BEIJING, May 6 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. IOC president Bach starts China trip by watching Beijing 2022 official film
IOC president Thomas Bach poses with the Beijing 2022 official film's production team members and volunteers. (Photo courtesy of Beijing 2022 Organizing Committee)
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach kicked off his trip to China by watching the official film of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics here on Friday.
Produced by Zhang Yimou and directed by Lu Chuan, the film entitled "Beijing 2022" premiered at the opening ceremony of the 13th Beijing International Film Festival, and will be screened in cinemas starting from May 19.
This is Bach's first visit to China since the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. He will also travel to Qufu, the birthplace of many Chinese sages, such as Confucius and Mencius, Hangzhou and Shanghai to meet with Olympic partners and athletes.
2. Liaoning and Zhejiang Golden Bulls meet in CBA Finals
Eric Moreland (R) of Liaoning Flying Leopards competes during the semifinal match between Liaoning Flying Leopards and Zhejiang Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league 2022-2023 season playoffs, in Shenyang of northeast China's Liaoning Province, May 5, 2023. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)
The Liaoning Flying Leopards edged the Zhejiang Lions 95-84 here on Friday, winning 3-2 in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) league semifinals.
Defending champions Liaoning will meet another Zhejiang team in this season's CBA final - the Zhejiang Golden Bulls. Game 1 of the best-of-seven Finals is set to be played in Hangzhou on Monday.
This is the fourth consecutive season and the 11th time in history for Liaoning to compete in the CBA Finals, but the Golden Bulls will be making their first appearance at this stage.
3. China's Zhang eliminated from Madrid Open quarterfinals
Zhang Zhizhen of China hits a return during the men's singles quarterfinal against Aslan Karatsev of Russia at the Madrid Open tennis tournament in Madrid, Spain, May 4, 2023. (Xinhua/Meng Dingbo)
Zhang Zhizhen's dream run at the Madrid Open came to an end as he failed to reach the semifinals after losing to Aslan Karatsev of Russia 7-6 (3), 6-4 here on Thursday.
26-year-old Zhang, who was the first player from the Chinese mainland to reach the quarterfinals of an ATP 1000 tournament, had stunned Canada's Denis Shapovalov, Britain's 11th seed Cameron Norrie and eighth seed Taylor Fritz of the United States in the previous three rounds.
4. Feature: How China's Dong Hongjuan became first woman to scale all 14 peaks above 8,000m
Dong Hongjuan climbing Mount Shishapangma (photo provided by Dong Hongjuan's team)
For any elite mountaineer, reaching the summits of the world's 14 independent mountains above 8,000 meters once is already a daunting challenge.
But for China's Dong Hongjuan, the first woman to conquer all 14 peaks situated 8,000 meters above sea level, scaling each one only once might not be enough.
Dong, 42, successfully ascended to the summit of the 8,027-meter Mount Shishapangma on April 26, with her feat later confirmed by the international mountaineering summit website 8000ers.com.
5. Sports injects vitality into May Day holiday celebrations
Bustling scenic spots, a travel rush, a surge in hotel bookings, these were commonly observed across China during the five-day May Day holiday as the tourism sector has recovered after the country optimized its COVID-19 response measures.
Many people are heading to sports venues or fitness tracks as an option for celebrating the holiday with sweat.
6. Host China announces squad for Sudirman Cup
China's Chen Yufei returns a shot during the women's semifinal against Japan's Akane Yamaguchi at All England Open Badminton Championships 2023 in Birmingham, Britain, March 18, 2023. (Xinhua/Li Ying)
Defending champions China announced a 20-player roster for the 2023 Sudirman Cup on Monday.
According to the Chinese Badminton Association, Shi Yuqi, Li Shifeng, and Lu Guangzu will play in the men's singles, while the women's singles players are He Bingjiao, Wang Zhiyi, and Olympic champion Chen Yufei.
The 2023 Sudirman Cup will be held in Suzhou, China, from May 14 to May 21.
