The Danube International Tournament (TID), in which hundreds of rowing boats from the riverside countries sail from its source down to where it flows into the Black Sea, on 2,516 km, will reach the Romanian stretch between August 29 and September 9.

The foreign athletes left Ingolstadt, Germany, in June and 32 Romanians will join them in Calarasi, 118 km south east of Bucharest. From Calarasi, the flotilla of canoes and kayaks will head for Sfantu Gheorghe, going through a 424 km course. Among large ships, pleasure boats and speedboats, the kayaks will be the most exotic appearance on the river.

The TID friends come from all over the world: France, Italy, Great Britain, Denmark, Belgium, Australia and North America. There is no age limit to the event, according to the Romanian TID Sports Association (AS TID), which organizes the event on the Romanian section. "The first time when we took part in the TID, in 2007, there were only three Romanian participants. We were extremely well received. They have been waiting for us for a long time!' the president of the Romanian AS TID Costin Iatan said.

AGERPRES