https://www.scmp.com/rss/508172/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com UFC boss Dana White wants strawweight champion Zhang Weili to fight Rose Namajunas “this year and in Asia”. Speaking to the promotion’s broadcast partner ESPN, White moved to clear up the next step for the Chinese fighter, who has not fought since she beat Poland’s Joanna Jedrzejczyk in the Fight of the Year at UFC 248 last March. White sparked confusion over a possible title fight with “Thug Rose”, claiming that the Lithuanian-American did not want to take the challenge, which her team... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3117402/ufc-zhang-weili-fight-rose-namajunas-year-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3117402/ufc-zhang-weili-fight-rose-namajunas-year-and?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 Jan 2021 08:37:22 +0000 The year 2020 is certainly one to forget after the pandemic threw Hong Kong’s and the world’s sports calendar into a sorry state of flux. But as we welcome 2021, Hong Kong’s small band of world-class athletes have capitalised on the opportunity to improve themselves further ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games, which have been pushed to this summer. Thanks to the Hong Kong Sports Institute, the city’s top athletes are able to continue their tailored training schedules in a safe, closed camp... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115912/will-2021-be-best-year-yet-hong-kong-sport-olympic-medal-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115912/will-2021-be-best-year-yet-hong-kong-sport-olympic-medal-hopefuls?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 01 Jan 2021 07:00:07 +0000 It’s fair to say 2020 was a disappointing year for sport in Hong Kong. But we’ve dwelled on that quite enough. As 2020 turns into 2021, we’re instead looking ahead in optimism at what the coming year is expected to bring to the city. Here’s what we know as far as a schedule for sporting events in 2021: AFC Champions League Kitchee’s Premier League title win last season means they will join the AFC Champions League in the group stage next season. The date of the draw is still TBD, but... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115906/when-hong-kong-sevens-provisional-hong-kong-sports-calendar-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115906/when-hong-kong-sevens-provisional-hong-kong-sports-calendar-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Dec 2020 07:00:08 +0000 Earlier this month, Hong Kong’s first Beijing-appointed chief executive, Tung Chee-hwa, made an impassioned plea to Washington for a new page in US-China relations. Addressing the annual China Conference (organised by the Post), he said the two countries should “get on with it and overcome our difficulties and work together to make the world a better place”. It is a timely call. The situation in Hong Kong has been one of the reasons Washington and Beijing are pulling apart. The United States... https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115707/improve-relations-us-china-should-rethink-its-hong-kong-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/comment/opinion/article/3115707/improve-relations-us-china-should-rethink-its-hong-kong-strategy?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Dec 2020 01:15:06 +0000 Spare a thought – but only if you have plenty to spare, for there have been far more sizeable concerns – for the sports writer in 2020. Again, so long as you can spare one more, perhaps offer one specifically to a Hong Kong-based sports writer since 2019. It’s been another terribly dreary year, professionally,to add to the quite grim one the previous year. Aside from the regular old disappointments of sporting chances spurned and a general frustrating lack of competitive quality, just having... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115746/hong-kong-sport-endured-its-very-own-annus-horribilis-2020-where?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115746/hong-kong-sport-endured-its-very-own-annus-horribilis-2020-where?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 31 Dec 2020 00:56:47 +0000 As athletes around the world enthusiastically welcome 2021, not all the problems from Covid-19-stricken 2020 will disappear just like that. It has been increasingly difficult to remain optimistic amid the postponements and cancellations of hopes and dreams – but this is what true professionals do best: learn to overcome. Hong Kong’s top representative athletes have been through it all: the mental toll of been locked down in a sports institute over winter and being unable to compete; not being... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115747/tokyo-2020-how-hong-kongs-olympians-have-been-coping-training-and?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3115747/tokyo-2020-how-hong-kongs-olympians-have-been-coping-training-and?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Dec 2020 07:00:09 +0000 The sporting year might have been badly hamstrung by the Covid-19 pandemic, but 2020 wasn’t a total write-off. There was still plenty of action to grab the headlines. 2019 was a solid column-inch year for Taiwanese-American basketball star Jeremy Lin as he collected his NBA Championship ring with the Toronto Raptors, and China’s former golden boy Sun Yang, whose career was effectively ended by the Court of Arbitration for Sport when he was handed an eight-year ban for doping violations (before... