https://www.scmp.com/rss/510552/feed The 14th National Games of China is a multi-sports event to be held throughout Shaanxi Province from September 15 to 27, 2021. It is projected that the Games will attract around 14,000 athletes who will compete in 501 events in 41 sports. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com China’s top Olympians had Hong Kong fans cheering and gasping as they turned on the style with multi-sport demonstrations on Saturday morning and a jam-packed variety show in the evening. On day two of their goodwill tour of Hong Kong, the Tokyo 2020 Games medallists divided up to parade around two venues, much to the delight of fans bearing handheld China flags. They reunited for an evening variety show at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium. Olympic diving champion Wang Zongyuan kicked things off with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3158457/chinese-olympians-wow-hong-kong-crowd-multi-sport-display-citys?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3158457/chinese-olympians-wow-hong-kong-crowd-multi-sport-display-citys?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Dec 2021 05:16:02 +0000 Two out of three is not bad was the message from China’s badminton chief after the country defended the Sudirman Cup, regained the Uber Cup and finished second at the Thomas Cup. The latter two tournaments finished over the weekend, with a young China team beaten 3-0 by Indonesia in the final of the Thomas Cup to rule out a clean sweep of badminton’s most prestigious team silverware. China Badminton Association president Zhang Jun said that he was “very satisfied with the performance of the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3152848/thomas-and-uber-cup-china-badminton-boss-very-satisfied-after-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3152848/thomas-and-uber-cup-china-badminton-boss-very-satisfied-after-team?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 19 Oct 2021 06:19:20 +0000 It is more than two months since one of the darkest hours of Chinese women’s football when the Steel Roses lost 8-1 to the Netherlands at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. China’s Olympics were poor before that – a 5-0 defeat to Brazil was followed by an embarrassing 4-4 draw with world No 104 Zambia – but the greatest humiliation was saved for last. The Netherlands ran riot in Yokohama and it prompted the kind of hand-wringing and head-scratching normally reserved for the men’s football team and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3152664/tottenhams-tang-jiali-and-celtics-shen-mengyu-offer-chinese-football?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3152664/tottenhams-tang-jiali-and-celtics-shen-mengyu-offer-chinese-football?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 Oct 2021 23:00:26 +0000 “Asia’s Fastest Man” Su Bingtian burst into the wider public consciousness during the semi-finals of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer. That was when the 32-year-old ran the 100m in an Asian record 9.83 seconds to break his own record as the fastest man from the continent. It secured him a place in history as the first Chinese runner to compete in the men’s Olympic 100m final, the showpiece event of the Summer Games. Su also entered the race as the fastest qualifier among the field with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3151539/who-su-bingtian-china-sprint-star-asias-fastest-man?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3151539/who-su-bingtian-china-sprint-star-asias-fastest-man?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 07 Oct 2021 23:00:20 +0000 A permanent windsurfing elite training centre has been given the green light to be built in Shek O, providing a major boost to the sport three decades after Hong Kong celebrated one of its greatest Olympic moments. Chief executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor outlined plans for the estimated HK$800 million centre in Wednesday’s policy address. The approval comes 25 years after Hong Kong won its first medal of any kind at the Olympics when windsurfer Lee Lai-shan took gold in a blaze of glory at... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151407/hong-kong-windsurfers-finally-have-their-own-permanent-facility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151407/hong-kong-windsurfers-finally-have-their-own-permanent-facility?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 06 Oct 2021 12:15:14 +0000 Up-and-coming fencer Debbie Ho Tik-lam hopes her experience at last month’s China National Games will provide her with the momentum to challenge for a place on the Hong Kong team at next year’s Asian Games. The 24-year-old, who is ranked fifth in the local women’s épée team, was given a dream assignment in Shaanxi when she competed in the team competition despite being a part-timer. Ho was given an unexpected call-up after number two Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan returned to the United States to continue... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151005/fencer-debbie-ho-sets-sights-2022-asian-games-after-shining-shaanxi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3151005/fencer-debbie-ho-sets-sights-2022-asian-games-after-shining-shaanxi?