June 25: China's Sichuan Dragon Boat Team emerged victorious in the Nepal-China Friendship Dragon Boat Race Festival, which concluded on Saturday. The Nara Dragon Boat Team from Nepal secured the first runner-up position, according to the organizers.

The Sichuan Dragon Boat Team claimed the championship titles in both the 200-meter and 500-meter races, while the Nara Dragon Boat Team secured the second position in both competitions.

As the winners, the Sichuan Dragon Boat Team received a cash prize of Rs 1.1 million, with Rs 550,000 awarded for each victory. The Nara Dragon Boat Team, as the first runner-up in both tournaments, received a cash prize of Rs 700,000.

The Team Sichuan completed the 500-meter race in 2 minutes and 20 seconds, while they finished the 200-meter race in 53 seconds. On the other hand, Nepal's team took 2 minutes and 23 seconds to complete the 500-meter race and 56 seconds for the 200-meter race.

The two-day-long festival was jointly organized by the Embassy of China in Nepal, the Pokhara Metropolitan City, and the Nepal Tourism Board (NTB). A total of eight teams participated in the competition, including three from China, four from Nepal, and one from Singapore. The Yunnan Dragon Boat Team from Yunnan Province, China, secured the third position in both competitions.

All participating teams were provided with a token of appreciation amounting to Rs 100,000.

The winners and participating teams were honored by various dignitaries, including National Assembly Chairman Ganesh Prasad Timilsina, State Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Sushila Sirpaili, Chinese Ambassador to Nepal Chen Song, and Mayor of Pokhara Metropolitan City Dhanraj Acharya. The event was inaugurated by Minister for Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation Sudan Kirati.

During the event, Minister Kirati highlighted that the friendship festival, organized in the tourist city of Pokhara, aims to strengthen the cultural and people-to-people relations between Nepal and China.

This first-ever Dragon Boat Race in South Asia is expected to promote Nepal globally and attract more Chinese tourists to Nepal in the future. The boat race was held with the goal of deepening cultural ties, fostering people-to-people connections, and promoting tourism between Nepal and China.