BEIJING, April 11 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:
1. Double glory for China at ITTF World Cup
Chinese table tennis stars Sun Yingsha and Wang Chuqin capped a dramatic week at the ITTF World Cup with landmark victories at Galaxy Arena in Macao, China on April 5.
Sun became the first women's player to win three consecutive World Cup singles titles, while Wang battled through a seven-game thriller to claim his first men's singles World Cup crown.
25-year-old top seed Wang faced a fierce challenge from 18-year-old Japanese player and world No. 8 Sora Matsushima in the final. In a match that tested both his physical and mental limits, Wang secured a dramatic 4-3 victory (9-11, 18-16, 11-8, 11-13, 8-11, 11-4, 11-8).
In the women's final, world No. 1 Sun defeated compatriot Wang Manyu 4-1 (11-9, 11-8, 13-11, 8-11, 11-7) to secure her third consecutive World Cup singles title.
2. Three Chinese referees selected for 2026 FIFA World Cup
The Chinese Football Association confirmed on April 9 that referees Ma Ning, Fu Ming and Zhou Fei have been appointed as referees for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Ma will serve as a referee, Zhou as an assistant referee, and Fu as a video assistant referee.
It will mark the second time Ma has been included on the FIFA World Cup referee list after serving as a fourth official at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar and officiating in several matches. The 46-year-old is set to become the first Chinese referee to take part in two editions of the World Cup.
Fu and Zhou, meanwhile, will both make their FIFA World Cup debuts.
3. Sheng, Xiao add two golds for China at ISSF World Cup in Granada
Chinese shooters delivered a strong performance on the third day of the ISSF World Cup in Granada, Spain, as Sheng Lihao and Xiao Jiaruixuan won the men's 10-meter air rifle and women's 25-meter pistol titles respectively on April 9.
Double Olympic champion Sheng, fresh from winning mixed team gold on April 7, opened strongly with two 10.8 shots and never looked back, sealing victory with 253.9 points. He finished 0.9 points ahead of Serbia's Aleksa Rakonjac, who won his first World Cup medal. Sweden's Olympic silver medalist Victor Lindgren took bronze with 230.9 points, earning his first medal at a senior World Cup.
The victory marked Sheng's 15th World Cup medal and 10th gold, and the 21-year-old said he continues to enjoy the challenge. "I really enjoy competing with the top shooters from the world and vying with them technically," he said.
Tokyo Olympic bronze medalist Xiao won her first World Cup title after edging teammate Kong Jieru through two rounds of shootoffs in the women's 25-meter pistol final.
Xiao, who topped qualification with 590 points, took the lead after the second series and was not caught until the final series, when 18-year-old Kong drew level at 39 hits. Both shooters hit five out of five in the first shootoff, but Xiao prevailed 4-3 in the second. France's Olympic silver medalist Camille Jedrzejewski took bronze.
4. Shi, Wang reach semis at Badminton Asia Championships
China's Shi Yuqi and Wang Zhiyi advanced to the men's and women's singles semifinals of the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships on April 10, while their compatriot Gao Fangjie announced her retirement following a hard-fought loss to Japan's Akane Yamaguchi.
Second seed Shi dispatched Japan's Kodai Naraoka 21-18, 21-18 and will next face Chou Tien-chen of Chinese Taipei, who outlasted Singapore's Loh Kean Yew in three games.
In women's singles, Wang eased past Japan's Riko Gunji 21-13, 21-15. Top seed An Se-young of South Korea and teammate Sim Yu-jin set up a semifinal clash in the opposite half of the draw following respective victories.
The tournament marked the career finale for 27-year-old Gao. After falling to Yamaguchi 23-21, 11-21, 13-21, Gao confirmed she was stepping away from the sport, having missed selection for the upcoming Uber Cup.
In men's doubles, He Jiting and Ren Xiangyu defeated compatriots Liang Weikeng and Wang Chang 21-19, 21-15 to set up a semifinal against top seeds Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae of South Korea.
Top-seeded Chinese duo Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning in women's doubles, along with mixed doubles pair Feng Yanzhe and Huang Dongping, also secured their last-four berths.
5. Chinese basketball prospect Yang Shuyu joins Melbourne Tigers
The Melbourne Tigers of Australia's second-tier basketball league announced on April 7 the signing of China's rising women's star Yang Shuyu for the 2026 season.
The Tigers said that the signing of Yang, 24, marks one of the most exciting international additions in the club's recent history.
Head coach Kaleb Sclater said in a statement that Yang, a bronze medalist for China in 3x3 basketball at the Tokyo Olympic Games, would make a significant impact on and off the court for the team.
"She brings elite talent, international experience, and a fierce competitive edge, we're excited to welcome her," he said.
The Melbourne Tigers play in the South Conference of the semi-professional National Basketball League 1 (NBL1) competition.
The women's team won 12 out of 22 regular season games in 2025, but did not qualify for the playoffs and is winless through two games in 2026.■
