Thames
Water supports Oxford’s Bangladeshi canoe competition, Nowka-Bais
Day
Thames
Water supports Oxford’s Bangladeshi canoe competition,
Nowka-Bais Day
6 August 2008
Last year's very successful Go
with the Flow Festival ran from April to October 2007
encouraging greater enjoyment of the rivers and waterways
of Oxfordshire. The River Thames came to life with boat races,
parades, and live music, in addition for the first time in
Oxford, there were Bangladeshi rowers dressed in their full
traditional costumes.
“Thames Water is delighted to be supporting the first
Nowka Bais Day. It is a pleasure to be able to be a part of
a unique event that has a strong focus on community, sport
and great days out on the water,” said Huw Thomas of
Thames Water (Local
/ Regional Government Liaison – Thames Valley, External
Affairs).
Now the legacy of Go with the Flow lives on, as this
year teams of Bangladeshi canoeists from around the country
will be heading to Oxford's rivers this summer for a new type
of boat race.
This event is organised by the new Oxford Bangladeshi Boat
Club, Peter Travis and Aziz-Ur Rahman with support from Thames
Water and many other partners.
Restaurateur Aziz-Ur Rahman, of Aziz
Restaurants and Peter Travis, joint chair of the Oxford
Bangladeshi Boat Club, have helped to organise the first Annual
National Nowka-Bais Day which will be held on Sunday 24 August
from midday.
Mr Rahman said: “I wanted to give something back to
Oxford and the whole of the UK and I thought this would be
a great idea, bringing the most traditional sport of Bangladesh
to the River Thames.”
Mr Travis said: “This is the first occasion of the Asian
Community seeing the river as a place of recreation and sport.”
Teams from several cities, including Cheltenham, Birmingham
and Milton Keynes will take part in the nowka-bais—traditional
Bangladeshi canoe racing—on the River Thames at Folly
Bridge. Races will take place on the river at Folly Bridge
between 12pm and 3pm. At 4:45pm the Olympic Handover Flag
will be carried by the winning team and others to Carfax Tower
for an unfurling by the Mayor and local dignitaries at 5.30pm.
Plans are for the evening to conclude with Bangladeshi music
and dance at Donnington Bridge Hall alongside the river.
ENDS
For information please contact Olivia Thornton, Marketing
and Communications Officer, Oxford Inspires
T: 01865 816392, olivia.thornton@oxfordinspires.org
Event Organisers: Peter Travis and Aziz-Ur Rahman, Oxfordshire
Bangladeshi Boat Club, Oxfordshire
Bangladeshi Association, and Oxford Inspires
Media Partners: S Channel,
ATN Bangla and Bangla
Mirror
Confirmed Supporters:Thames
Water, Pride of Asia
Catering , Kansaras
Exclusive Luxury Chocolates, Euroasia, Buildbase,
Darbys Solicitors, City
Linen, Oxford City
Council, The
Waterways Trust, Oxfordshire
Sports Partnership, Aziz
Restaurants and City
Sightseeing Oxford
Friends: Oxford
Sea Cadets, The
Riverside Centre, City
Barge, Falcon Rowing
and Canoeing Club, the British
Canoe Union, BOB,
Network Bangla
and Brit Bangla
Pictures from Go with the Flow events in Oxfordshire
2007:
Back
to news page...
|
