The Jakarta International Dragon Boat Festival (JIDBF) 2024 sponsored by the Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Jakarta (HKETO Jakarta) was held in Jakarta, Indonesia, today (July 13) to celebrate the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).
Speaking at the prize presentation ceremony, the Director-General of the HKETO Jakarta, Miss Libera Cheng, said that the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races held in Hong Kong last month attracted over 4 000 athletes from around the world, serving as a signature mega event for both Hong Kong and the international dragon boat community. She expressed delight in recognising the JIDBF's devotion to advancing dragon boat activities overseas with the continued support of the HKETO Jakarta.
"The HKETO Jakarta is committed to fostering Hong Kong's people-to-peoples ties with Indonesia and other countries in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). In connection with the 27th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, we hope to promote the rich and diverse Chinese culture to the Indonesian community by supporting the JIDBF once again," she added.
Miss Cheng also said that Hong Kong is forging ahead with its mega-event economy. Over 200 mega events are scheduled to be staged in the city this year, covering not only traditional fields like finance and economic development, but also such areas as arts and culture, creative industries and sports.
The JIDBF 2024 was attended by over 1 200 athletes. The HKETO Jakarta also invited two Hong Kong dragon boat teams to take part in the races in Indonesia for the first time, with a view to deepening exchanges among athletes from different places and adding further impetus to the internationalisation of the JIDBF. Both Hong Kong dragon boat teams delivered outstanding performance in the competition.
Following the collaboration at the Boracay International Dragon Boat Festival in the Philippines in April this year, the HKETO Jakarta joined forces with the Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association again to set up an exhibition at the event venue to showcase Hong Kong's history as the birthplace of modern dragon boat races. The HKETO Jakarta also displayed at its booth Hong Kong's mega-event calendar, encouraging the Indonesian community to visit Hong Kong to see the city's vibrancy as a mega-event capital.
The JIDBF was launched in 2017 with the support of the HKETO Jakarta and has since grown rapidly into a local signature event supported by the Jakarta Provincial Government.
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