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 02 Oct 2021 13:19:27 +0000 The curtain has come down on China’s National Games in the ancient city of Xian, bringing to a close the biggest sporting event the country has hosted since the start of the coronavirus pandemic. Twelve days after the games officially began, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang declared the sports event closed on Monday night, capping an hour-long spectacle at the Xian Olympic Sports Centre in Shaanxi province. Along with thousands of masked spectators, the chief executives of Hong Kong and Macau, Carrie... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3150316/chinas-national-games-torch-passes-hong-kong-macau-and-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3150316/chinas-national-games-torch-passes-hong-kong-macau-and-guangdong?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Sep 2021 12:10:09 +0000 As the curtain falls on the 2021 edition of the National Games of China at the Olympics Sports Centre in Xian on Monday night, the Hong Kong delegation will feel relieved to depart the mainland after a disappointing return from its seventh appearance at the Games since unification in 1997. Shortly after achieving its best ever medal haul at the Olympic Games in Tokyo last month, where Hong Kong athletes claimed one gold, two silver and three bronze medals, the city might have been expected to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150276/national-games-medal-shortfall-hong-kong-after-massive-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150276/national-games-medal-shortfall-hong-kong-after-massive-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Sep 2021 09:10:34 +0000 Hong Kong’s unprecedented purchase of broadcasting rights for the Tokyo Olympics was dubbed a “one-off arrangement” in May, but next year’s Asian Games are now set for the same treatment, according to the city’s leader, with the 2024 Paris Olympics a strong possibility as well. Chief Executive Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor revealed the planned broadcasting rights bid on Sunday while in Shaanxi province for China’s 14th National Games, where she met Governor Zhao Yide and national sports chief Gou... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150212/hong-kong-making-broadcast-bid-2022-asian-games-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3150212/hong-kong-making-broadcast-bid-2022-asian-games-carrie-lam?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 27 Sep 2021 02:14:36 +0000 Youngster Lee Sze-wing struck gold in the women’s individual road race as Hong Kong saved their best for last at the National Games in Xian on Sunday, on the eve of the closing ceremony. Racing in Shangluo, 120km southeast of Xian, the 20-year-old local ace beat a bunch of experienced riders as Hong Kong continued their excellent cycling record at the games. Now-retired Wong Kam-po collected three road race titles in 1997, 2001 and 2009 while it was Hong Kong’s first gold in the women’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150171/youngster-lee-sze-wing-wins-womens-individual-cycling-road-race?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150171/youngster-lee-sze-wing-wins-womens-individual-cycling-road-race?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Sep 2021 09:51:56 +0000 On August 23, 2008, thousands stood up to sing March of the Volunteers, the country’s national anthem, as three Chinese flags fluttered in the breeze at the Peking University Gymnasium. As soon as the song ended, they clapped and cheered for Ma Lin, Wang Hao and Wang Liqin, the Chinese athletes who had just won gold, silver and bronze medals at the Beijing Olympics for the men’s singles table tennis. Just like the women’s singles event the day before, China had ruled the medals podium. But... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3150145/why-chinas-national-games-are-tougher-olympics-table-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3150145/why-chinas-national-games-are-tougher-olympics-table-tennis?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Sep 2021 08:00:14 +0000 Hong Kong runner Christy Yiu Kit-ching blamed a lengthy quarantine period for her disappointing result in women’s marathon at the National Games. On a chilly and wet Sunday morning with temperatures dropping to 18 degree Celsius, Yiu and 27 runners, including three mainlanders who represented their country at last month’s Tokyo Olympics, started the race under a heavy downpour in Yongning, the gate of the old walled city of Xian. At the finish in Xian’s Olympic Sports Stadium, three runners were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150163/christy-yiu-finishes-12th-womens-marathon-national-games-lengthy?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150163/christy-yiu-finishes-12th-womens-marathon-national-games-lengthy?