Barcelona will open a soccer academy in southern China this year in partnership with local developer Mission Hills Group, the La Liga club said on Friday.

Real Madrid striker Cristiano Ronaldo is comfortably the most influential soccer player online in China, while Manchester United are the most dominant club, according to a report.

Wayne Rooney's agent Paul Stretford held talks in China on Thursday amid mounting speculation over the Manchester United captain's future, British media said.

NBA Hall of Famer Yao Ming called for "urgent" reform and said he was facing a multitude of problems as he was elected president of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) on Thursday.

A 52-year-old woman runner who took part in the Hong Kong marathon died Monday, a day after collapsing on the finish line of the 10-kilometre race.

Megabucks import Oscar began repaying some of his hefty price tag when he scored on his competitive debut for Shanghai SIPG, helping them seal a spot in the AFC Champions League group stage.

Chinese soccer clubs spent over $450 million on international transfers last year, around 2-1/2 times more than the year before, according to a FIFA subsidiary report released on Friday.

Manchester United manager Jose Mourinho says he would have no problem seeing Wayne Rooney opt for a lucrative move to China in the final years of his career but thinks the club's all-time leading scorer still has much to offer in the Premier League.

Slovakia's world number six Dominika Cibulkova dropped just two games in blistering heat to win her opening match at the Sydney International on Monday.

Nigeria captain John Obi Mikel announced on Friday he is leaving English Premier League leaders Chelsea to join Chinese side Tianjin TEDA.

China's buying binge continued into the New Year with Tianjin Quanjian FC luring Belgian midfielder Axel Witsel away from Zenit Saint Petersburg with an 18 million euro annual pay packet, Belgian media reported Monday.

Brazilian midfielder Oscar landed in Shanghai on Monday where the 25-year-old was set to smash the Asian transfer record with a reported 60 million euros ($63 million) deal with Shanghai SIPG.

Carlos Tevez became the latest high-profile international player to join the Chinese Super League when Shanghai Shenhua confirmed the signing of the Argentine striker from his boyhood club Boca Juniors on Thursday.

Fried Bananas with ice cream This recipe was prepared by Jewel Rozari, Chef de partie, Huang Ho, Platinum Suites.

The English Premier League has sold its television rights in China to streaming service PPTV for around $700 million, a source familiar with the matter said, several times the size of past deals as it cashes in on a growing enthusiasm for soccer.

An anti-Mafia official at Milan's city council called on Wednesday for the Chinese buyers of soccer club AC Milan to reveal their identities, saying town hall would notify anti-money laundering authorities if there was not full disclosure.

A Chinese conglomerate is in talks to take over English Premier League football club Southampton, Bloomberg News reported,

Troubled Australian tennis star Nick Kyrgios indicates he will play fewer tournaments in 2017 after his meltdown at the Shanghai Masters saw him slapped with an eight-week ban.

Tennis 'bad boy' Nick Kyrgios has been banned for eight tournament weeks for his conduct during his defeat at the Shanghai Masters last week, the governing body for men's tennis (ATP) says.

Novak Djokovic's problems come to an explosive head at the Shanghai Masters and the Serb now faces being knocked off world number one if he can't find a quick solution.