Asia Sports Weekly News Bulletin – ISSUE 69 Week of 15 June 2026
(1) Jockey Club launches Home of Football campaign and partners with Lenovo to celebrate global football spectacle
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Half Marathon will expand this year with a new 10km race, increasing total capacity to 10,000 runners. Organisers hope the added event will boost public participation and attract stronger international competition, further elevating the profile of Hong Kong’s only platinum level road race.
(2) Chinese Brands Play Major Off-Field Role at 2026 World Cup
Chinese brands may be missing from the 2026 World Cup pitch, but they remain deeply involved behind the scenes. With Lenovo, Hisense and Mengniu tied to the tournament’s technology, sponsorship and operations, China’s presence is being felt through business and infrastructure rather than results on the field.
(3) Hong Kong golfer Taichi Kho clinches historic victory at International Series Morocco
Taichi Kho has become the first Hong Kong golfer to win an International Series title, beating Bubba Watson by one shot in Morocco. The victory marks his second Asian Tour win, lifts him to second on the Order of Merit and strengthens his status as one of the city’s standout athletes.
(4) Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen, host of top players opt to skip Asian Games
Zheng Qinwen will skip the Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, along with several of China’s top tennis players, as schedule conflicts and ranking priorities reshape the squad. China will instead field a mix of experienced and younger players, balancing medal hopes with Olympic qualification and long term development.
(1) Jockey Club launches Home of Football campaign and partners with Lenovo to celebrate global football spectacle
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
The Hong Kong–Zhuhai–Macau Bridge Half Marathon is set to expand this year with the addition of a 10km race, as organisers look to widen public participation and raise the event’s profile even further. Registration for priority entry opens on Thursday, with total participation now increased to 10,000 runners, including 8,000 places for the half marathon itself.
Already the city’s only platinum level road race, the event has steadily grown in prestige and now holds a higher international label than the Standard Chartered Hong Kong Marathon. Organisers said they hope to attract athletes from the world’s top 10 and are working to bring more elite runners to Hong Kong.
The race will take place on 15 November 2026 and will once again use the Hong Kong section of the bridge, with both the start and finish on the Hong Kong Link Road. The new 10km category is intended to make the event more accessible, allowing more members of the public to experience running on one of the region’s most distinctive pieces of infrastructure.
Officials said the race’s platinum status reflects both Hong Kong’s established reputation for staging road races and the unusual appeal of the bridge course, which is rarely open to runners. Local defending champion Virginia Lo said competing against stronger international athletes would help raise standards and offer valuable experience for homegrown runners.
(2) Chinese Brands Play Major Off-Field Role at 2026 World Cup
(Photo Credit: SCMP)
Chinese brands may be absent from the pitch at the 2026 World Cup, but they are playing a major role behind the scenes. At the centre of that presence is Lenovo, whose equipment is helping power Fifa’s broadcast and operations network from a major hub in Dallas, underlining how deeply Chinese companies remain embedded in global business despite rising geopolitical tension between Washington and Beijing.
Lenovo’s involvement forms part of a broader Chinese corporate footprint at the tournament. Hisense is also serving as a sponsor and technology provider, while Mengniu continues its long association with Fifa. Their prominence reflects the commercial value of the World Cup, one of the world’s richest sporting platforms, and highlights how Chinese consumer brands are using global events to build recognition far beyond their home market.
The contrast is striking. China’s men’s national team has once again failed to qualify, yet Chinese companies occupy some of the tournament’s most visible business positions. For some analysts, that shows China has found another route into global football, not through results on the field, but through commerce, sponsorship and infrastructure.
Others see it less as state strategy than as the natural evolution of globally ambitious companies competing with Western rivals. Either way, as billions watch the tournament unfold across North America, China’s influence will be more visible in the technology, branding and commercial systems surrounding the event than in the matches themselves.
News Source: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/article/3356978/china-missed-world-cup-its-brands-didnt
(3) Hong Kong golfer Taichi Kho clinches historic victory at International Series Morocco
(Photo Credit: The Standard)
Hong Kong golfer Taichi Kho made history on the Asian Tour by winning the International Series Morocco, becoming the city’s first champion in the elite tournament series. The 25 year old sealed the title with a 19 under total after four straight rounds in the 60s, finishing one stroke ahead of former Masters champion Bubba Watson and collecting US$360,000 in prize money.
The victory gave Kho his second Asian Tour title and lifted him to second on the Order of Merit, further confirming his rise as one of Hong Kong’s leading athletes. After the final round, he said competing for five hours alongside Watson, a player he had admired since childhood, was a dream come true.
Kho also reflected on the difficulties he had faced over the past year, saying the setbacks had helped him grow and taught him to focus more on effort than results. He credited his support system and those around him for helping him reach the latest milestone in his career.
The win continues a strong run of form. Earlier this month, Kho recorded his first professional hole in one and finished tied for second at the BMW Japan Golf Tour Championship. His first Asian Tour title came in 2023 at the World City Championship in Fanling. Local golf officials said the Morocco triumph was a proud moment for Hong Kong and a boost ahead of the Nagoya Asian Games.
(4) Chinese tennis star Zheng Qinwen, host of top players opt to skip Asian Games
(Photo Credit: Xinhua / SCMP)
Chinese tennis player Zheng Qinwen will miss the upcoming Aichi Nagoya Asian Games, joining several of the country’s leading players who have opted out of the tournament. The Chinese Tennis Association said Zheng, Zhang Zhizhen, Shang Juncheng, Bu Yunchaokete and Wang Xinyu will not be part of the squad, in a decision shaped by scheduling pressures and longer term competitive planning.
The tennis competition at the Asian Games will run from 27 September 2026 to 3 October 2026, directly overlapping with ATP events in Chengdu and Hangzhou and coming immediately before the China Open in Beijing, one of the most important stops on the Asian swing. The timing has made participation less attractive for top players focused on rankings and major tour commitments.
China’s men’s team will instead be led by Wu Yibing, who is set for his third Asian Games appearance after winning silver in 2018. He will be joined by several younger players making their debuts. On the women’s side, Wang Xiyu heads a more experienced squad that also includes veteran doubles specialist Zhang Shuai, Yang Zhaoxuan, Jiang Xinyu and Guo Hanyu.
The association said the selection reflects an effort to balance Asian Games ambitions with Olympic qualification and player development. That approach follows a strong showing in Hangzhou, where China won two gold medals and a silver, with Zheng taking women’s singles gold and Zhang ending a 29 year wait for the men’s title.
