2LT National News

BEIJING, Aug. 23 (Xinhua) — Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. Chengdu World Games closes, highlighting inclusiveness, sustainability, innovation

Under the slogan “Boundless Sports, Countless Wonders,” The World Games 2025 closed on August 17 after 12 days of competition marked by inclusiveness and innovation.

With the World Games held for the first time on the Chinese mainland, China fielded its largest-ever delegation of 489 members, including 321 athletes across 28 sports. The team broke new ground by entering 12 disciplines such as floorball and powerboating, while also integrating para athletes for the first time.

Nearly 4,000 athletes from more than 110 countries and regions competed across 34 sports, 60 disciplines and 256 events at the largest and most inclusive World Games in history. Athletes from a record 83 countries and regions reached the podium, the most in the event’s history.

China topped the medal table with 36 gold, 17 silver and 11 bronze medals, followed by Germany with 17-14-14 and Ukraine with 16-14-14. Delegations including Armenia, Aruba, Namibia, Bermuda and Montenegro celebrated their first-ever World Games medals.

2. Australia edges China for 3rd straight FIBA Asia Cup

Australia clinched its third straight FIBA Asia Cup after squeezing past China 90-89 in the final on August 17.

Hu Mingxuan’s potential game-winning 3-pointer clanked off the rim as China settled for the FIBA Asia Cup runner-up, the team’s first medal in a decade since it won the gold in the 2015 competition on home soil.

After disappointing campaigns at the 2019 and 2023 FIBA World Cups and missing two consecutive Olympic Games, China was in desperate need of a victory to restore its long-lost confidence.

3. Li Yueru sidelined for WNBA season due to knee injury

Chinese center Li Yueru will miss the rest of the 2025 Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) season with a knee injury, the Dallas Wings announced on August 19.

“Li Yueru will miss the remainder of the 2025 season due to an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) sprain in her left knee,” the Wings posted on its X account, adding that Li sustained the injury against the Los Angeles Sparks on August 15.

Prior to her injury, Li had a career-high 20 points in the Wings’ 81-80 victory over the Indiana Fever on August 12.

4. China provides assistance to Senegal in hosting 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games

China has provided assistance to Senegal in hosting the 2026 Dakar Youth Olympic Games, the first Olympic event to be held on the African continent.

The Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee has donated more than 13,000 items to the Dakar Youth Olympic Games Organizing Committee. In addition, China has invited 96 Senegalese athletes across 12 disciplines to train in China.

5. China’s Yang Peiqi secures triple gold at World Junior Swimming Championships

Eighteen-year-old Yang Peiqi of China claimed three gold medals, setting a meet record to win the women’s 400m freestyle at the World Junior Swimming Championships held in Romania on August 22.

Yang held third place for much of the race before surging in the final 100 meters, finishing with a meet record time of four minutes 5.38 seconds to capture the gold.

Her 15-year-old teammate Yan Tiaoshan also made a strong late push in the last 50 meters, securing a one-two finish for China in the event.