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Borneo Post
2 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Robot Games brings new energy to dual Olympic city
Humanoid robots combat during a kickboxing match at the 2025 World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing on Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) BEIJING (Aug 20): Over 500 humanoid robot athletes had their own 'Olympic Games', giving glimpses of the future of robotics over the past weekend. The inaugural World Humanoid Robot Games, which opened last Thursday, brought together 280 teams from 16 countries and regions for three days of competition in 26 disciplines, ranging from athletics and football to martial arts and service-scenario challenges in the National Speed Skating Oval, a 2022 Winter Olympic venue better known as the 'Ice Ribbon'. 'We've been here for like a month. The experience has been really great. The venue is awesome,' said Portugal's Ana Carolina Coelho Lopes, who participated in five-on-five football competition. 'For us, it was really rewarding, having the chance to interact and communicate with others.' A humanoid robot from the Taishan team in action in the 1,500-meter race on Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) SPRINTING INTO THE FUTURE On the first competition day, humanoid robots contested the Games' first-ever gold medal in the 1,500-meter race. Some started fast but lost balance halfway. Others stumbled, fell to the ground, and managed to climb back up to continue. Each recovery drew applause and cheers from the crowd. The gold medal went to Lingyi Technology, part of Beijing-based Unitree, with a time of 6:34.40. 'It's harder than it looks,' said team member Liu Jinda after the race. 'Like human runners, you have to consider bend running, stride frequency and stability. Our main task was to fine-tune both hardware and algorithms so that the robot could follow its program and finish the race.' 'Compared with a year or two ago, the progress across the industry has been dramatic,' Unitree founder Wang Xingxing noted. 'Such competitions help move the technology forward, particularly as many of the events are modeled on practical environments like factories, hotels and care facilities.' A humanoid robot dances during the exhibition event on Aug. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong) A GLOBAL STAGE, A BEIJING LEGACY The Games came just two days after the 2025 World Robot Conference closed, underscoring the city's rising role as a global hub for robotics innovation. Official data shows that China's robot industry revenue grew by 27.8 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2025, extending its position as the world's largest industrial robot market for 12 straight years. The country now ranks third globally in manufacturing robot density. 'If this had been held a year ago, most humanoid robots would not have been ready,' said Li Yechuan of the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Economy and Information Technology. 'Advances in AI algorithms and robot hardware have made the Games possible.' The closing ceremony on Sunday also marked the official launch of the World Humanoid Robotics Games Federation and confirmed that the second edition's Games will return to Beijing in August 2026. 'We firmly believe the founding of this federation is a milestone that will drive deeper global cooperation in robotics and artificial intelligence,' said Zhou Changjiu, president of the RoboCup Asia-Pacific Confederation. 'International collaboration and communication platforms are important,' Zhou added. 'In the past, large-scale technological progress could take decades. Now, AI accelerates everything. The Games will definitely foster global collaboration and help bring humanoid robots into schools, elder-care centers, and even households. It's only a matter of time.' China robot competition technology World Humanoid Robot Games
The Star
8 hours ago
- The Star
Ronaldo leads Al Nassr past Al Ittihad to reach Saudi Super Cup final
HONG KONG, Aug. 19 (Xinhua) -- Al Nassr beat Al Ittihad 2-1 in the Saudi Super Cup semifinals at Hong Kong Stadium on Tuesday, with marquee player Cristiano Ronaldo assisting Joao Felix for the winner. This year's Saudi Super Cup held in Hong Kong features four teams across two semifinals and a final. More than 30,000 fans, most of whom are apparently Ronaldo supporters, packed the ground for the opening semifinal. Ronaldo and Felix started for Al Nassr, while Al Ittihad fielded Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante. Al Nassr struck first after 10 minutes when Marcelo Brozovic surged down and pulled back for Sadio Mane, who finished with a first-time volley. Al Ittihad got back on level terms five minutes later, when Moussa Diaby laid it off for Steven Bergwijn to find the net. Mane went from hero to zero minutes later as he was sent off for an awful challenge on opposite goalkeeper Hamed Al Shanqiti. With one player down, Al Nassr nevertheless restored the lead in the 61st minute when Ronaldo sprung the offside trap and selflessly squared for Felix to tap it into the empty net. The winner helped Al Nassr secure a spot in the final. Ronaldo, who worn the armband from the start, was subbed off in the 90th minute and enjoyed the applauses from all corners of the stadium.
Malaysia Sun
2 days ago
- Malaysia Sun
Javelin talent Yan Ziyi in no rush to compete at global elite stage
BEIJING, Aug. 17 (Xinhua) -- It has been a remarkable summer for javelin athlete Yan Ziyi, as the 17-year-old claimed two gold medals at the first Youth Athletics Games of China in Shenyang, days after winning at the 2025 Chinese Athletics Championships. At the Youth Athletics Games, open to athletes aged 16 and 17, Yan secured the individual javelin title after just two rounds despite competing with an injury. "I haven't fully recovered so was a little cautious today, I just wanted to confirm the first place, so I quitted the rest four rounds," Yan said. Yan then helped Zhejiang win the javelin team event with the best Asian U18 performance, adding to two medals in shot put to showcase her dominance in throwing events. Born in 2008, Yan has been a standout since entering senior national competitions in 2024. She rose to prominence by breaking the world youth record with a throw of 64.28 meters in Hangzhou last April and has since broken the mark four times. Her most recent record came at the 2025 Chinese Athletics Championships in early August, despite competing with a sprained foot. In that competition, she struggled in the first two rounds and injured her right ankle on her third throw. Refusing to withdraw, she stumbled in the fourth attempt before producing a personal best of 65.89 meters in the fifth round. "After the third throw I told my coach that my right heel was swollen. She told me to quit, but I wanted to keep throwing," Yan said. "The fourth throw was invalid, but the javelin went quite far. So I decided to give myself another try. And I did it." Her throw of 65.89 meters ranks third on the world list this season, surpassing the winning mark of Japan's Haruka Kitaguchi at the Paris Olympic Games. However, Yan is ineligible for the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo next month, as athletes under 18 are not permitted in throwing events. She also missed the Paris Games for the same reason. Yet to compete in the Olympic Games or World Athletics Championships due to age restrictions, Yan and her coach Lu Xiurong remain patient as they focus on long-term development. "We do have regrets, if she were involved in the Paris Games last year, it would be hard to predict the champion," said Lu. "But Yan is clear with the regulations, and she didn't think too much. On the other hand, we all know that the Olympic Games is at the highest level, let a young girl participate at this kind of stage may be a little premature. So we should keep training, step by step, to wait for our real chance," Lu added.
