Experts expect powerboat racing to boom in China over the coming years as the nation strives to develop its water sports industry.

The high costs involved and a lack of talent have meant the non-Olympic sport has remained a niche pursuit here－but that might be about to change.

With the "Water Sports Industry Development Plan", which was published in 2016, predicting the sector to be worth around 300 billion yuan ($44 million) by 2020, the future of powerboat racing certainly looks brighter.

"China's F1 powerboat racing started late, and there is still a big gap between the developed countries and our country," said Li Haojie, a member of the F1 committee of the Union Internationale Motonautique, powerboating's world governing body,

The fourth stop of this year's F1H2O World Championship－the highest echelon of powerboat racing－recently ended on the Han River in Xiangyang, Hubei province, where host team CTIC F1 Shenzhen's two French drivers, Philippe Chiappe and Peter Morin, finished fifth and seventh respectively.

The Chinese team, backed by sports promotion company Tianrong Sports, is currently ranked second in the overall standings, behind leader Abu Dhabi.

Tianrong's F1 team was formed in 2006 and its star driver Chiappe won three consecutive championships from 2014 to 2016.

Still, participation rates remain low in China and the level of competition is limited, as is the sport's popularity with fans and the media.

"Overseas, there are many levels of powerboat league systems, with more than 180 competitions a year. China has started by establishing a league at F4 level," Li said.

The government's blueprint for the water sports industry specifies that the market should be strengthened to support a number of clubs for competition.

By 2020, it is expected that there will be 1,000 water sports clubs and 10 national leisure sport centers.

Li Ruilin, a senior official of the Aquatic Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport in China, said that powerboating should focus on two aspects－giving priority to the market and supporting clubs to improve competitions; secondly, creating conditions for enthusiasts to increase the sport's popularity and participation rates.

Xinhua