61 teams compete in the largest Ngo boat race in the West

đua ghe - Ảnh 1. — Teams compete in the men's 800m combined rowing event in Vinh Long - Photo: HOAI THUONG

On November 4 and 5, on the Mapero River (Phu Loi Ward and Soc Trang Ward, Can Tho City), a Ngo boat race took place, the highlight of the Ok Om Bok Can Tho Festival 2025.

This year's tournament attracted 61 boat racing teams to compete, including 53 men's teams and 8 women's teams.

For the men's event, 53 teams were divided into 13 groups. Of which, 12 groups had 4 teams and 1 group had 5 teams. Based on the achievements of previous seasons, the organizing committee selected 4 seeded teams for the race, including: Tum Nup 2 pagoda boat team (An Ninh commune); Kos Thum 1 pagoda boat team ( Ca Mau province); Sro Lon 2 pagoda boat team (My Xuyen ward) and Munisraskeo pagoda boat team (Lam Tan commune), placed in different groups. The men's boat teams competed at a distance of 1,200m.

In the women's category, 8 teams are divided into 2 groups (4 teams each), competing in a round robin to determine the first and second teams in each group to enter the semi-finals and finals. The teams compete in a distance of 1,000m.

After 2 days of fierce competition, the winning teams all came from Can Tho City, specifically the first prize winning team for men was Tum Nup 2 boat team, second prize winning team Pre On Dok 2, third prize winning team Pre Ta Cuol and fourth prize winning team Chroi Tum Chas.

The first prize for women is Tum Nup boat team (Can Tho), second prize is Kos Thum 2 team (Ca Mau), third prize is Ngan Dua team (Ca Mau), fourth prize is Kos Thum 1 team (Ca Mau).

In Vinh Long, nearly 1,000 athletes representing 18 mixed male and female boat teams from the communes of Cau Ngang, Chau Thanh, Cau Ke, Tra Cu, Binh Phu, Tieu Can, Ngai Tu, Ngu Lac and Tra Vinh ward (all in Vinh Long province) participated in the Ngo boat racing competition for the Chau Thoi Cup 620 and to celebrate the Ok Om Bok Festival 2005, which also ended successfully.

Through 2 days of exciting and dramatic competition with a total of 27 matches, thousands of fans witnessed the breakthroughs, the chases, and the competition for every meter of water between the boat teams.

At the end of the tournament, the organizing committee awarded three sets of first, second, third and consolation prizes to the excellent boat teams. In the men's boat category, 1,000m distance, the boat team of Binh Phu commune won first place, Cau Ke commune won second place, Tra Vinh ward won third place and Tieu Can commune received consolation prize.