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Sep 2021 07:29:09 +0000 Hong Kong riders will turn their attention on the individual road race events on Sunday after failing to win medals in what has so far been a disappointing campaign on Saturday. On Saturday, both the men’s and women’s time trial teams on the road came shy of finishing on the podium. The men’s managed sixth place out of 13 teams in their 100km race while the women’s came last from 13 teams in their 50km race. Hong Kong has so far won one gold and two bronze cycling medals in Shaanxi, compared to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150113/hong-kong-riders-finish-empty-handed-mens-and-womens-team-time?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150113/hong-kong-riders-finish-empty-handed-mens-and-womens-team-time?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 12:16:09 +0000 Kenneth Cheng Man-kit came agonisingly close to winning an equestrian medal at the National Games after finishing fifth place overall in Xian, as Hong Kong narrowly missed out on another medal for a second successive day. A day after Jason Hak Shun-yat fell shy of finishing on the podium with his fourth place in men’s golf, Cheng almost completed a fairy tale ending when he made a stirring comeback in his second session after a disappointing start in the opening round in the show jumping... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150111/kenneth-cheng-finishes-close-fifth-he-misses-out-equestrian-medal?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3150111/kenneth-cheng-finishes-close-fifth-he-misses-out-equestrian-medal?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 11:54:15 +0000 China’s Olympic silver medal winning mixed doubles table tennis team of Xu Xin and Liu Shiwen took gold in the final of the National Games on Friday. The pair missed out on gold in Tokyo where they were beaten by Japan’s Jun Mizutani and Mima Ito in the first medal match. Defeat to the Japanese ensured that China could not win a clean sweep for the first time since the Athens 2004 Olympic Games with both players shedding tears after their defeat. They cried again on Friday after beating... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150099/national-games-liu-shiwen-and-xu-xin-make-tokyo-silver-mixed-doubles?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150099/national-games-liu-shiwen-and-xu-xin-make-tokyo-silver-mixed-doubles?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 08:34:30 +0000 China’s Zheng Saisai and Wang Xiyu are into the final of the women’s doubles at the WTA 125 in Columbus in their first tour event since the summer, where Zheng joins Wang Xinyu are in the singles semi-finals. The trio are making up for lost time after stepping away from the tour to focus on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games and China National Games. Zheng and Wang Xiyu beat Canada’s Rebecca Marino and Liang En-shuo of Taiwan in three sets after coming back from going a set down. The unseeded Chinese... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150078/chinas-zheng-saisai-wang-xiyu-and-wang-xinyu-impress-columbus-tour?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150078/chinas-zheng-saisai-wang-xiyu-and-wang-xinyu-impress-columbus-tour?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 04:54:03 +0000 Chinese Olympic champion Wang Shun extended his National Games medal record with another gold in the pool in Xian on Friday night, his sixth of these games and 15th overall. Wang came home first in the men’s 200m individual medley, just as he had in Tokyo during the summer where he became the first Asian to win the event at the Olympics. He touched the wall in 1:56.33 to win gold by almost two seconds, though it was well off the Asian record 1:55.00 that secured him top spot on the podium at the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150075/olympic-champion-wang-shun-extends-record-over-sun-yang-15th-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3150075/olympic-champion-wang-shun-extends-record-over-sun-yang-15th-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 25 Sep 2021 03:44:43 +0000 Hong Kong‘s Jason Hak Shun-yat missed out on a medal at his third China National Games after late drama in a rain delayed final round of the men’s individual golf tournament in Xian. The 27-year-old shot a fine three-under par final 18, including an eagle on the par-four 11th, to finish 15-under for the week at the Xian Qinling International Golf Course where inclement weather saw the golfers held back for almost three hours. It was a damp ending to the week at the feet of Shaanxi’s Qinling... https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3150013/hong-kongs-jason-hak-misses-out-national-games-medal-dramatic-rain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/golf/article/3150013/hong-kongs-jason-hak-misses-out-national-games-medal-dramatic-rain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 10:16:47 +0000 Rio 2016 Olympic gold medal winning race walker Liu Hong has decided to hang up her shoes after finishing fourth at the China National Games in Xian. The 34-year-old from Guangdong won Olympic bronze in Tokyo this summer but finished off the podium in the women’s 20km event before announcing that it was her last race for the time being. “I don’t have the goal and motivation to practice for the time being, but with the passage of time, my thinking may change. It’s hard to tell.” It was a hard... