NANJING -- Amidst waves of cheers and shouts, the 2025 Nanjing International Universities Rowing Open kicked off Saturday in Nanjing, East China's Jiangsu province, attracting over 300 rowers from 30 universities worldwide.

This year's event boasts an expanded lineup, featuring foreign rowing teams from institutions such as Yale Graduate School, Oxford University and Cambridge University, alongside Chinese teams from top universities including Tsinghua University, Nanjing University and Xi'an Jiaotong University. Additionally, emerging Asian rowing forces from Korea University and Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia have also joined the contest.

After two rounds of men's 1,000m sprint and a men's 3,000m chase, four rowing teams from Tongji Worldunion Rowing Club, ShanghaiTech University, Nanjing University and Nanjing Normal University excelled from the Chinese domestic group and advanced to the second day's competition.

On Sunday, rowing teams from both domestic and international universities will take part in different contests like 1,000m sprint heats and indoor rowing machine relays. For the first time ever, the competition will feature a standalone women's rowing division. Moreover, the popular bumps races will also be retained as an exhibition match.

Apart from the competition, the sport of rowing also serves as a bond for youths around the world. A series of activities such as visiting local universities, international youth forums, and city tours to famous scenic sites will be held during the event, which will allow participants to experience Nanjing's rich history and culture.

Fang Hongqing, a rower from Southeast University in Nanjing, noted that rowing boasts a longer development history overseas, with universities like Oxford University and Cambridge University having long been hosting their own rowing competitions. "I believe this event can promote exchanges among rowers from different countries and boost the development of rowing in China," he said.