People take part in the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship in Kotte, Sri Lanka, on May 31, 2025. In a gesture of sports diplomacy and cultural exchange, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports. The donation was formally made on Saturday at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship.(Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, June 1 (Xinhua) -- In a gesture of sports diplomacy and cultural exchange, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The donation was formally made on Saturday at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship.

The championship, held at the Diyawanna Oya Amateur Rowing Association of Sri Lanka (ARASL) Rowing Center in Kotte, a suburb of Colombo, featured a diverse field, including school and university teams, the Sri Lankan Armed Forces, and five teams from Jaffna comprising 75 young athletes, a significant representation for northern regional participation. Altogether 22 teams from Sri Lanka, featuring over 310 athletes, and two from China took part.

Speaking to Xinhua, Minister of Youth Affairs and Sports, S.K. Gamage, expressed gratitude for China's support.

Gamage emphasized that events like the Dragon Boat Festival are crucial for deepening the longstanding friendship between Sri Lanka and China. "We have a long history of friendship with China. We want to improve and continue it," he said.

Addressing the gathering, Gamage added, "This is not merely a sports event, it is a powerful symbol of friendship, culture, and cooperation between our two nations."

Chinese Ambassador to Sri Lanka Qi Zhenhong spoke of the global significance of the Dragon Boat Festival and the values it embodies.

"Dragon boat racing is one of the oldest and most culturally significant traditions of the festival. It symbolizes teamwork, perseverance, and the collective pursuit of universal values such as peace, development, and justice," he said.

Qi described this championship as "a new starting point to further deepen sports and cultural exchanges between China and Sri Lanka and to enhance mutual understanding and friendship between our peoples."

Rear Admiral HNS Perera, president of the National Association for Canoeing and Kayaking in Sri Lanka, described the event as a bridge between tradition and modernity.

"This is more than a sporting event; it is a celebration of culture, heritage, and most importantly, friendship," he said, adding that the boats donated by China would greatly assist the development of water sports in Sri Lanka, particularly for youth in under-resourced regions like Jaffna. ■

People take part in the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship in Kotte, Sri Lanka, on May 31, 2025. In a gesture of sports diplomacy and cultural exchange, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The donation was formally made on Saturday at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship.(Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)

People take part in the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship in Kotte, Sri Lanka, on May 31, 2025. In a gesture of sports diplomacy and cultural exchange, the Chinese Embassy in Sri Lanka has donated five 12-person international-standard dragon boats to Sri Lanka's Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports.

The donation was formally made on Saturday at the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival China-Sri Lanka Friendship Cup Dragon Boat Championship.(Photo by Ajith Perera/Xinhua)