The National Black Movie Association and its Award Winning HBCU Student Filmmakers Feted at Inaugural DC Gala

Zheng Qinwen became the first home winner of the China Open on Sunday as she beat Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva 7-5, 6-4, in front of a partisan crowd in Beijing. The former world No 4 and current Olympic champion was a wild-card entry, having struggled with form and fitness after elbow surgery in 2025. At one point this year she had dropped as low as 122nd in the world. It was the 54th-ranked Zheng’s first title in nearly two years, and her first ever at the WTA 1000 level, and tears filled...

He’s been “one of the hardest horses for me to train in my career”, but Caspar Fownes has high hopes for Megastar Heart finally fulfilling his potential after a stunning return at Sha Tin on Sunday. Restricted to three local starts after battling ongoing problems, the Australian import rewarded Fownes and the Good Time Syndicate’s patience with a dominant two-length win in the Class Three San Tin Handicap (1,200m). The performance was not a surprise to Fownes, who said Megastar Heart could...

David Hall rang up his 700th Hong Kong win at Sha Tin on Sunday after Ka Ying Attack capped his double with a barnstorming win the Class Two Yuen Long Handicap (1,200m). Ending last season with a pair of smashing front-running successes, the Too Darn Hot galloper made his return needing to overcome barrier 10 with a huge amount of pace drawn to his inside. Despite that, he was well backed into $5.5 behind fellow hat-trick seeker and favourite Jumbo Treasure and Turquoise Velocity, and was...

Cycling bosses issued a fulsome apology on Sunday after furious riders branded The Sun Hung Kai Properties Hong Kong Cyclothon a “bike-pushing festival” and the city “the international capital of embarrassing fails”. A chaotic end and mid-race route change in the 32km (19.9 mile) ride prompted myriad complaints from competitors, with most angry at being turned away from Ting Kau Bridge and then finding themselves forced to complete the course on foot. In a lengthy statement, the Cycling...

Cinemas across China will throw open their doors for a special showing on Sunday, but it isn’t the latest blockbuster fans are flocking to see – it’s tennis star Zheng Qinwen. The Olympic champion has finally broken her country’s China Open curse, and will be the first home player to compete in a singles final, men’s or women’s, since Chen Li lost to Chinese Taipei’s Wang Shi-ting in 1996. With the National Tennis Centre in Beijing selling out, cinemas across the mainland have opted to show the...

A new deal signed by NBA China and Shanghai Jiushi will see the league help the Chinese Basketball Association side with the development of its players, coaches and front office. The collaboration with the reigning CBA champions is the first of its kind, and comes as the Dallas Mavericks and Houston Rockets clash in two pre-season friendlies in Macau. According to a statement released by the NBA, the agreement will cover four key areas: elite player development, competition opportunities, coach...

Manchester City have a puncher’s chance of successfully contesting the ruling that they were guilty of all charges relating to flagrant breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules, but should their argument fall flat, the 10-time English champions can expect to be clobbered with swingeing penalties. Those are the views of Luca Ferrari and Daniel Gore, specialists in sports and litigation law, respectively, after City were found guilty by a three-person independent commission of 80 charges...

A resurgent Zheng Qinwen charged into the China Open final on Saturday, beating Elise Mertens 7-5, 6-2, and will play Mirra Andreeva for the title at her home tournament. It is another step in the Olympic gold medallist’s injury comeback, following a gritty showing at last month’s US Open, where she reached the quarter-finals. Zheng, a former world No 4, had struggled with her form since needing elbow surgery in 2025 and is a wild-card entry in Beijing. “I had a great performance tonight,” said...

Jay Rooney TITAN PEGASUS - R10 (2) Trialled like a horse ready to strike first up and has drawn well   Owen Goulding DRAGON SKY FORCE - R6 (3) Promising debut and has since won a trial, step up in trip will suit   Paul Lally TITAN PEGASUS - R10 (2) Group Three winner in Australia who has trialled well ahead of his return   Phillip Woo HAPPY INDEX - R9 (3) Looks fresh and ready from the trials and is drawn ideally to strike   Trackwork Spy CELESTIAL HERO - R10 (9) Step up in trip looks ideal...

Singapore’s Formula 1 circuit needs redesigning and lacks entertainment value for a sprint race, Saturday’s sprint winner Max Verstappen and runner-up Lewis Hamilton said after the 20-lap race involved little overtaking. Rain delayed the start of the inaugural sprint at the ‌Marina Bay Street Circuit, and with overtaking almost impossible, the only drama came in the form of collisions and a record nine retirements. “I think we shouldn’t host a sprint where you can’t pass,” Red Bull’s pole sitter...

Jamie Richards still has Classic Series aspirations for Cool Boy as the promising galloper gets his campaign up and running in the Class Three San Tin Handicap (1,200m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. The Per Incanto galloper built on an encouraging debut last November by completing a brilliant 1,200m hat-trick, which culminated in a dominant performance where he travelled all over his rivals from the back of the field. Three runs afterwards saw him draw nightmare draws in stalls 10, 13 and 14...

Derek Leung Ka-chun has made a rapid start to the season in tandem with in-form trainer Cody Mo Wai-kit and is looking to continue that strong partnership with a pair of strong chances at Sha Tin on Sunday. Leung has stormed to nine winners after nine meetings, posting a 15 per cent strike rate and only sitting behind champion jockey Zac Purton in the jockeys’ premiership. Five of those winners have come for Mo and a further two have been in partnership with Manfred Man Ka-leung, who sits atop...