Even Asia’s first UFC world champion, Zhang Weili, cannot escape the pressure of Chinese parents pushing her to get married. A year ago, Zhang, now 37, said she was glad her family was not rushing her to marry, preferring to focus on her fighting career and leave relationships to fate. But in an interview posted on social media this week, Zhang revealed her parents grew deeply concerned about her love life during the first half of the year, saying they were “pushing really hard”. In the...

The Portland Trail Blazers’ decision to assign centre Yang Hansen to their NBA G League affiliate has caught many Chinese basketball fans off guard, sparking a flurry of online debate over his current standing and future in the league. The Trail Blazers announced on social media early Thursday morning that the 21-year-old had been assigned to the Rip City Remix. The move came just three games into Portland’s 2026-27 NBA season as Yang continued to struggle to enter the regular rotation or secure...

Chinese swimmers showcased their strength in depth with record-breaking performances by veterans and rising stars at the national championships in Beijing. As of Tuesday, swimmers had broken one world, six Asian and multiple national records. Zhang Yufei and Zhang Zhanshuo set Asian short-course records in the women’s 100m butterfly and men’s 800m freestyle, clocking 54.87 seconds and seven minutes 28.61 seconds respectively to claim gold. The national event is the official selection trial for...