MACAU - Macau’s renowned International Dragon Boat Races will go ahead this June, amid strict safety regulations and with a lower cap on numbers of teams.
As foreign teams will not be able to compete this year, given the global pandemic, the event’s racing will take place over just two days, 21 June and the Tung Ng public holiday on 25 June.
There will be an additional carnival day to celebrate the traditional Chinese festival on 20 June.
This comes as the Macau’s Legislative Assembly discussed the future of sports tourism as a way to support the territory’s further move towards diversification.
Other highly anticipated sporting events in Macau’s annual calendar include the Macao Grand Prix in November and the International Marathon in December. The government is keen to ensure there is one international-level event per month.
Currently in the planning is an international table-tennis competition, along with a call to hold the Macau Golf Open this year, while the Sports Bureau is hoping to invite some European football teams to Macau.
Diversification has long been a key focus for Macau tourism, and the recent downturn on gaming revenue has again shone a spotlight on its importance.