Tag: sports
Japan Blames a French Contractor and the Tokyo Olympic Scandal as Nagoya's Games Are Branded the Worst Ever
Japanese media are calling the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games possibly the worst-run edition ever, and the blame is landing on a French contractor that runs the Games' core operations and on the Tokyo Olympics corruption scandal that froze out Japan's own event industry.
China's 13-Year-Old Yu Zidi Broke the Asian Record to Win 200m Medley Gold in Nagoya
Yu Zidi, thirteen, swam the women's 200m individual medley at the Nagoya Asian Games in 2:06.10 — an Asian record that makes her the second-fastest performer in the event's history — and then told reporters the swim 'wasn't anything special'. China is fascinated by both facts.
Injured Zhang Boheng Beats Two Japanese Olympic Champions to Retain His Asian Games Crown
China took seven golds in ninety minutes at the Nagoya Asian Games, led by gymnast Zhang Boheng — competing on an injury he insisted on hiding from no one afterwards — an Asian-record relay overtake of Japan, and a women's volleyball team that came back from the dead against Thailand to reach the final.
Sheng Lihao Wins Two Shooting Golds in a Day, Breaking His Own Asian Record, at the Nagoya Asian Games
China's 21-year-old rifle champion defended his Asian Games title with a 254.2 final that broke the Asian record he already held, hours after a world-record team gold in Nagoya — the centrepiece of a Chinese squad that took eleven golds on the first day of competition alone.
Pan Zhanle Retains His 100m Freestyle Crown by 0.04 Seconds at the Asian Games
Pan Zhanle defended his Asian Games 100m freestyle title in Nagoya with 47.61, a 0.04-second margin — his best swim since Paris 2024, in a race he says he believed he was losing until the final metre.
The NBA Brings Its China Games Back, With Durant in a Rockets Jersey
The Houston Rockets and Dallas Mavericks will play the NBA's returning China Games in Macau this October — the league's most visible step back into China since the 2019 freeze, marketed this time as a fan festival rather than a political statement.
Wrong Anthem, Cardboard Beds: Nagoya's Asian Games Logistics Draw an Official Apology
With the Aichi–Nagoya Asian Games barely under way, organizers apologized after playing North Korea's anthem to South Korea's hockey team — the latest failure in a run of transport breakdowns, cardboard bedrooms and cruise-ship quarters that Chinese fans are cataloguing in a viral ten-item list. South Korea plans a formal protest, India's media has weighed in, and a typhoon is approaching.
Japan's Second-String Squad Knocked China Out of the Asian Games Basketball Final
China's men's basketball team lost 77-97 to a largely second-string Japanese side in the Asian Games semifinal in Nagoya on Sept 18, the anniversary of the 1931 Mukden Incident. The defeat, the second heavy loss to Japan's domestic core in two months, has triggered calls for the coach's dismissal and a national reckoning over Chinese basketball's decline.
Where Is China's Men's Table Tennis Team? Nagoya's Hotel Chaos Enters Day Two
China's men's table tennis squad spent a night without a bed, gymnast Zhang Boheng went twelve hours without food, and Thailand's team slept on a terminal floor — the Asian Games' transport shambles have widened from an airport delay into a multi-team scandal.
Asian Games Teams Stranded for Hours at Nagoya Airport After Transport System Failure
Days before the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games opened, delegations including China's table tennis and gymnastics teams spent up to six hours at the airport waiting for buses that never came, after a booking-system failure left athletes hungry on the terminal floor — the first organizational crisis of a Games already criticized over its housing.
China Demolishes the Philippines by 44 Points in Asian Games Basketball Rematch
Three years after a one-point loss to the Philippines ended China's run at the Hangzhou Asian Games, a rebuilt Chinese men's team beat the defending champions 105-61 in Nagoya on Sunday — the group-stage statement of a tournament that now heads into the knockout rounds.
LGC keeps women’s golf crown
Lilongwe Golf Club has kept its grip on the EthCo Ladies Interclub Golf Tournament, but the real prize from this year’s contest is swinging beyond the golf course to the education of girls.LGC 1 retained the championship for a second consecutive year after posting 362 gross strokes at Kasasa Golf Club in Dwangwa, finishing six...
Pasuwa names squad for AFCON qualifiers
Malawi national football team coach Kalisto Pasuwa has named a provisional squad for the Flames Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying campaign.Pasuwa has selected a 30 player squad featuring a blend of local based players and Malawians plying their trade abroad as the Flames begin preparations for the continental qualifiers.The squad has three goalkeepers, eight...