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3115704/best-2020-jeremy-lin-sun-yang-or-novak-djokovic-what-were-top?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3115704/best-2020-jeremy-lin-sun-yang-or-novak-djokovic-what-were-top?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Dec 2020 01:00:08 +0000 China’s Zhang “Magnum” Weili came into 2020 saying she planned to build on her legacy in the UFC. Boy did she deliver. Zhang (21-1) – China’s first UFC champion – went to war in defending her title for the first time, against Poland’s former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-4) back at UFC 248 in Las Vegas in March. In the end, the 31-year-old had just the one bout for the year but what a fight it was. Together the pair threw an incredible 800-odd strikes at each other, including 182 significant... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114959/ufc-zhang-weilis-pivotal-moment-vs-joanna?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114959/ufc-zhang-weilis-pivotal-moment-vs-joanna?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 07:00:15 +0000 Most of us will put 2020 down as a year to forget, with the sporting world ravaged by Covid-19 just like everything else. Tokyo 2020 was the biggest casualty. The distraction of sport turned to concern for the teams and leagues that we love being able to survive the pandemic’s financial impact. Those that did go ahead did so in bizarre circumstances and sometimes in the face of widespread criticism, while many athletes chose to sit it out, reasonably citing Covid-19 concerns. As with any year,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114999/best-2020-naomi-osaka-son-heung-min-lewis-hamilton-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114999/best-2020-naomi-osaka-son-heung-min-lewis-hamilton-and-other?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 29 Dec 2020 01:00:06 +0000 Three years on from the still-divisive boxing ‘superfight’ between undefeated American Floyd Mayweather Jnr and Irish MMA superstar Conor McGregor, the combat crossover concept is stronger than ever. As boxing traditionalists continue to gag at rumours of a ‘Money’ Mayweather vs YouTuber Logan Paul bout in 2021, optimists hope such outrageous matchups will shed a light on the always-struggling sport. Promoters, meanwhile, are as usual rubbing their hands together ringside. With many more... https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3114910/mma-and-boxing-crossover-superfights-fans-dream-or-rage-over-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/boxing/article/3114910/mma-and-boxing-crossover-superfights-fans-dream-or-rage-over-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 07:00:16 +0000 While the coronavirus pandemic put paid to so many major sporting events in 2020, MMA in Asia and Asia’s legion of fighters found a way to soldier on. What’s more, there were opportunities for people to turn a coin when other athletes were cooling their heels at home, thinking of brighter days. Many people have seen their careers basically put on hold for 12 months – and that’s been the case for fighters, too, just that there always seemed hope for so many that there could be a place on a card... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3115086/rizins-horiguchi-asakura-blockbuster-bring?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3115086/rizins-horiguchi-asakura-blockbuster-bring?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Dec 2020 01:00:11 +0000 In a year where the word viral took on a whole new meaning, finding sporting moments caught on video during 2020 proved a challenge. Alas there were still some hidden gems in a year we will never forget, a period where every league, tournament and race was either cancelled, postponed or in some way affected by coronavirus. Here are a selection of videos that somehow withstood the global pandemic and offered us up some magic during an unprecedented time. Tai chi master Ma Baoguo gets knocked... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114935/best-2020-top-viral-sports-videos-year-tai-chi-master-knock-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114935/best-2020-top-viral-sports-videos-year-tai-chi-master-knock-out?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Dec 2020 07:00:06 +0000 Zhang “Magnum” Weili fixed her grip on the UFC’s strawweight belt in 2020, emerging relatively unscathed from her first title defence, against former champ Joanna Jedrzejczyk in an epic encounter that still really needs to be seen to be fully believed. The 31-year-old now boasts a 21-1 overall record, and a 5-0 run with the world’s premier promotion, and has embraced being a role model for women fighting in mixed martial arts, in China and across Asia. “I am the ambassador,” Zhang told SCMP... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114965/ufc-yan-xiaonan-kanako-murata-loma?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114965/ufc-yan-xiaonan-kanako-murata-loma?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 27 Dec 2020 01:00:15 +0000 Sports fans spend more time sitting in front of a screen than most, especially when the league they follow is on another time zone, and this year has been no exception. What has been markedly different is that much of the year saw no live sport at all as the coronavirus pandemic spread throughout the world. With normal service interrupted there was a lot of time to fill but there was also plenty to fill it, with several stand-out sporting documentaries stepping up to the plate in the absence... