What is the International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) website?

The IDBF website (dragonboat.sport) is the official online presence of the International Dragon Boat Federation, described on the site as "an international non-governmental, non-profit world governing body for dragon boat sport." It is the place to go if you want to confirm the organisation's authority, follow its championship calendar, or read official news releases — rather than to book a local paddle session or buy equipment.

What the IDBF is

According to the site's "About Us" section, the IDBF is:

• An international, non-governmental, non-profit world organisation for dragon boating and other paddle sport activities.
• Founded on 24 June 1991 in Hong Kong by the governing associations of Australia, the People's Republic of China, Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Norway, the Republic of the Philippines, Singapore, the United Kingdom and the United States.
• Guided by stated objects that include encouraging the development of dragon boat racing, maintaining its Asian cultural, historical and religious traditions, and strengthening the bonds of friendship among those who practise the sport.

That combination — a governing body that also explicitly frames itself as a custodian of cultural tradition — is the main thing distinguishing it from a commercial events or tourism site.

What you'll find on the website

The homepage is organised around a few recurring blocks:

Event List

The events shown are IDBF-sanctioned championships, for example:

• 18th IDBF World Dragon Boat Racing Championships (WDBRC2027) — Kwun Tong Promenade, Hong Kong, China, 17–24 October 2027.
• 16th IDBF Club Crew World Championships (CCWC2028) — Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain, 2028 (date to be confirmed).

Note the distinction between the two series: WDBRC is the national-team world championship, while CCWC is for club crews. If you're a paddler rather than a national federation official, CCWC is usually the more relevant entry point.

Latest News

News items mix announcements, technical bulletins and feature writing. Examples visible on the site include:

• A news release on the introduction of a Senior D category, following a motion presented to Congress by Dragon Boat Canada and the Federazione Italiana Dragon Boat.
• Bulletin 4 for the 15th IDBF Club Crew World Championships in Hualien, which the site says should be read alongside Bulletins 1, 2 and 3 and covers technical aspects of the event; the IDBF and CTDBA expected over 5,500 participants.
• A feature on the IBCPC Participatory Festival in France, written by Meri Gibson, IBCPC President and IDBF senior Vice President.

The bulletins are the practical documents — if you're entering or attending a championship, that's where technical and logistical detail lives, and they're cumulative rather than standalone.

Who the site is for

• National federation officials and team managers checking championship dates, entry conditions and Congress decisions.
• Club crews and coaches tracking CCWC bulletins and eligibility changes such as the new Senior D category.
• Journalists, researchers and curious paddlers verifying what the IDBF is, when it was founded, and which countries founded it.

It is not a directory of local clubs, a rules-and-technique library for beginners, or a shop. For those, you'd typically go to a national member federation instead.

Practical notes

• The site offers a newsletter sign-up (email address and name required, with marketing consent options). The page states you can unsubscribe at any time via the footer link and that Mailchimp is used as the marketing platform.
• Event dates can be listed as provisional — the CCWC2028 entry shows "Date TBC," so treat published dates as subject to confirmation.
• The site is published in English (en-AU) and links out to Facebook for social updates.