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149961/rio-2016-race-walk-champion-liu-hong-retires-after-fourth-place?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149961/rio-2016-race-walk-champion-liu-hong-retires-after-fourth-place?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 07:48:58 +0000 Show jumper Kenneth Cheng Man-kit is fighting against the odds as he attempts to further Hong Kong’s glory at the China National Games and he is doing it all alone. The 33-year-old, Hong Kong’s sole equestrian representative in Xian, has made it to Saturday’s 24-rider final without a support team and on a rented horse. He finished fourth overall in Thursday’s qualifiers. “We feel quite sorry for our rider because we have no one to accompany him to Xian due to the strict quarantine requirements,”... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149951/hong-kongs-kenneth-cheng-makes-it-national-games-show-jumping-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149951/hong-kongs-kenneth-cheng-makes-it-national-games-show-jumping-final?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 06:53:00 +0000 Asia’s fastest man Su Bingtian made a surprise appearance in the 4x200m final at the China National Games, where he only just missed out on a second gold medal running alongside “his student” Yan Haibin. Su is an associate professor at Jinan University in his native Guangdong province where the 18-year-old is a student, something the veteran track star made light of after his 100m final victory on Tuesday. “Actually, I came here to compete as a teacher. Yan Haibin, who raced against me today, is... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149925/su-bingtian-wins-china-national-games-relay-silver-alongside-his?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149925/su-bingtian-wins-china-national-games-relay-silver-alongside-his?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 24 Sep 2021 04:51:33 +0000 History-making Olympian Liu Shiying continued her dream year after winning the National Games women’s javelin final at the Xian Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Thursday. The 27-year-old Shandong native gifted herself an early present ahead of her birthday on Friday when she scored 64.33 metres. Liu won an unprecedented gold medal at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games last month, becoming the first Asian athlete to win an Olympic gold medal in the women’s javelin and the second Chinese athlete ever to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149874/national-games-olympic-gold-medallist-liu-yishing-gifts-herself?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149874/national-games-olympic-gold-medallist-liu-yishing-gifts-herself?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 15:27:43 +0000 Chinese Olympic silver medallist Xiao Ruoteng of Beijing went one better at the National Games after winning the men’s individual all-around final at the Shaanxi Olympic Sports Centre on Thursday. The 25-year-old Beijing team representative, who won all-around silver and floor exercise and team bronze at the Tokyo Games, scored 87.532 overall (free exercise 14.800, pommel horse 15.066, rings 14.100, vault 14.933, parallel bars 14.900, horizontal bar 13.733) to edge out Zhang Boheng of Hunan... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149860/national-games-olympic-silver-medallist-xiao-ruoteng-clinches?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149860/national-games-olympic-silver-medallist-xiao-ruoteng-clinches?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 13:17:28 +0000 A last-ditch display of dogged determination dragged Hong Kong’s Jason Hak Shun-yat back into medal contention on Thursday during the third round of the men’s golf event at the National Games. After a fine start of three birdies through the first five holes, the 27-year-old began to struggle for consistency around the turn. His round was petering out at one-under par for the day, which would have seen him slump down the leader board and back into the pack as the field began to get to grips with... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149829/national-games-jason-hak-drags-himself-medal-contention-late-birdie?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149829/national-games-jason-hak-drags-himself-medal-contention-late-birdie?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:48:00 +0000 China’s marquee table tennis players continued to shine at the National Games on Thursday as the men’s, women’s and team tournaments heat up at the Yan’an University Gymnasium. World number one Fan Zhendong continued his form in the men’s singles, after a revenge-fuelled win over Ma Long on Wednesday, to beat Yan An of Beijing 4-1 in the quarter-final. The 24-year-old Guangdong native is a Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games team gold medallist and four-time world champion and is clear favourite for the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149815/national-games-table-tennis-titans-fan-zhendong-and-chen-meng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3149815/national-games-table-tennis-titans-fan-zhendong-and-chen-meng?