A Private Youth Academy, Not the State System, Just Won a Spanish Youth Cup
The 'Chinese Football Youngsters' project run by commentator Dong Lu — built outside China's state sports system — won its age group at the Brava Cup in Barcelona, then celebrated with trophy, medals and a Chinese flag on the podium. For Chinese fans weaned on national-team disappointment, the sight of a private program winning abroad carried more meaning than a trophy usually should.
K65.2m puts ladies golf in focus
Women golfers are chasing more than trophies this year, with K65.2 million putting the spotlight on the growing Ladies Interclub Golf Tournament.The money has come from Ethanol Company Limited (EthCo), which is backing the tournament for the seventh consecutive year.The tournament will take place at Kasasa Golf Club in Dwangwa this weekend.This year’s competition will...
2026 Aki Basho Sumo Predictions
Before July's Nagoya Basho (July grand sumo tournament), I predicted which wrestlers I thought would reach 10 wins. Now, one tournament wiser, I will predict the entire field for the September 2026 Aki Basho (running from September 13-27, 2026). To see predictions from more learned sumo observers, see Tim Edwards' predictions at Sumo Stomp and...
From the Losers' Bracket to the Title: Guangzhou TTG Wins the KPL Summer Final 4-3
Guangzhou TTG came through the losers' bracket to beat Chongqing Wolves 4-3 and win the Honor of Kings Pro League summer championship on Friday night — then their star jungler, who left Wolves for TTG, wept through a victory interview aimed squarely at his old club.
'If I Had to Pay for Training, I Would Never Have Made It': Zhang Guowei Defends China's State Sports System
Retired high jumper Zhang Guowei, who now funds his own comeback through a 70-million-follower influencer career, waded into China's state-versus-self-funded sports debate this week with a defence of the system that raised him — read as a rebuttal to the Liu Xiang retirement fight.
Wanderers ready to turn tables
Mighty Wanderers are heading into Sunday’s CAF Champions League clash against Simba SC believing they have found the answers needed to overturn a first-leg deficit.The Nomads trail 1-0 from the first leg in Lilongwe and must win at Uhuru Stadium in Dar es Salaam to keep their Champions League campaign alive.Interim coach McDonald Mtetemera said...
Lei Jun Chooses the Stands Over the VIP Box at a Jiangsu City League Match
Xiaomi's founder turned up at the Xuzhou leg of the Su Super League on Friday night and watched from the general stands with everyone else — the latest signal of how China's city football leagues have become the summer's most valuable seats, with Hubei now launching its own version.
China's Men Leave WTT Champions Macao Without a Semifinalist
Zhou Qihao's 1-4 loss to Japan's Harimoto Tomokazu in the Macao quarterfinals completed a full wipeout of China's men at the WTT Champions event, three exits that landed hardest with a fan base used to total dominance of its national sport.
Zheng Qinwen's US Open Run Ends in the Quarterfinals — and a Standing Ovation
Zheng Qinwen's US Open run ended on September 9 with a 1–2 quarterfinal loss to Kazakhstan's Elena Rybakina — but the New York crowd rose to applaud her off the court, and days earlier UN Women had reposted her words about a young woman's value not being defined by one result or others' expectations. From ranked 121st and grinding through qualifying, she leaves Flushing Meadows back inside the top 60 and, in China, at the center of a conversation about winning, losing and what female athletes owe anyone at all.
France Ends China's Women's Basketball World Cup Run With a 29-Point Quarterfinal Win
China's women exited the Basketball World Cup 61-90 against a French side ranked above even the United States, ending Han Xu's double-double streak — a quarterfinal defeat that revives debate over coach Gong Luming's rotation and a squad missing Li Yueru.
Liu Xiang Buys Out His State Post, Then Donates 11 Years of Untouched Salary to Tibet Relief
The Olympic hurdler ended an 11-year retirement-placement dispute on Wednesday, announcing a September 1 buyout worth 494,000 yuan and donating his entire state salary of 982,935 yuan — untouched since 2015 — to mudslide relief in Tibet. The Shanghai sports bureau's official reply did not quiet the debate.
Zheng Qinwen's US Open Run Ends in the Quarter-Finals as Rybakina Takes No. 1
Zheng Qinwen's qualifying-to-quarter-finals US Open run ended 6-3, 1-6, 4-6 against Elena Rybakina — who leaves New York as the new world No. 1 — yet the Chinese star's fortnight, from rank 121 to the last eight, has been celebrated at home as a comeback complete.
