Birmingham’s Nowka Bais boat race returned to Edgbaston Reservoir on Sunday with a dramatic photo-finish that saw Zanzibar Dragons retain their title.
Under a minute
The team crossed the 250-metre course in just 59.77 seconds, narrowly beating Shadwell Dragons by 0.86 seconds. CBC Manchester took third place.
Eighteen teams from Birmingham, London, Cardiff and the North West competed in traditional ‘snake boats’, each with 12 paddlers and a drummer.
More than just a race
Crowds gathered at the Tower Ballroom site for a day of music, dance and food, with performances from Bangla stars Nish, Bilal Shahid and Nadim Wahed.
A colourful Shova Jatra procession, featuring giant handcrafted masks, was staged by Birmingham’s Purbanat theatre company.
Rooted in culture
Rooted in Bangladeshi tradition, Nowka Bais celebrates river life and community. Many participants also raise funds for climate resilience projects in Bangladesh, following last year’s severe monsoon flooding that affected 18 million people.
Zanzibar Dragons train at the London Regatta Centre and fundraise for the Al-Ansari Foundation, which supports clean water and orphanage projects in East Africa.
Team captain Monir Ahmad described dragon boat racing as “a form of art” requiring constant improvement.
“To be a winning team, everyone needs to do their part,” he said.
Vibrant expression of life
Abdul Quddus, chair of Nowka Bais CIC, said the event has grown into a UK-wide celebration.
”It’s not just the racing – it’s a vibrant expression of life,” he said.
A women’s race, postponed due to rain in June, has been rescheduled for September.