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 23 Sep 2021 09:03:26 +0000 Épée star Vivian Kong Man-wai could not repeat her National Games individual medal-winning feat from a day earlier as the Hong Kong women’s épée team bowed out of the quarter-finals in Tianjin on Wednesday. World number six Kong’s win over Tokyo 2020 Olympics champion Sun Yiwen in the bronze medal play-off on Tuesday ensured her team was seeded higher. But Kong and teammates Debbie Ho Tik-lam and Coco Lin Yik-hei could not avoid being matched up with China’s Olympic team, losing 32-44 to miss a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149677/national-games-hong-kong-mens-and-womens-epee-teams-miss-out-semi?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149677/national-games-hong-kong-mens-and-womens-epee-teams-miss-out-semi?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 08:38:37 +0000 Quan Hongchan exhaled and walked towards the end of the platform in the Xian Olympic Sports Centre for her final dive. Barely glancing at the pool 10 metres below, she turned around, balancing on the platform’s edge. Her back to the water, she sprang off the platform into a 1½ twist and hugged her legs close to her chest as she somersaulted in the air. Just as quickly, she went for her dive with legs straight up in the air and toes curled in, piercing the water’s surface cleanly. Crowds from... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149660/quan-hongchan-takes-break-real-life-celebrity-and-online-fame-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149660/quan-hongchan-takes-break-real-life-celebrity-and-online-fame-after?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 06:52:27 +0000 World No 1 Fan Zhendong got some revenge on No 2 Ma Long for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games men’s singles final as he beat his international teammate to help Guangdong to a first China National Games men’s table tennis gold for 24 years. Defending Olympic champion Ma and top seed Fan met in Tokyo for the men’s singles final before winning gold as part of the men’s team that beat Germany. Fan opened the final with a 3-0 singles win over Beijing’s Wang Chuqin before Ma Long levelled the match score... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149657/national-games-fan-zhendong-beats-ma-long-give-guangdong-win-chen-meng?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149657/national-games-fan-zhendong-beats-ma-long-give-guangdong-win-chen-meng?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Sep 2021 06:39:19 +0000 Hong Kong hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu narrowly missed out on a spot in the National Games women’s 100m hurdles final at the Xi’an Olympic Sports Stadium on Tuesday. The 26-year-old 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist ran 13.33 seconds in her heat, just four milliseconds off You Na of Hubei in second, while Jiangsu representative Wang Li won the heat in 13.19. She finished ninth, 0.02 seconds off qualifying in the top eight. Fellow Jiangsu hurdler Wang Dou, Chen Yinfeng of Yunnan, Lin Yuwei of Fujian... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149609/national-games-vera-lui-lai-yiu-shaves-personal-best-misses-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149609/national-games-vera-lui-lai-yiu-shaves-personal-best-misses-out?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:45:03 +0000 Asia’s fastest man Su Bingtian continued his remarkable summer with gold in the 100-metre final at the China National Games in Xian. Su came home first in 9.95 seconds at the Xian Olympic Centre Stadium, well clear of the defending champion and China relay teammate Xie Zhenye, who finished in 10.10 seconds. The result was a reversal of the 2017 final where Xie, who also won the 200m four years ago, finished ahead of Su in a National Games record 10.04 seconds. Guangdong sprinter Su smashed that... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149607/asias-fastest-man-su-bingtian-china-national-games-champion-finally?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149607/asias-fastest-man-su-bingtian-china-national-games-champion-finally?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 13:15:30 +0000 Hong Kong’s star épée fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai clinched bronze at the National Games after beating reigning Olympic champion Sun Yiwen 15-14 in the women’s individual event in Tianjin on Tuesday. World number six-ranked Kong piled the pressure on Sun, ranked four places above her, in a razor-thin bronze play-off contest to clinch the city’s sixth medal of the Games. The 27-year-old Kong lost to in-form Lin Sheng 11-15 in the semi-final. Fujian representative Lin – a 2019 team world champion –... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149599/national-games-vivian-kong-man-wai-wins-bronze-after-beating?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149599/national-games-vivian-kong-man-wai-wins-bronze-after-beating?