Metković also hosted rowers from the Czech Republic and Denmark, who completed their training camps on the Neretva River.
Rowing Spring in Metković · Metković, Croatia
Metković, besides kayakers and canoeists, also welcomed rowers who completed their training camps on the Neretva River. For the first time, Metković hosted the rowing club Brno from the Czech Republic and the Danish U23 rowing team.
The Czechs, 35 of them, arrived first on 19 March and trained until 29 March, so you could see them every day rowing to Kula Norinska, Krvavac, Opuzen and even Komin. Just a few days later, from 26 March to 8 April, the Danish U23 team arrived for training with 25 rowers and extensive equipment, including rowing shells and accompanying coach boats. Although these rowers overlapped in training schedules for several days and trained alongside VK Neretvanski Gusar athletes, there were no difficulties.
The Neretva as a rowing ground
Perfect weather, the calm surface of the Neretva and the natural surroundings, together with favourable air temperature, make Metković a place that rowers increasingly recognize as a sports tourism destination with great potential that still needs to be further developed. During these spring months, the Neretva turned into a true rowing ground, where rowers trained intensively in the morning and afternoon under the supervision of their coaches, with as many as 50 boats on the water at the same time alongside VK Neretvanski Gusar rowers. Besides the Neretva River, these teams also used the U Gym fitness centre in Metković, which met the strict criteria they had previously requested.
Sports cooperation and sports tourism
Beyond being a valuable sporting collaboration, the arrival of these teams also confirms the importance of investing in sports tourism. Metković, with its river and the infrastructure of rowing club Neretvanski gusar, has all the prerequisites to become an even stronger international training base for athletes from other countries, especially at times when no one else can fill Metković’s accommodation capacities. The Danish U23 team coach, Mr Frederik Taulbjerg, said that he learned about Metković, and the Neretva, through the Instagram profile of VK Neretvanski Gusar, where he saw photos and videos of the Neretva River and the Neretva Open eight race, which encouraged him to look further online and decide to come. He noted that he was extremely satisfied with the water training, considering that before arriving in Metković they had hardly rowed at all this year because the rivers and lakes back home were still frozen. He believes they will return to Metković, just as the Czech rowers said they would.
Potential for the future
With joint work from the club, local institutions and community support, Metković can build better infrastructure for rowing training, a place where rowers from all over Europe find ideal conditions for form, focus and progress. That would certainly be to the great satisfaction of local hoteliers and hospitality businesses.