China's Women Edge Puerto Rico 75-72 to Reach the World Cup Quarter-Finals
China's women edged Puerto Rico 75-72 in Berlin to reach the World Cup quarter-finals as the last Asian team standing, behind Han Xu's 21 points and the arrival of 2.26-metre teenager Zhang Ziyu — with France up next.
M’mbelwa launches Malawi Northern Region football trophy in Lilongwe
Inkosi ya Makhosi M’mbelwa V on Sunday unveiled a K50 million football tournament for the Malawi Northern Region Football Association (NRFA) at Bingu National Stadium in Lilongwe, Central Region. The tournament, dubbed the Jere Ngoni Paramount Chief Tournament, is aimed at providing young people in the Northern Region with a platform to showcase their football...
From hero to fired: Ekhaya axe Chatama after Airtel triumph
He delivered Ekhaya Football Club its first major trophy, but the reward has been a shock exit.Ekhaya FC have fired head coach Enos Chatama with immediate effect, just months after he guided the club to a historic Airtel Top 8 triumph.Ekhaya Football Club has parted ways with First Team Head Coach Enos Chatama with immediate...
Zheng Qinwen Does It Again, Coming Back From 0-5 to Knock Out Swiatek at the US Open
Two days after saving a match point against Madison Keys, Zheng Qinwen lost five straight games to open her fourth-round match against Iga Swiatek — then won seven in a row to take the set, and the match with it. The 2-0 win puts the Olympic champion into the US Open quarterfinals against Elena Rybakina and has Chinese social media debating whether she is the most clutch player in tennis.
Junior Flames selection under fire
…14 players from one club, 7 from anotherThe Junior Flames squad has left Malawi’s football followers questioning the thinking behind Coach Enos Chatama’s selection for the COSAFA Under-20 qualifiers.Ekhaya FC has supplied 14 players to the provisional 32-member squad, while FCB Nyasa Big Bullets has seven. Yet the entire Northern Region has only one player...
China's Women Survive a 29-Turnover Scare at the World Cup — and the Fans Want Answers
A last-second layup by Yang Shuyu forced overtime and China's women's basketball team escaped the Czech Republic 74-70 at the World Cup — but 29 turnovers and coach Gong Luming's handling of 19-year-old phenom Zhang Ziyu trended as loudly as the win.
After a Driver Pulled a Rival From a Burning Car, China GT's Safety Response Comes Under Scrutiny
When a Ferrari burst into flames at Shanghai's China GT round with its driver trapped inside, Dutch racer Loek Hartog abandoned his own race and pulled the man out with his bare hands. The 49-second rescue made him a national talking point — and turned attention on the safety arrangements that left a private individual as the de facto fire crew.
Zheng Qinwen Saves Match Point, Wins Seven Straight Games From 0-5 to Reach the US Open Last 16
Down a set and 0-5 in the deciding set against Madison Keys, Zheng Qinwen saved a match point and reeled off seven straight games to reach the US Open round of 16 — the latest act in a comeback season that began a month ago in qualifying, ranked 121st in the world.
Late drama but no breakthrough as Red Lions, Masters play out draw
Red Lions and Masters FC shared the spoils after playing out a goalless draw in an eventful FDH Premiership encounter at Zomba Stadium on Saturday, with late drama adding to a match in which both sides struggled to make their chances count.The hosts started brightly and created early opportunities, but Masters goalkeeper Richard Chimbamba stood...
Chinese Motorcycle Maker Locks Out Front Row at France's World Superbike Round
Zhang Xue Motorcycle, a Chinese manufacturer, will start Saturday's WorldSSP race at Magny-Cours from first and second after French rider Valentin Debise took pole in 1'39.585 — after crashing in the same session. The result ranked second on Baidu's national hot board.
Flames face tough AFCON qualification test
Malawi’s Flames are set for a crucial test as they begin their bid to return to Africa’s biggest football stage.The Malawi National Football Team, will begin their journey to the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with back-to-back qualifying matches against South Sudan and Angola.According to the fixtures released for the qualifiers, Malawi will first...
Injured Wang Chuqin Withdraws From WTT Champions Macao, and Fans Blame China's Schedule
China's leading male table tennis player withdrew from this week's WTT Champions Macao with an injury, a year after winning the same title. The announcement set off an argument about whether the national team works its stars too hard, with a fan-made chart as the evidence.
Zhejiang's Province-Wide Amateur Basketball League Tips Off With 28 City Teams
Zhejiang has organised its entire province into a basketball tournament: 28 city teams, four groups, home-and-away fixtures and a four-month season that tipped off in Hangzhou on September 4. It is the latest turn of China's grassroots basketball boom.
