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[Moley]

The infamous HK International Dragon Boat race was held on 18th and 19th June. Since the HK Dragon Boat Association took over the event, the organization has been nothing but a whole mess and discontent. This year was no exception - despite the biggest budget ever of over HK$3 million.

The local newspaper today reported (I suppose dutifully from the information as provided by the organizor) that there had been over 100 teams with 90 local and 20 international teams competing in the 2-day race and the race started at 9am and finished just after 3pm.

Whoever was there at the race knew:
1. there were only less than a handful of international teams, let's see...Nam Hoi, Manilla, Macau (maybe)...and that's all (with only Nam Hoi putting both Men and Women teams);
2. the races hopelessly overran by more than 3 hours - on BOTH days, resulting the last race held close to 7pm.

What's more shocking is the quality of facilities and umpires, let us see some more statistics:
1. EVERY single race on the first day (with races among local HK teams) there were teams jumping start but NOT penalized (in case you want to file a protest against the unfair and improper start, you need to pay some money first to file the protest);
2. Umpires at the start line seemed to be lack of a concept called "straight line", at NO race were the teams lined up in one straight line before they started a race;
3. Despite the "over 100 teams" participating at the race, there were a total of 10 (yes, TEN) public toilets for people (including paddlers and spectators) to use;
4. Not to mention that there was a "shower" area at the far end of the race course where most of the paddlers did not know until the last race on the second day, if they knew it at all. (Imagine the risk of nasty infections of all kinds after having water in the Victoria Harbour splashing onto you at a race) The Organizor was extremely quick to make public announcements that the water hose at the flower beds were NOT to be used by paddlers to rinse, without suggesting at all where the paddlers could find a place to rinse;
5. The racing boats were not of the same standards - ask the Firemen and they would tell you more;
6. Although the organizor obviously had paid a handsome amount of money for 3 sets of dragon boats to rotate (and presumaly it would shorten the time of each race), only 1 set of boats (not standardize, see comment 5 above) was used with the other two lying around.

Without any post race party (which is a standard at ALL international races run overseas), on top of all the choas and poor quality of facilities and personnel, not only it is difficult to see how they spent more than 3 million on such a race, it is plainly impossible. One is bound to have some very interesting findings if the public is allowed to check the budget and balance sheet of the race.

Good Luck, taxpayers. Hopefully next year they are not asking for even more money for the race (or threaten to cancel the race, which is considered to be the poorest by teams from different countries in the region) and stage an even bigger joke among the circle of dragon boat races in the South East Asian region.