Chinese rowing aims for gold medals in Tokyo Olympics in 2020

The Chinese Rowing Association (CRA) has set sights on bagging two to three gold medals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, as the governing body aims to promote the popularity of rowing in the world’s most populous country.

At a symposium on rowing held over the weekend in Guangzhou, capital of South China’s Guangdong Province, Liu Aijie was re-elected the chief of the CRA.

“Our goal is to participate in all the disciplines at 2020 Tokyo Olympics,” Liu said.

“We also hope to win two to three gold medals.”

He said the CRA is scouting athletes in other sports asking them to switch to rowing in an effort to strengthen the national rowing team.

Former real estate tycoon Wang Shi, chief of the Asian Rowing Federation (ARF), said holding rowing events for the masses instead of only hosting events for elite athletes will lead to greater popularity of rowing in China.

“I promised to help establish 300 rowing clubs. Now three years have passed, the number of rowing clubs in China has surpassed 200,” said Wang, a billionaire who was elected president of the ARF in 2014.

Though China has won gold in rowing at the Olympics, the sport is still difficult for the average person to access and remains overshadowed by many other team sports.

Li Yongming, secretary-general of the CRA, said the governing body will deepen cooperation with the Ministry of Education to get more young people involved in the sport.

Rowing has a long history in the West. The fabled race between Oxford University and Cambridge University has been held every year since 1829, and it has gained a certain reputation in China.

A day before the symposium an international meet between universities was held in Guangzhou, with the Columbia University (US) and the University of Otago (New Zealand) winning the men’s eight and women’s quad scull titles respectively.