternoon of this Sunday based on the weather forecast, which indicates superb conditions for boat racing," said Qiu Weichang, the deputy chief of the Shanghai Sports Administration, one of the co-organizers of the event. "It takes a long time to decide on the location of the course since we would like to place the race in a desirable environment."

The designated course lies close to the crossing between Suzhou Creek and Huangpu River.

The race, sponsored by a local tobacco company, is deemed as the latest embodiment of the city's policy to promote "scenic sports," essentially holding sporting events in an urban setting in Shanghai.

(eastday.com October 24, 2003)