China Sports Weekly: Highlights (October 6 – October 12)
1. China’s Basketball Team Returns to Top Form
After a disappointing performance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, China’s men’s basketball team has shown significant improvement. In the CBA pre-season matches, the national team players, especially young talents like Hu Jinqiu and Zhao Jiwei, demonstrated resilience and growth under new coach Aleksandar Đorđević. Fans are hopeful this marks the beginning of a new era for Chinese basketball.
**2. Chinese Swimmers Shine at the Asian Games Aftermath Competitions**
Following their strong performance at the Hangzhou Asian Games, China’s swimming stars continued to dominate in international meets this week. Zhang Yufei and Qin Haiyang won gold medals in the FINA World Cup series, cementing their place as global swimming powerhouses. Their form builds anticipation for their performance at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.
**3. New Era for China’s Winter Sports**
China’s winter sports teams are ramping up preparations for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. Training sessions held in Harbin and Zhangjiakou this week saw a renewed focus on speed skating and snowboarding. The national governing body also announced new partnerships with European coaches, aiming to build on the success of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
**4. Table Tennis Stars Gear Up for World Championships**
China’s table tennis legends, including Fan Zhendong, Sun Yingsha, and Chen Meng, are in full preparation mode ahead of the 2024 World Table Tennis Championships. This week, intense training camps were held in Beijing. Fans are eager to see China maintain its table tennis dominance as the global competition intensifies.
**5. Chinese Football in Crisis After World Cup Qualifier Loss**
China’s national football team suffered a shocking defeat to Vietnam in the AFC World Cup qualifiers. The 2-1 loss led to growing criticism of head coach Aleksandar Janković, with calls for reform within the Chinese Football Association. With the team’s hopes for World Cup qualification now in jeopardy, the future of Chinese football is under scrutiny.
Stay tuned for more updates as China continues to make strides across various sports disciplines!
