BEIJING, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. China announces delegation for Paris 2024
China will send 405 athletes, including 42 Olympic champions, to the upcoming Paris Olympic Games as a 716-member delegation was officially announced in Beijing on July 13.
The delegation includes 136 male and 269 female athletes, competing in 30 sports at the Games to be officially opened on July 26.
Zhou Jinqiang, deputy director of China's State General Administration of Sport, announced the delegation list, adding that the average age of the competitors is 25, while 223 athletes will make their Olympic debut in Paris.
Women's skateboarding player Zheng Haohao, 11, is the youngest member of the delegation, while the 37-year-old race walker Liu Hong, who is on her fifth Olympic trip, will be the oldest athlete.
2. Chinese Anti-Doping Agency demands media "respect the facts"
The Chinese Anti-Doping Agency (CHINADA) has demanded certain media outlets start to "respect the facts" after an independent prosecutor found the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) was not "biased" in the handling of a contamination case involving 23 Chinese swimmers.
WADA held an online extraordinary executive meeting on July 9 in Montreal discussing the interim report delivered by Eric Cottier, regarding his review of WADA's handling of CHINADA's decision not to punish 23 Chinese swimmers who tested positive for the heart medication trimetazidine (TMZ) at a training camp seven months before the delayed Tokyo Olympics in 2021.
CHINADA determined that the athletes had unintentionally ingested the substance, and WADA did not subsequently appeal CHINADA's decision, leading to criticism from athletes and the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), who suggested a cover-up had taken place.
3. China's Li rejoins women's basketball team for Paris Olympics
Zheng Wei, head coach of China's women's basketball team, said on July 12 that key player Li Meng, who had been sidelined due to injury, has now rejoined training.
The team is set to depart for France on July 16 to prepare for the Paris Olympics.
The team recently played a series of warm-up matches both domestically and in Europe. Zheng noted that this Olympic preparation has been particularly challenging due to widespread injuries within the main roster, which has significantly hindered the team's training efforts.
Li Meng missed the warm-up matches due to her injury. Coach Zheng shared that while Li did not participate in the European warm-up games, she has been continuously working on her recovery and on position-specific training.
4. Equestrian events of China's 12th Ethnic Games begin
The 12th National Traditional Games of Ethnic Minorities of China began its equestrian events on July 8 in Zhaosu, Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.
The equestrian events, the earliest to begin in this year's Ethnic Games, will run through July 13. This edition featured the largest number of participating teams ever, with 229 athletes from 12 delegations.
5. Former China head coach Li re-appointed as Cangzhou Mighty Lions general manager
Li Xiaopeng, the former head coach of the Chinese men's national football team, has been re-appointed general manager of the Chinese top-flight club Cangzhou Mighty Lions.
The Cangzhou club announced the appointment in a brief statement on July 8, saying they wish Li, who spent a pleasant spell as the club's general manager nine years ago, will achieve equally impressive results at the post he is familiar with.
Li, 49, has been unemployed since he was replaced by Aleksandar Jankovic as China head coach in February 2023.■
