Int’l universities compete at 5th Hengqin Tinmuk Rowing Regatta

The 5th Hengqin Tinmuk Rowing Regatta brought two days of competition along the Tianmu River to a close.

The recently concluded event, organized by the Guangdong-Macao In-depth Cooperation Zone and supported by the Wynn Care Foundation, drew more than 400 athletes from 25 universities across Asia, Europe, and North America.

This year’s edition continued the invitational’s expansion, marking its largest field to date and strengthening its position as one of China’s most prominent international university rowing events.

Teams from Yale, Harvard, Oxford, Cambridge, Tsinghua University, the University of Hong Kong, Chinese Culture University, and Fu Jen Catholic University took part, along with new entrants such as the University of Paris and the University of Western Australia.

The 1,400-meter course set along the Tianmu River showcased Hengqin’s developing waterfront and provided a central venue connecting several of the district’s new urban features.

Since the event was first held in 2019, organizers have sought to use the invitational to promote sports exchanges between Hengqin and Macau while underlining the region’s infrastructure and emerging role as a host for international sporting events.

Races were held across six categories: men’s, women’s, and mixed eight-oar coxed events, and men’s, women’s, and mixed four-oar coxed events.

Taiwan’s Fu Jen Catholic University secured the women’s four-oar coxed title with a time of 5 minutes 55.13 seconds, ahead of Hong Kong Chinese University and Xi’an Jiaotong University.

In the women’s eight-oar coxed final, Chinese Culture University placed second, following a strong performance by the University of Western Australia. Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia (UTHM) won the mixed eight-oar coxed race.

In the remaining finals, the University of Western Australia took first place in the men’s eight-oar coxed category, Korea National Sport University topped the men’s four-oar coxed event, and Macau University of Science and Technology won the mixed four-oar coxed race.

Awards were presented by representatives of the organizing bodies, including Dr. Jason Ni, executive member of the Committee of  Wynn Care Foundation.

Ahead of the competition, nearly 100 athletes attended a welcome dinner hosted by the Wynn Care Foundation at Wynn Palace on November 26.

According to the organizers, the dinner aimed to encourage greater interaction between visiting teams and Macau’s local institutions while promoting the city’s tourism and hospitality sector. Attending teams included those from Oxford, Cambridge, Yale, Harvard, the University of Paris, and the University of Western Australia.

Organizers stated that more than half of this year’s participants were visiting Macau for the first time, echoing the invitational’s growing international reach.

They added that the event continues to serve as a platform for cross-border academic and cultural exchange in addition to athletic competition, particularly through the participation of teams from Macau and Taiwan.

With the conclusion of this year’s races, the Tinmuk Rowing Regatta closes another edition marked by expanded diversity in its lineup and increased visibility for Hengqin as an emerging host for international university sports.

MDT Review