Asia Sports Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 45 Week of 29 December 2025
(1) 2026 Winter Olympics: China pair ready to defend figure skating gold after 3-year break
Sui Wenjing and Han Cong seal Milano-Cortina spot after winning gold at National Figure Skating Championships in Harbin.
(2) Hong Kong’s men and women miss bronze, but seal best finishes at lacrosse sixes event
Fourth places for city’s teams mark new high at Hong Kong International Lacrosse Sixes tournament.
(3) Hong Kong striker Orr linked with Shanghai Port, city teammate Yue signs for Beijing Guoan
Chinese Taipei midfielder Timothy Chow also linked with Shanghai, leaving Alex Jojo’s future at the club in doubt.
(4) China makes a difference in global esports market growth in 2025
The esports industry in China continued to experience steady development in 2025.
(1) 2026 Winter Olympics: China pair ready to defend figure skating gold after 3-year break
(Photo Credit: Getty Images)
Olympic pairs figure skating champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong secured their spot to defend their title at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games by winning gold at China’s National Figure Skating Championships in Harbin. The duo, who only returned to competition in October after a three-year hiatus, earned the sole pairs spot for China by achieving the highest combined score across two selection events, as per national sporting regulations. They performed an upgraded version of their program to Chinese music, scoring 237.57 points despite early errors.
This national championship marked only Sui and Han’s third competition since their 2022 Beijing Olympic gold, following their comeback earlier this year after Han was widely believed to have retired. Both athletes acknowledged the physical challenges of returning—Han noted his body “doesn’t recover as quickly as when I was younger”—but emphasized their deliberate, long-term preparation to improve their program, technique, and conditioning for Milan. Sui stated their clear goal is to defend their Olympic title, viewing their current performances as room for growth.
In ice dancing, veteran pair Wang Shiyue and Liu Xinyu also qualified for the 2026 Olympics by winning the national title with 202.06 points, securing their third Olympic appearance. Their steady improvement this season earned China a spot in the discipline. With these results, China has now qualified athletes in all four figure skating disciplines for Milan, with veteran skaters across categories emphasizing pride in representing their country and aiming to deliver their best performances on the Olympic stage.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3337943/2026-winter-olympics-china-pair-ready-defend-figure-skating-gold-after-3-year-break?module=top_story&pgtype=section
(2) Hong Kong’s men and women miss bronze, but seal best finishes at lacrosse sixes event
(Photo Credit: Sun Yeung/ SCMP)
Hong Kong’s men’s and women’s lacrosse teams both achieved their highest-ever finishes at the Hong Kong International Lacrosse Sixes on Monday, despite narrowly missing out on bronze medals. The women’s team suffered an agonizing 10–9 loss to Japan’s JAL Sixes R&D Squad, having rallied to level the game in the fourth quarter before conceding a late goal, while the men were defeated 17–3 by the same club’s men’s team in their third-place play-off.
Despite the losses, both Hong Kong teams showed significant improvement and gained valuable experience. The women, who lost 16–9 to Japan in the group stage, displayed greater pace and focus in the bronze-medal match. Assistant coach Lam Wing-yi emphasized the tournament’s role in building mental focus for Olympic qualification, while scorer Steffi Sze viewed the narrow defeat as motivation to refine details. The men’s head coach, Samuel Chow Tsz-hong, acknowledged his young team’s inexperience but highlighted the exposure as crucial for growth.
Japan’s Second Era Leaders of Lacrosse (Sell) won the women’s title by defeating the Philippines 16–5, with Sell’s national team player Runa Fujita already looking ahead to competing for a medal at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. In the men’s final, world No. 7 Germany edged defending champions Fogo Grizzlies of Japan 18–17 in a tightly contested match. Both Hong Kong teams expressed optimism about future development, with coaches emphasizing the need for more international competition to overcome the challenges of a small local player base.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3338068/hong-kongs-men-and-women-miss-bronze-seal-best-finishes-lacrosse-sixes-event?module=top_story&pgtype=section
(3) Hong Kong striker Orr linked with Shanghai Port, city teammate Yue signs for Beijing Guoan
(Photo Credit: Sam Tsang/SCMP)
Hong Kong striker Matt Orr is set to leave Shenzhen Peng City after his contract expires and is strongly linked with a move to Chinese Super League champions Shanghai Port, a switch that could displace his Hong Kong teammate Alex Jojo from the club due to CSL rules limiting each squad to just one player from Hong Kong, Macau, or Chinese Taipei. In another significant move, Hong Kong defender Yue Tze-nam, confirmed to be leaving Meizhou Hakka, is reportedly joining Beijing Guoan on a contract until 2029.
The potential arrival of either Orr or Chinese Taipei midfielder Timothy Chow at Shanghai Port would force Jojo to seek a new club. Meanwhile, Hong Kong defender Jacky Leung Nok-hang announced his departure from Zhejiang after five years, citing a desire to be closer to his family in light of his father’s serious health condition, which has since stabilized. Leung expressed a preference for a team in Guangzhou or Shenzhen but has not ruled out a return to his former club, Meizhou Hakka.
These transfers are part of a wider reshuffle involving Hong Kong players in the CSL, where ten featured in the 2024-25 season. Players like Sun Ming-him (Tianjin Jinmen Tiger) and Tsui Wang-kit (Yunnan Yukun) have recently confirmed their contract situations. While the CSL season is on break, the Hong Kong men’s team remains active, preparing for the return leg of the Guangdong-Hong Kong Cup in Guangzhou this Saturday, following a 2-2 draw in the first leg.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/sport/football/article/3338141/hong-kong-striker-orr-linked-shanghai-port-city-teammate-yue-signs-beijing-guoan?module=top_story&pgtype=section
(4) China makes a difference in global esports market growth in 2025
(Photo Credit: VCG/CGTN)
In 2025, China’s esports industry continued its steady growth, highlighted by record-breaking live events and expanding audiences. A key milestone was the King Pro League (KPL) Grand Finals at Beijing’s National Stadium, where all 62,196 tickets sold out in just 12 seconds, marking the largest live audience ever for a single esports event. This spectacle, praised by visiting Saudi Esports Federation Chairman Prince Faisal bin Bandar Al Saud, illustrates the intense popularity and commercial vitality of competitive gaming in China.
Industry data further underscores this expansion. China’s esports user base grew to 495 million in 2025, up from 488 million in 2021, while annual sales revenue reached 29.3 billion yuan (about $4.2 billion), a 6.4 percent year-on-year increase. The year saw 142 professional tournaments hosted across the country, including two marquee international events—the League of Legends World Championship and the KPL Grand Finals—solidifying China’s role as a global esports hub.
Alongside domestic growth, Chinese-developed games like Honor of Kingsand Mobile Legends: Bang Banghave cultivated massive worldwide fan bases, turning esports into a significant channel for cultural exchange. The sector’s rising profile is also reflected in media engagement: CGTN Sports Scene’s dedicated esports account gained 60,000 new followers and surpassed 11 million views in just two months, signaling robust public and institutional interest in esports as both entertainment and a bridge linking China with the global gaming community.
News Source: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2025-12-28/China-makes-a-difference-in-global-esports-market-growth-in-2025-1JsNhjxeg7e/p.html
