China Sports Weekly (7.10-7.16)

BEIJINIG, July 16 (Xinhua) — Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines over the past week:

1. China, Thailand ink cooperation deal to promote badminton

Chinese star sprinter Su Bingtian, who set an Asian record of 9.83 seconds at last year’s Tokyo Olympic Games, said on Thursday that he’s unlike to repeat the magic performance due to a knee injury.

“I have not maintained good form this season. I just hope I can finish my race,” said the 32-year-old after taking a test run at the Hayward Field Stadium, which stages the postponed World Championships from July 15-24.

Su clocked 10.15 seconds in the men’s 100m sprint preliminaries on Friday evening and squeezed into the semifinals at the athletics worlds in Eugene, Oregon of the United States.

3. Interview: Chinese players need more national team motivation, says Japan’s former football chief Kawabuchi

Saburo Kawabuchi, whose reform helped Japan become one of the best football teams in Asia, said China failed to show any progress in the international arena due to a lack of motivation and determination among their players.

The 85-year-old Kawabuchi, the founder of J. League and later a Japan Football Association (JFA) president, told Xinhua in a recent interview that the Chinese players are a group of “spoiled rich people” that have no desire to fight for the national team.

“Chinese Super League players have much more money than those playing at the J. League or the South Korea League,” he said. “They are happy with the money earned at home and have lost the desire to play at better foreign clubs. I think they are spoiled.”

4. Beijing to resume on-site sporting events

Beijing set to resume on-site sporting events starting on Tuesday (July 12), according to the city’s Municipal Bureau of Sports.

Administrative districts of the city with low risk of COVID-19 will be allowed to hold sports events with less than 1,000 people (including staff and spectators). For sporting events with more than 1,000 people, organizers need to report to the government for evaluation and permission, read an announcement posted online on Monday evening by the bureau.

5. China claims maiden women’s FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup title

China’s national women’s team won its first FIBA 3×3 Asia Cup title after defeating defending champion Australia 14-10 in the final here on Sunday.

China, who finished third in 2017 and was runner-up in 2018, made a breakthrough in the fifth edition of the tournament.

In the first Asia Cup since 2019, China overcame Thailand, Japan and Australia on Sunday to claim the title.