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 11:54:57 +0000 Hong Kong’s Jason Hak Shun-yat moved into an early share of second place following the opening round at Xi’an Qinling International in the individual golf event at the National Games on Tuesday. Hak, who has enjoyed a sensational 2021 season finishing in the top five in six of his seven events so far this term on the China Tour, registered a fine six-under-par opening round, which included six birdies and no blemishes. It looked likely the 27-year-old would hold onto the overnight lead before a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149572/national-games-hong-kongs-jason-hak-sits-second-after-faultless?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149572/national-games-hong-kongs-jason-hak-sits-second-after-faultless?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 09:29:19 +0000 Hong Kong high jumper Cecilia Yeung Man-wai finished 15th in the National Games women’s high jump final at the Xi’an Olympic Sports Centre Stadium on Tuesday. The 27-year-old, who earlier this year returned from a career-threatening Achilles injury sustained in 2019, cleared 1.75 metres once but failed to do so in the proceeding 1.80m category. Though she equalled her season best set in Hong Kong in May, Yeung was far off her personal best of 1.88m set in Taipei in 2017. “Although I didn‘t... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149530/national-games-high-jumper-cecilia-yeung-leads-hong-kong-pack-19?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149530/national-games-high-jumper-cecilia-yeung-leads-hong-kong-pack-19?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 05:17:20 +0000 Former Manchester City and China international footballer Sun Jihai has congratulated the Xinjiang team that won a silver medal at the China National Games, telling the players that he expects them to play for the national team in the future. Xinjiang made history by reaching the final of the men’s under-20 tournament for the first time in 62 years, since the first National Games in 1959. They met Zhejiang in the showpiece at the Xianyang Olympic Sports Centre Stadium and while they lost 2-1 in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3149526/sun-jihai-tells-xinjiang-players-they-have-china-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3149526/sun-jihai-tells-xinjiang-players-they-have-china-international?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 04:49:01 +0000 Tokyo 2020 shot put champion Gong Lijiao claimed a fourth National Games of China title on Monday when she threw 19.88 metres on her way to another gold. The 32-year-old, a three-time Olympic medallist having won gold in Tokyo, silver at London 2012 and bronze as a 19-year-old at Beijing 2008, has a personal best of 20.58m, which she managed in the Japanese capital earlier this summer. Her fourth round throw secured the gold for her home province of Hebei, and the two-time world champion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149520/olympic-champion-gong-lijiao-claims-fourth-national-games-shot-put?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149520/olympic-champion-gong-lijiao-claims-fourth-national-games-shot-put?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 21 Sep 2021 04:05:18 +0000 Fu Yuanhui re-emerged at the National Games of China on Monday to cruise into the semi-finals of her preferred 100-metre backstroke event, but revealed she has no expectation of medalling at the Olympic Sports Centre in Xian. Fu, a bronze medallist in the 100m back at the Rio Games in 2016 was a surprise absentee from the China team for the Tokyo 2020 Games – she was disqualified in the semi-final of the Olympic qualifiers in May, and failed to show up to compete at a last-ditch qualifier event... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149449/national-games-prehistoric-fu-yuanhui-advances-semi-finals-100m?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149449/national-games-prehistoric-fu-yuanhui-advances-semi-finals-100m?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 10:29:04 +0000 Hong Kong men’s foil team won a bronze medal at the National Games on Monday after defeating Jiangsu 45-36 in a tense third-place play-off while their women counterparts went close to joining them on the podium before losing their third-place play-off. It represents the fifth medal Hong Kong has won so far at the Games, often referred to as the “mini Olympics” in the mainland. Hong Kong were the pre-event favourites in the competition, headed by Olympic individual champion Edgar Cheung Ka-long.... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149430/national-games-hong-kong-claim-team-foil-fencing-bronze-after?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149430/national-games-hong-kong-claim-team-foil-fencing-bronze-after?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 09:02:16 +0000 If a gold medal at the Olympics is the top honour for an athlete, the next most prestigious accolade in China may well be success at the National Games. Once, the multisport event hosted only China’s elite professional athletes, but the games have become a stage for amateurs too, as the leadership aim to make the country a sporting power, not just in competitive sport but also the fitness of the general public. Grass-roots enthusiasts have been invited to take part in 185 events across 19 sports... