It’s been a good weekend for Chinese sport. In table tennis, Chinese players won four of five titles at the WTT Contender Taiyuan, continuing the country’s dominance.
The Chinese U20 women’s national football team secured qualification for the 2026 FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup after advancing to the semifinals of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup in Thailand. Meanwhile, in Ningbo, world champion Shi Yuqi captured his first singles crown at the Badminton Asia Championships.
China U20 women qualify for 2026 World Cup
China’s U20 women’s football team defeated Uzbekistan 2-1 in the quarterfinals of the AFC U-20 Women’s Asian Cup on Saturday to reach the semifinals and secure qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Poland.
Playing at Thammasat Stadium in Pathum Thani, Thailand, China controlled much of the first half. Defender Zeng Yujia opened the scoring in the 28th minute with a close-range header from a cross by Yu Jiaqi.
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Yu doubled China’s advantage shortly before halftime, scoring in the 42nd minute to give her side a comfortable lead going into the break.
Uzbekistan pulled one back in the 70th minute through Mehribon Egamberdieva, who scored from close range, but China held firm to secure the win.
The result guarantees China one of Asia’s four qualification spots for the U20 Women’s World Cup. China will face Japan in the semifinals on 15 April.
Shi Yuqi claims first Badminton Asia Championships title
China’s Shi Yuqi captured the men’s singles title at the 2026 Badminton Asia Championships in Ningbo, defeating India’s Ayush Shetty 21-8, 21-10 in the final.
The victory marked Shi’s first Asian Championships crown, adding to a résumé that already includes a world championship title and several top-tier victories on the BWF World Tour.
Shetty’s appearance in the final was also notable, marking a rare run to the championship match for an Indian men’s singles player at the tournament.
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In the women’s singles final, South Korea’s An Se-young defeated China’s Wang Zhiyi in a gruelling 100-minute match to claim her first Asian Championships title.
The doubles competitions featured strong performances from Korean and Chinese players. South Korea’s Kim Won-ho and Seo Seung-jae won the men’s doubles title, while China’s Li Yijing and Luo Xumin secured the women’s doubles crown after compatriots Liu Shengshu and Tan Ning withdrew due to injury.
South Korea also won the mixed doubles title after Thailand’s Dechapol Puavaranukroh and Supissara Paewsampran withdrew before the final.
China claims four titles at WTT Contender Taiyuan
Chinese players delivered a dominant performance at the WTT Contender Taiyuan, winning four of the five titles as the tournament concluded on Sunday.
In women’s doubles, Shi Xunyao and Han Feier defeated Hong Kong’s Doo Hoi Kem and Ng Wing Lam 3-1 to lift the trophy in their first tournament as partners.
China also secured the men’s doubles title, where teenage pair Li Hechen and Wen Ruibo upset world No. 3 duo Lin Shidong and Huang Youzheng in a five-game final.
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Wen later returned to the court to win the men’s singles title, rallying from behind to defeat Japan’s Maharu Yoshimura 4-2.
Japan’s Satsuki Odo claimed the women’s singles title, defeating compatriot Hitomi Sato 4-1 and preventing a clean sweep by China.
China also secured the mixed doubles title through Huang Youzheng and Shi Xunyao, completing a strong showing for the host nation.
