sports

Reel to Real: The ‘Voy Boys’ and the Movie That Never Was

Articles that cut to the core of contemporary China. In-depth, informed, and carefully crafted, every piece is carried by the voices of the story’s participants.

FEATURES

A Beijing filmmaker set out to make a blockbuster about disabled kids finding healing in sport. Instead, she helped build Xinjiang’s first blind football team.

He Qitong

Zheng Qinwen’s China Open Win Swamps Her Sponsor’s Tea Shops

Timely reports on issues and events from across China. Drawing on a vast range of sources, these succinct articles provide insights into the significance of each issue in a wider context.

NEWS

After the 24-year-old became the first Chinese woman to win the China Open, milk tea giant Chagee offered buy-one-get-one-free drinks nationwide for a day.

Fan Yiying

China’s Esports Haul Includes an Asian Games First for Women

China topped the esports medal table with three golds and one silver despite entering only four of the 11 events.

Chen Yiru

Chinese Olympic Diver’s Mother in Hot Water Over Toxic Parenting

Zhang Jiaqi, the Tokyo Olympics diving champion, has been called a “survivor” of abusive parenting after starring on a reality TV show following celebrity families.

Jiang Xinyi

Runaway to Record Breaker: Zhao Jiaju on Willpower, Pain, and the Tor des Géants

Translations, cross-publications, and collaborative projects from Sixth Tone’s external partners. 

SIXTH TONE ×

From life on the streets at 15 to smashing the record for racing 330 kilometers through the Alps, champion runner Zhao Jiaju reflects on his long road to greatness.

The Paper

China Misses Basketball Medal in 2nd-Worst Asian Games Finish

The defeat has prompted scrutiny of the team’s head coach and its traditional training methods.

After Beijing Bowel Accident, Hyrox Changes Its Rules

An athlete continued competing in a Saturday event, and ultimately won, despite losing control of her bowels. Following public debate, the sport has added a rule on body fluid contamination.

1,300 Meters Up, a Sichuan Soccer Hero Brings the Game Home

In the remote mountains of China’s Sichuan province, viral online soccer star Jifu Lama is spreading his love of the game to help ‘left behind’ Yi ethnic children find a sense of purpose.

Caixin Global

China’s Elderly Embrace an Unlikely New Sport: Hyrox Races

China’s millennials have taken up the hardcore fitness activity in huge numbers. Now, they’re pushing their aging parents to join them.

Li Rongxuan

Game Changers: China’s Female Football Commentators Take Their Shot

Sports broadcaster Liu Chang on her road to the 2026 FIFA World Cup final and why she refuses to shy away from gender-based criticism.

Fir  Record

When It Comes to Football, a Huge Population Doesn’t Help

Contributions from individuals with unique perspectives to share. Hear from everyone, from experts and commentators to those whose voices are often marginalized.

VOICES & OPINION

A demographic theory argues that, contrary to what you might think, having many millions of people might make it harder to find 11 world-beating football players.

Li Ting

Robot, Giant, Ha Baby: China’s Many Versions of Erling Haaland

The Norway and Manchester City striker has become an online obsession in China, with fans creating memes and remixes exaggerating his size, expressions, and on-field feats.

Li Xin

No Team at the World Cup, China Rallies Around a Referee

Ma Ning, a veteran referee nicknamed “card master,” has become an unlikely celebrity in China, attracting sponsorship deals, viral memes, and millions of social media interactions.

The Rage, Love, and Loneliness Behind China’s Toxic Sports Fandom

Shippers, solo stans, and spreadsheets — Chinese authorities step in as online attacks and arguments engulf the world of elite table tennis.

White Night Workshop

Why the World Cup No Longer Feels Guaranteed on Chinese TV

As FIFA demanded soaring broadcasting fees, many Chinese viewers began questioning whether the World Cup still holds the same cultural and commercial value it once did.

Kong Degang

Chinese Swimming Star in Hot Water Over Reality Show Conduct

Citing arguments with his wife and conflict with other cast members, netizens likened the Olympic swimmer to a toddler and called him a “mama’s boy.”

China and FIFA Face Off Over World Cup Broadcast Rights

The football association asked for a record $250 million from the country’s state-owned TV broadcasting company, with negotiations failing to bring the price down to what the network deemed acceptable.

China’s Wu Yize Wins World Snooker Title, Second-Youngest Ever

The 22-year-old is the second Chinese player to win the championship, and the first born after 2000 to do so.

1 in 2,000: The Long Odds of Becoming a Pro Gamer in China

China became the world’s largest esports market in less than a decade. Now, as clubs cut back and the old pipeline tightens, breaking through is harder than ever.

Chinese Robot Runner Beats Men’s Half-Marathon World Record

The robot, named “Lightning,” was crowned the winner of the country’s second annual mixed human-robot half-marathon.