Dragon boats ride Latin wave of popularity

The traditional Chinese sport of dragon boat racing has swept across Latin America over the last decade.

It has spread from one country to another, becoming increasingly competitive, spawning social teams, driving teamwork, inspiring the healing of cancer survivors, and fostering deep and strong links with China.

Popular with sports enthusiasts and amateurs, corporate and social teams are promoting camaraderie, teamwork and cultural exchanges.

"It's a sport where coordination and teamwork truly bring everyone together, working as one, without one person standing out more than another," said Sergio Maximiliano Bracco, an Argentine dentist and avid dragon boat paddler.

Bracco, 51, is fascinated by the inclusive nature of a sport that allows women, men, people with disabilities, and the fit and not so fit, to work together with a single purpose.

"I was amazed to see at the last (Paradragons) World Championship amputees, paraplegics, and especially blind athletes competing and coordinating their paddling perfectly in boats with 12 and 22 paddlers, even though they lack one of the senses," Bracco told China Daily.

The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) holds Paradragons as a separate category for paddlers with some form of physical impairment during the Dragon Boat World Championship. The last championship was held in Thailand in 2023 and the next one will be staged in Germany in 2025.

When paddling, Bracco usually sits in the "rocket" position, the last row of the boat, providing power or extra paddling.

Bracco has competed in the sport since 2019, when the Argentine Dragon Boat Association, the country's official organizer of dragon boat races, was formed. His participation was spurred by a friend who was interested in Chinese culture.

"We used to row together in Puerto Madero, and one day we saw a sign inviting us to try out this 'new' sport. We went, and that's where it all began," said Bracco.

Their first instructor was Diego Laje, an Argentine who lived in Beijing and Hong Kong for years.

Bracco and his team now train with Mauricio Acuna Kluge, a professional kayaker, in boats that hold 12 or 22 paddlers.

Last year, Bracco participated in the 16th International Dragon Boat Federation World Dragon Boat Racing Championships in Pattaya, Thailand. He also competed in this year's 14th IDBF Dragon Boat Club Crew World Championships in Ravenna, Italy.

"The sport is just beginning to grow in Argentina. Together as an association and paddlers, we are learning and evolving side by side," said Bracco.