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149423/its-fitness-first-chinas-national-games-put-spotlight-amateurs?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149423/its-fitness-first-chinas-national-games-put-spotlight-amateurs?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 09:00:24 +0000 Asia’s fastest man Su Bingtian eased into the semi-finals of the 100 metres at the National Games of China on Monday. The 32-year-old Su, the Asian 100m record holder in 9.83 seconds, took his foot off the gas in the last 10 metres of his qualifying heat and crossed the line in 10.23, making him the second quickest qualifier. Su, who shocked the world when he won his semi-final heat at the Tokyo Games making him the fastest finalist in the field, is a two-time Asian Championships gold medallist... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149420/national-games-asias-fastest-su-bingtian-eases-100m-semi-final?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149420/national-games-asias-fastest-su-bingtian-eases-100m-semi-final?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 20 Sep 2021 08:06:37 +0000 Hong Kong ended their individual foil campaign in disappointment with both the men’s and women’s teams unable to go beyond the quarter-finals at the National Games but coach Zheng Zhaokang was not too disappointed. Ryan Choi Chun-yin, who became the city’s biggest hope after men’s Olympic foil champion Edgar Cheung Ka-long pulled out with injury earlier in the week, went the furthest in the competition. But the world number 12 was unable to reach the medal rounds after losing to Xu Jie of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149343/ryan-choi-falls-quarter-finals-hong-kong-end-individual-foil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149343/ryan-choi-falls-quarter-finals-hong-kong-end-individual-foil?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 19 Sep 2021 11:37:53 +0000 Karate exponent Lau Chi-ming won bronze for Hong Kong at the National Games after a long absence from competition which was brought on by the pandemic and a serious knee injury. Inspired by the bronze medal success of his younger sister Grace Lau Mo-sheung at the Tokyo Olympics, Lau won the men’s kata medal play-off against Yang Kangwei of Guangdong. He scored 24.82 points, compared to Yang’s 24.12. “I was very confident even before the match of winning [bronze] as I came here with the aim of... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149283/karate-exponent-lau-chi-ming-secures-kata-bronze-hong-kong-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149283/karate-exponent-lau-chi-ming-secures-kata-bronze-hong-kong-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Sep 2021 13:11:21 +0000 Hong Kong hurdler Vera Lui Lai-yiu has firmly set her sights on winning a medal at the China National Games to make up for a disappointing year that saw her competition schedules severely interrupted by the pandemic. The 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist in the women’s 100 metre hurdles failed to qualify for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games after she was unable to attend a number of overseas events earlier this year because of the enforced break caused by Covid-19. Instead, the 26-year-old only... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149253/china-national-games-vera-lui-wants-medal-missing-international?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149253/china-national-games-vera-lui-wants-medal-missing-international?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Sep 2021 07:17:21 +0000 Just weeks after upsetting Taiwan’s world No 1 Tai Tzu-ying at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, Chinese shuttler Chen Yufei has won the China National Games but the world No 2 is not done there. “The day after tomorrow we are going to Europe.” Chen said on Friday after retaining her National Games women’s singles title in Xian. Chen is part of China’s Sudirman Cup squad, with the mixed team world championship taking place in Finland from September 26. It was moved to Vantaa from China in... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149251/tokyo-olympic-champ-chen-yufei-heads-sudirman-cup-after-china-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149251/tokyo-olympic-champ-chen-yufei-heads-sudirman-cup-after-china-national?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Sep 2021 06:52:36 +0000 As one of China’s army of grannies who dance en masse in public places, 60-year-old Hou Linghua never expected to become a competitor at the country’s top all-round sporting event. It was even a bigger surprise that her 36-member dancing troupe, all around her age, won second prize at the National Games in northwest China’s ancient city of Xian. “Because the games are held in our own city, and President Xi Jinping wants everyone to exercise and be fit, we are lucky enough to be chosen to take... