Five and a Half Thousand Paddlers From Twenty-One Countries Raced a Lake in Hualien for Nine Days

The fifteenth IDBF Club Crew World Championships ran at Liyu Lake in Hualien County, Chinese Taipei, from 29 August to 6 September. Crews arrived and practised to 31 August, the opening ceremony was that evening, and racing ran from 1 September.

The federation and the Chinese Taipei Dragon Boat Association expected more than 5,500 athletes and supporters from 21 countries. Races are held over 200m, 500m and 2000m, the long course using three turns, with starts run on a cup system.

This is the club-level world title rather than the national one, which is why the entry list reads as a list of clubs: Philadelphia Dragon Boat Association took Senior B Mixed Standard Boat over 500m, 22Dragons of Montreal the Premier Mixed Standard Boat 500m, NDRC Toronto the Premier Mixed 200m and a 2000m Premier Mixed final. Typhoons Dragon Boat Club of Hong Kong won Senior A Open Standard Boat over 2000m in 8:37.168.

Crews came from Canada, the United States, Germany, Australia, Hong Kong, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, New Zealand, Poland, Japan and the Philippines. Breast cancer paddler crews were a highlighted category.

Hualien was confirmed as host by agreement in October 2025. Provisional entries closed in February.