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114915/best-2020-last-dance-all-or-nothing-and-years-best-sports?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114915/best-2020-last-dance-all-or-nothing-and-years-best-sports?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Dec 2020 07:00:07 +0000 ONE Championship got things done in 2020, putting on fight cards when that looked, for a while, to be nigh on impossible, and providing nights of high drama when those events came to fruition. There were new champions crowned at middleweight (Dutchman Reinier De Ridder) and at featherweight (Vietnamese-American Thanh Le). There was further proof that Xiong Jingnan owns the strawweight division, with the Chinese fighter’s fourth defence of her crown. “2020 has been a tough year, but above all... https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114950/one-championship-five-storylines-watch-2021?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/martial-arts/mixed-martial-arts/article/3114950/one-championship-five-storylines-watch-2021?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 26 Dec 2020 01:00:17 +0000 The outdoor and extreme sports community has had an unprecedented year of cancellations and social distancing. And yet, there have been many stories of triumph and tragedy. Here are the top extreme fitness stories of 2020.  10. Ross Barkley’s incredible 5km time sparks hilarious online challenge as runners pretend to break world records The first on the list comes under extreme fitness, or should we say, extreme carelessness with the truth. The 5km challenge took the world by storm, as people... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/trail-running/article/3114766/best-2020-top-outdoor-and-extreme-sport-stories-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/trail-running/article/3114766/best-2020-top-outdoor-and-extreme-sport-stories-year?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Dec 2020 07:00:08 +0000 NBA champion Jeremy Lin started 2020 on the sidelines for the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association and he ends it looking for an NBA team as he hopes to complete his dream return to the league where he spent nine years. In between, the “Linsanity” star had a year almost as crazy as that breakout period with the New York Knicks back in 2012. This included Covid-19, quarantine, the CBA bubble and calling out Donald Trump – but let’s start at the beginning. Lin was swapped out by... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3115009/jeremy-lins-2020-covid-19-donald-trump-and-nba-dream?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3115009/jeremy-lins-2020-covid-19-donald-trump-and-nba-dream?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 25 Dec 2020 01:00:16 +0000 CrossFit has experienced a year like no other. Along with contending with Covid-19 and having to rapidly come up with inventive ways to host the CrossFit Games, the company was put through the ringer by a scandal sparked by a tweet. Here are the top 10 stories from 2020, in terms of views: 10. CrossFit Games 2020 round-up: who qualifies for the final in California as Mat Fraser and Tia-Clair Toomey win online competition? The CrossFit Games was split into two legs. The first one saw 30 men and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/crossfit/article/3114761/best-2020-top-crossfit-stories-year-greg-glassman-teenage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/outdoor/crossfit/article/3114761/best-2020-top-crossfit-stories-year-greg-glassman-teenage?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Dec 2020 07:00:11 +0000 Right now, 2020 might seem like the year that sport forgot but as strange as the past 12 months have been, that’s not the case. There was still plenty of sport with more events than you might think, and there were the triumphs and tragedies to go with it. How well do you remember the headline stories of the past 12 months? Take our quiz to find out. https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114763/2020-sports-quiz-how-well-do-you-remember-year?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3114763/2020-sports-quiz-how-well-do-you-remember-year?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 24 Dec 2020 01:00:21 +0000 The year 2020 saw a rare phenomenon in the Korean music industry: it was the year of mutual gains for trot and K-pop, defying the long-held belief that musicians of the two drastically different genres are inevitably pitted against each other for popularity. While the pandemic opened new doors for the K-pop industry to experiment with live-streaming services and virtual technologies to meet global fans, albeit digitally, BTS became the first Korean act to be nominated for a Grammy. At home,... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3114498/top-10-stories-defined-k-pop-2020-bts-grammy-nomination?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/news-trends/article/3114498/top-10-stories-defined-k-pop-2020-bts-grammy-nomination?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 18 Dec 2020 07:25:08 +0000