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149209/national-games-retirees-shine-square-dancing-steps-chinas-sporting-stage?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3149209/national-games-retirees-shine-square-dancing-steps-chinas-sporting-stage?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 18 Sep 2021 02:00:24 +0000 Karate exponent Lau Chi-ming is keen to imitate the success of his younger sister at the Olympics as Hong Kong pins its hopes on the sport after a disappointing set of results at the National Games on Friday. Both Lau and Jamie Lee Ka-wai will kick off their campaigns at the Xian Engineering University on Saturday, with Lau in the men’s kata while Lee competes the men’s 75kg kumite. Grace Lau Mo-sheung, who grabbed a bronze medal in the women’s kata for Hong Kong at the Tokyo Games this summer,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149191/national-games-lau-chi-ming-inspired-sister-grace-laus-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3149191/national-games-lau-chi-ming-inspired-sister-grace-laus-olympic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 17 Sep 2021 11:45:18 +0000 China’s “volleyball queen” Zhu Ting will sit out the rest of the National Games because of a persistent wrist injury, the coach of her provincial team said on Thursday. “We should let her have a rest,” Jiao Shuai, the Henan head coach, told the media after the first women’s volleyball match of the Games. The announcement means China’s celebrated outside hitter will not have played a single match in the National Games. In the Thursday game between Henan and Shanghai, Zhu sat on the sidelines... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149003/zhu-ting-sit-out-national-games-wrist-injury-ended-her-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3149003/zhu-ting-sit-out-national-games-wrist-injury-ended-her-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Sep 2021 10:01:23 +0000 Olympic gold-medallist Edgar Cheung Ka-long has pulled out of the National Games due to injury dealing a huge blow to Hong Kong’s chances in the foil fencing events. Cheung, who had been training in Shenzhen since his Tokyo Olympics victory, returned to Hong Kong on Thursday as his teammates left for Tianjin, where the fencing events will take place. “We are still waiting for more details, as he is now in the care of the medical staff at the Hong Kong Sports Institute,” said head fencing coach... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3148972/blow-hong-kong-tokyo-2020-golden-boy-cheung-ka-long-pulls-out?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3148972/blow-hong-kong-tokyo-2020-golden-boy-cheung-ka-long-pulls-out?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Sep 2021 08:01:15 +0000 Track cycling star Sarah Lee Wai-sze would not rule out participating in next year’s Asian Games, although she is still pondering her future after returning home from a successful two-month overseas campaign, which included medal wins at the Tokyo Olympic and the National Games. The 34-year-old, who completed her third Olympics in Tokyo and fourth National Games in Luoyang, refused to give a definite answer on her plans. “I won’t set my sights on any multi-sport games, but if I decide to take... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3148920/olympic-heroine-sarah-lee-says-asian-games-2022-still-possibility?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3148920/olympic-heroine-sarah-lee-says-asian-games-2022-still-possibility?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 16 Sep 2021 02:13:22 +0000 President Xi Jinping officially opened the National Games of China in the northwestern city of Xian, in a key test of the country’s Covid-19 defences in the countdown to next year’s Winter Olympics in Beijing. A colourful opening ceremony on Wednesday, replete with performances highlighting the ancient host city in front of a packed stadium of masked spectators, emphasised Beijing’s aims for national rejuvenation and to become a major sporting power by 2050. One of the first major sporting... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148899/chinas-rejuvenation-fore-president-xi-jinping-opens-national?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/politics/article/3148899/chinas-rejuvenation-fore-president-xi-jinping-opens-national?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 15:28:15 +0000 Hong Kong officials will meet China’s governing body for sports and two other co-hosts of the 2025 National Games this month to start planning talks, as a senior Olympics administrator in the city suggested it should stage the opening ceremony. Yeung Tak-keung, the city’s commissioner for sports, said on Wednesday that another ceremony in September handing over responsibility for organising the Games to the next hosts would allow representatives from Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau to hold... https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3148880/national-games-2025-hong-kong-launch-planning-talks-co-hosts?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3148880/national-games-2025-hong-kong-launch-planning-talks-co-hosts?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Sep 2021 12:01:33 +0000