ANOC Secretary General presents dragon boat medals at Asian Beach Games

ANOC Secretary General Gunilla Lindberg presented medals at the women’s dragon boat 100m final at the Asian Beach Games Sanya 2026, as the People’s Republic of China claimed gold on home waters.

Lindberg was joined on the podium by International Dragon Boat Federation President Claudio Schermi.

The sixth edition of the Asian Beach Games opened on 22 April in Sanya, China and runs until 30 April, where in a show of true unity, all 45 National Olympic Committees across the Olympic Council of Asia are represented. More than 1,800 athletes and 5,000 volunteers came together to mark the opening ceremony on Wednesday as the Games return for the first time since 2016.

Held along the scenic Sanya River, the dragon boat competitions are expected to continue to be one of the standout attractions of Sanya 2026.

One of China’s oldest and most celebrated traditional sports, dragon boat racing has been practised for over 2,000 years and today commands a global following, with teams competing across five continents.

China topped the podium in the Women’s 100m Grand Final with a winning time of 28.260 seconds, with Viet Nam taking silver in 28.516 and Thailand claiming bronze in 29.631.

During her time in Sanya, Lindberg also met with Gao Zhidan, President of the Chinese Olympic Committee and Minister of the General Administration of Sport of China.