Aficionados of the sport of dragon boat racing have become a familiar sight on Gateway Lakes over recent years.
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If it’s not local teams hard at training, it is scores of the spectacular boats competing in one competition or another.
The site is a top-class venue, adding to the prestigious sporting legacy of the Border region.
This has been duly recognised with the ongoing development of the site to the highest standards.
That no doubt has played a key role in helping competitors from the Albury-Wodonga area reach the top levels of the sport.
It is certainly no surprise then that the Gateway Lakes venue was chosen for the recent Australian Dragon Boat Championships.
This was a massive undertaking, something clearly evident in some of the raw statistics of what took place.
Firstly, there were some 2500 paddlers from across the nation competing in the championships. They were representative of almost 50 dragon boat clubs.
And this was all reflected in the financial spin-off for the region – an estimated $5 million-plus was spent over the duration of the five-day event.
That, of course, is only one part of the whole equation. The sport is well-known for the camaraderie of its competitors, regardless of how close or far they live apart.
It all makes for a wonderful mix of extreme competitiveness out on the water and plenty of smiles and catch-ups back on dry land.
There also is no doubt that the venue added to the success of the championships, as well as giving the event a considerable profile in the wider community.
It was a delight too that Border teams gave the championships a good shake when it came to getting first over the finish line.
That came with Warriors Albury-Wodonga’s wins in both the senior B mixed and senior B women’s finals in the small boat division over 200 metres.
It was no understatement then when head coach Graham Poynter described club members as being “stoked” with taking gold.
Everyone involved in organising and staging the championships should be heartily congratulated on the event, as well as the competitors and all their support crews and families. It should ensure this is not the last time Gateway Lakes hosts such a prestigious competition.