15 months, no arrests: Questions mount over Arjun Menon murder probe
More than 15 months after former Cricket Malawi Operations Manager and national coach Arjun Menon was killed, his family is still waiting for answers as no arrests have been made in the case.Menon, 48, was attacked and killed in Nancholi, Blantyre, on 11 May 2025 while reportedly travelling home after a night out.More than a...
A Passport Lost in the Mail Keeps China's Basketball Star Out of the World Cup
China's women's basketball team will chase the FIBA World Cup, which opens September 4, without Li Yueru — its most influential player — after her passport was lost while being mailed to her in the United States and could not be found before the registration deadline. The explanation left fans incredulous and shot up Baidu's trending board.
Malawi searches for taller netball stars
Malawi is searching for taller netball players as the country looks to close a physical gap that has increasingly become difficult to ignore on the international stage.The Netball Association of Malawi (NAM) wants to identify and develop young athletes with the height and physical attributes needed to compete against some of the world’s bigger and...
Zheng Qinwen Fights Past a 16-Year-Old for Her First Grand Slam Win in Over a Year
China's top tennis player beat the teenage qualifier Lutkova 4-6, 6-3, 6-1 in the US Open first round, ending a four-match Grand Slam losing streak and taking her first major main-draw win since the 2025 French Open. She revealed afterwards she had been ill enough to feel dizzy on court.
Yang Hansen's Buzzer-Beater Lifts China Past Lebanon in World Cup Qualifying
With 2.2 seconds left and the score tied, Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen caught a pass under the rim and laid in the winner as China beat Lebanon 89-87 in a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifier in Zhuji on Monday — capping a night of hard fouls, a pre-game taunt, and a takeover of China's trending boards.
Lionel Messi Retires From Argentina at 39, Closing a 21-Year International Career
Lionel Messi announced on Monday that he is retiring from the Argentina national team after 21 years, saying the time had come to stop. On Weibo, where the news collided with memories of his 2008 Beijing Olympics appearance, fans and teammates filled the evening with thank-you letters.
2026 Airtel Top 8 final rakes in K87.3m
2026 Zamadolo Airtel Top 8 final between Mighty Wanderers and Ekhaya Football Clubs has failed to break the revenue record, raking in K87.3 million.The figure is K135 million less from the revenue generated during last year’s same tournalment final at the same epicenter.The 2025 Airtel Top 8 final between Silver Strikers and FCB Nyasa Big...
Thailand's First Olympics Comes at China's Expense in the Asian Volleyball Final
China's women's volleyball team lost the Asian Championship final 2-3 to Thailand in Tianjin on Sunday, surrendering direct qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and handing Thailand its first-ever Games appearance — a defeat that instantly revived fan anger over the omission of star spiker Zhu Ting and the opaque way China's national teams explain their rosters.
Song Yadong KOs Umar in Shanghai and Puts a Chinese UFC Title Shot in Sight
The Dagestan-trained striker from the Chinese mainland finished Nurmagomedov Umar in the second round of UFC Shanghai's main event, then called his shot: he intends to become China's first male UFC champion.
Fan Zhendong Falls in the Decider as Düsseldorf Exits the German Cup
China's Olympic champion won his singles but could not save Düsseldorf from a 1-3 German Cup exit against Ochsenhausen, a defeat absorbed by fans back home who watched the away match from a packed cinema.
Chess battle heats up
Five players have emerged as joint leaders of the 2026 Malawi Open Chess Championship after winning all three of their opening games as regional players battle for honours in Mponela, Dowa.Zambia’s Kusanta Makanga and Timothy Kabwe, Malawi’s CM Joseph Nyambalo and Peter Nyama, and Mozambique’s Donaldo Paiva have each collected three points in the Open...
Silver Ladies yalonjeza kubweretsa mamendulo
Timu ya Silver Strikers Ladies yalonjeza kubweretsa kangachepe pomwe lero ikusewera masewero ake omaliza mu CAF Women's Champions League COSAFA Qualifiers.Mphunzitsi wa timuyi Patricio Kulemeka wati Silver Strikers Ladies ibwelera kumudzi kuno itatenga mendulo za Bronze pavute pasavute,ponena kuti awona mofowoka mwawo kuphatikizapo kuchinyitsa zigoli mwansanga."Kwambiri anzathu amatichinya mphindi zoyambilira zomwe zawonetsa kuti timu imayamba...