The 12th Zhuhai Citizen Fitness Games Paddleboard (Stand-Up Paddle) Competition, also the 2nd Qianshan River Paddleboard Open, kicked off at the Qianshan River Water Sports Center in Xiangzhou district on Aug 23, drawing 78 athletes from over 10 teams across Zhuhai, Hong Kong and Macao.

Co-hosted by Zhuhai municipal Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, Zhuhai Sports Federation and Xiangzhou district Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports, the event is undertaken by Jinpeng Sports Culture (Guangdong) and Qianshan River Water Sports (Rescue) Center. It features 200-meter sprint and 3,000-m endurance races, covering individual and doubles categories for men, women and mixed teams.

Athletes glide across the water with a single-bladed paddle. [Photo/WeChat account: zhxiangzhou]

The 200-m sprint adopts a multi-round system with semi-finals added when preliminary groups exceed four, while the 3,000-m race follows a mass-start one-off final format ranked by finishing time. Top eight finishers in each category receive certificates, with medals for the top three, and all finishers are awarded commemorative medals.

With participants ranging from teenagers to seniors over 60, the event serves as an exchange platform for water sports enthusiasts. As Zhuhai's first comprehensive water sports venue, the center will continue enriching water sports events to advance the integrated development of sports, culture and tourism.