China Sports Weekly (3.30-4.5)

BEIJING, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. China sends 100 athletes for ISF U15 Gymnasiade

China sent a 154-member delegation, including 100 athletes, to the International School Sport Federation (ISF) U15 Gymnasiade as the biennial event returns to its birthplace Serbia for the 2025 edition.

The inaugural event was held in Belgrade in 2021, and the 2025 edition takes place in Zlatibor from April 4 to 14, drawing an estimated 4,000 participants from more than 50 countries and regions.

As announced on March 31, China's 42 male and 58 female athletes compete in 125 events across 16 sports.

2. WADA President Banka, VP Yang Yang to run for third term

Incumbent World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) president Witold Banka and vice president Yang Yang will both run for third terms, with the organization set to hold presidential and vice presidential elections in May.

WADA made the announcement on March 31, noting that Banka and Yang are the only candidates for their respective positions. The election will take place during a virtual Foundation Board meeting on May 29.

Banka and Yang's terms of office are set to end on December 31, 2025. If re-elected, their terms would be renewed for a subsequent three-year term, until December 31, 2028.

3. Hu Jinqiu named 2024-2025 CBA regular season MVP

The Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced the individual award winners for the 2024-2025 regular season on April 2, with Zhejiang Lions star Hu Jinqiu being named as the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the second time in his career after the 2021-2022 season.

Besides Hu's MVP honor, the Lions' head coach Wang Bo was recognized as the Best Coach of the season, guiding his team to a dominant 39-7 record that crowned it as regular season champion. Adding to the team's accolades, Sun Minghui was named as the Best Defensive Player, showcasing the team's strength on both ends of the court.

4. China's birthday boy Hu Kai wins men's 10m air pistol at ISSF World Cup season opener

Hu Kai kicked off the Chinese shooting team's 2025 season with a flying start, claiming gold in the men's 10m air pistol final at the ISSF World Cup opener on April 3.

Hu, who turned 23 on this day, qualified third with 587-23x before dominating the final with 244.7 points, edging Russian Anton Aristarkhov (243.3) and Switzerland's Jason Solari (223.0), who took bronze after a shoot-off against Germany's Christian Reitz.

Tian Jiaming added a silver medal for China in the men's 50m rifle 3 positions final on April 4.

5. China secures mixed team gold at Diving World Cup in Guadalajara

China claimed the opening gold medal in the mixed team event at the World Aquatics Diving World Cup in Guadalajara on April 4.

China's Chen Yuxi, Chen Yiwen, Wang Zongyuan, and Cheng Zilong combined for a total of 489.10 points to top the podium. Italy finished second with 416.45 points, followed by Germany with 396.20.

Olympic champions Chen Yuxi and Quan Hongchan will renew their much-anticipated rivalry in the women's 10m platform final on April 5.■