On May 10th and 11th , the Zhaohui campus of Zhejiang University of Technology (ZJUT) witnessed the opening of the grand event of the warm-up match of 2014 China Leisure Canoeing Championship in Hangzhou Station and on May 12th “Boosting Youth” Canoeing Match of ZJUT on Shangtang River. The champion of the 2004 Athens Olympic Games as well as the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games—Meng Guanliang was present and triggered the opening shot for the match. With the theme of “Racing Canoes, Managing Rivers”, the match was endorsed by Sports Bureau of Zhejiang Province and Aquatics Management Centre of Zhejiang Province, and organized by Aquatics Centre of Hangzhou and ZJUT. More than 160 teams have participated in the match, competitors coming from Canoeing Club of Wanke, Canoeing Club of Jiangnan as well as colleges and universities of Hangzhou including ZJUT.
On site, the Meng Guanliang Canoeing Club of ZJUT directed by Mr. Meng as the honorary head coach. Subordinated to Chinese Canoeing Association, the club is a permanent institution of school for student members taking canoeing. Meng Guanliang and delegates from Sports Bureau and Aquatics Management Centre of Zhejiang Province, Aquatics Management Centre of Hangzhou, as well as the Departments of Student Affairs and Military Sports, Youth League Committee and the College of Pharmaceutical Science of ZJUT have attended the opening ceremony.
One of the many excellent campus life projects, “Boosting Youth” Canoeing Match of ZJUT has completed 12 runs since 2002 undertaken by the College of Pharmaceutical Science. For the purpose of prevailing cultures of the canal, controlling environment by the canal, showing the spirit of students pursuing dreams through the canal as well as carrying forward the tradition of exploration and innovation of ZJUT around the canal, the canoeing match has become a yearly spectacle every spring. The promotion of the match this year has expanded the scope of competitors and added to its professionalism, which helps to spread the influence of aquatics--the traditional sports advantage of Zhejiang Province --in colleges and universities.
