BEIJING, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Here are the latest Chinese sports headlines from the past week:

1. 2024 Chinese Basketball Hall of Fame induction held in Beijing

The 2024 Chinese Basketball Hall of Fame induction took place at Tsinghua University on March 23.

The ceremony commenced with appearances by previous Hall of Fame inductees, followed by the induction of the honorees of the year 2024: Li Hanting and Gong Xiaobin (outstanding male athletes); Yang Jie and Miao Lijie (outstanding female athletes); Ma Qingsheng (outstanding coach); Guo Yupei (outstanding referee); and Li Zhenzhong, Wu Chengzhang, and Huang Lie (pioneers of Chinese basketball).

This third annual induction brings the Hall of Fame's total to 42 individuals and three collectives, cementing its role in preserving China's basketball heritage.

2. Piastri wins F1 Chinese Grand Prix

Oscar Piastri took victory in the Formula 1 Chinese Grand Prix on March 23, with teammate Lando Norris coming home second for a McLaren 1-2 at the Shanghai International Circuit.

After two rounds, Norris leads the Drivers' Championship with 44 points, with Max Verstappen second on 36 and George Russell third with 35 points.

In the Constructors' standings, McLaren leads the way with 78 points, ahead of Mercedes on 57 and Red Bull on 36 points.

The third round of the 2025 F1 season is the Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit on April 6.

3. China claims bronze in World Women's Curling Championship to secure Olympic spot

China claimed the bronze medal at the World Women's Curling Championship with a 9-4 victory over host South Korea on March 23, securing a berth for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics.

This win not only secured China a spot in the 2026 Winter Olympics but also marked their return to the World Championship podium after 14 years.

4. Zheng falls to Sabalenka at Miami Open quarterfinals

Top seed Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus secured her spot in the Miami Open semifinals for the first time in career, defeating China's ninth-seeded Zheng Qinwen 6-2, 7-5 in the quarterfinals on March 25.

The victory extended Sabalenka's dominant head-to-head record against Zheng to 6-0.

5. China loses to Australia in FIFA World Cup qualifier

China suffered a 2-0 home loss to Australia in a FIFA World Cup qualifier on March 25, leaving its chance of securing a spot in the 2026 tournament in serious jeopardy with only two games remaining.

At the bottom of Group C with six points, China now has to go all out for wins over Indonesia and Bahrain in June to keep the World Cup dream alive.

The top two teams in each six-team group will directly qualify for the World Cup, while the third- and fourth-placed teams move into the next phase of qualifying.