Following are the top 10 sports news stories of China in the year of 2012 selected by Xinhua News Agency:
![Hou Yifan arrives in Beijing after a historical victory over Hungarian Judit Polgar at the 10th Gibraltar Chess Festival, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://www.bazhesc.com/2012/1228/20121228144659.jpg "Hou Yifan arrives in Beijing after a historical victory over Hungarian Judit Polgar at the 10th Gibraltar Chess Festival, Feb 5, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]")
- Chess world champion Hou Yifan claimed a historical victory over Hungarian Judit Polgar, the strongest female player of all time, on January 31, 2012 in their first over-the-board encounter in Gibraltar.
The 17-year-old Chinese grandmaster had white and won an endgame in round seven of the 10th Gibraltar Chess Festiva over Polgar, who had never lost to female player in 20 years.
![Beijing Ducks players celebrate their first-ever CBA title after beating defending Guangdong Hongyuan in the best-of-seven final series in Beijing on March 30, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://www.bazhesc.com/2012/1228/20121228144914.jpg "Beijing Ducks players celebrate their first-ever CBA title after beating defending Guangdong Hongyuan in the best-of-seven final series in Beijing on March 30, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]")
- With the help of former NBA superstar Stephon Marbury, the Beijing Ducks knocked off title holders Guangdong Tigers 124-121 on March 30 to wrap up a 4-1 victory at the best-of-seven CBA finals for their first-ever Chinese championship.
![Feng Shanshan of China holds the trophy after winning the LPGA Golf Championship in Pittsford, New York, June 10, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://www.bazhesc.com/2012/1228/2012122815313.jpg "Feng Shanshan of China holds the trophy after winning the LPGA Golf Championship in Pittsford, New York, June 10, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]")
- Feng Shanshan fired a bogey-free five-under par 67 on June 10 to capture the LPGA Championship by two strokes, becoming the first Chinese golfer to win a major title.
- Two former Chinese soccer heads were sentenced on June 13 to 10 and a half years in prison for taking bribes, marking the culmination of a campaign to eliminate graft in the Chinese professional soccer leagues, which had been afflicted with match-fixing, gambling and other illicit behavior.
Xie Yalong, former deputy chief of China's football association, and his successor Nan Yong, were each fined 200,000 yuan.
![Top: Liu Xiang kisses the last hurdle in his lane during his men's 110m hurdles round 1 heat at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium, Aug 7, 2012. Bottom: Chinese delegation parades into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the London Paralympic Games in London, Aug 29, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://www.bazhesc.com/2012/1228/20121228145135.jpg "Top: Liu Xiang kisses the last hurdle in his lane during his men's 110m hurdles round 1 heat at the London 2012 Olympic Games at the Olympic Stadium, Aug 7, 2012. Bottom: Chinese delegation parades into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the London Paralympic Games in London, Aug 29, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]")
- Team China created another Olympic success in London 2012, grabbing 38 gold, 27 silver and 23 bronze medals for the second place on both the medal and gold tally, a second-to-best result only next to that of the 2008 Games on home soil, while their Paralympic counterparts took 95 gold, 71 silver and 65 bronze to top the table.
![Sun Yang celebrates after winning gold in the men's 1500m freestyle final in world record time during the London 2012 Olympic Games, Aug 4, 2012. Bottom: Ye Shiwen celebrates after winning the women's 200m individual medley final at the London 2012 Olympic Games, July 31, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]](http://www.bazhesc.com/2012/1228/20121228145934.jpg "Sun Yang celebrates after winning gold in the men's 1500m freestyle final in world record time during the London 2012 Olympic Games, Aug 4, 2012. Bottom: Ye Shiwen celebrates after winning the women's 200m individual medley final at the London 2012 Olympic Games, July 31, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]")
- Sun Yang and Ye Shiwen, each with two Olympic gold medals, led the Chinese swimmers to major breakthroughs at London Olympic Games.
Copyright ©1999-2011 Chinanews.com. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.
