Lingnan University, founded in 1888, pioneered modern physical education and excelled in sports competitions, clinching numerous team championships in the Sports Meeting of Guangdong Province.

Over a century of educational progress, Sun Yat-sen University and Lingnan University have established robust sports traditions.

Guided by Dr. Sun Yat-sen’s belief in “strengthening the nation through physical education” and the “martial spirit”, the athletic programs of both universities play a crucial role in the revitalization of the Chinese nation.

The Student Sports Associations Federation has established 36 main chapters and 76 sub-chapters. Leveraging these student associations, the “Yat-sen Cup” all-campus sports series have expanded to 18 categories, attracting nearly 20,000 participants annually.

We hold a wide range of sports activities, including the university sports meeting, marathons, swimming competitions, the “Kangle Cup” football match, as well as basketball matches, volleyball matches, martial arts, fencing, dragon boat and orienteering activities, and others organized by the Department of Physical Education.

The Department of Physical Education at Sun Yat-sen University has an outstanding teaching staff comprised of 5 professors, 28 associate professors, 4 senior lecturers, 11 full-time teachers, 11 lecturers, 1 teaching assistant, and 5 other teachers. This team of wonderful staff includes 13 individuals with doctorates, 9 national masters of sports, 3 international masters of sports, 8 national referees, 2 international referees, and 6 coaches at the national level and above.

Many renowned athletes and coaches are actively teaching at Sun Yat-sen University. Among them are Zhang Jiewen, the Olympic badminton champion and winner of nine world championships; Luo Wei, the Olympic Taekwondo champion; Yang Yilin, the Olympic gymnastics champion; Jiao Liuyang, the Olympic butterfly champion; Li Tieming, the former assistant coach of the national women’s volleyball team; Yang Liqun, the former coach of the national men’s volleyball team; as well as esteemed senior coaches Xu Yunbao and Li Jianping, among others.

Sun Yat-sen University is a leading institution recognized by the Ministry of Education as one of the first pilot universities for enrolling high-level athletes. We proudly stand as the first National Collegiate Sports Training Center, having developed numerous famous athletes, including Olympic champions Sun Shuwei, Yang Jinghui, Lao Lishi, and Luo Yutong.

Sun Yat-sen University has now established 6 high-level sports teams.

Twenty-two student athletic teams have won 118 national competition medals in more than 10 events, including volleyball, basketball, martial arts, aerobics, swimming, taekwondo, rowing, dragon boat racing, and baseball/softball.

In the 2023-2024 CUVA China University Volleyball League, our varsity men’s team and the undergraduate men’s team decisively claimed the championship titles, while the varsity women’s team secured the bronze medal.

At the first National Student (Youth) Games, our men’s and women’s volleyball teams proudly represented Guangdong Province, securing the third place and fourth place, respectively.

Sun Yat-sen University won the gold medal in the 4x100m medley relay at the 2023 Chengdu World University Games.

The varsity football team successfully reclaimed the “Governor’s Cup” championship after a 29-year hiatus and earned the runner-up title in the China Football Association Beach Soccer Tour Finals. Additionally, two team members were selected for the national team roster.

From 1913 to 1934, students from Lingnan University consistently attended every session of the Far East Games. They included the prominent captains of the Chinese “Big Three” teams in the 4th Far East Games—Huang Renrang of basketball, Tang Fuxiang of football and Guo Linxiang of volleyball.

Xu Heng, who later served as a member of the International Olympic Committee and chairman of the Chinese Taipei Olympic Committee, attended the 9th and the 10th Far East Games.

Tang Fuxiang, known as the “King of Football”, was born in Hong Kong and made a significant mark as a member of the South China Football Team, where he excelled as a national champion. In 1923, he went to the United States for further study. In 1923, he pursued further education in the United States. Upon his return to China, he took up a position at Lingnan University. He played a critical role in the 1st Far East Games in 1913, contributing greatly to the team’s success. From the 2nd to the 4th Far East Games, he became the captain of China’s football team and earning the first “King of Football” from the Far East. By the time of the 8th Games, he served as the coach of China’s football team.

Captain of the Volleyball Team Guo Linshuang (left) and Captain of the Football Team Tang Fuxiang (middle) in the 4th Far East Games

Huang Yingjie is a notable alumnus of Sun Yat-sen University’s School of Agriculture, having completed his studies in 1939. Born in Taishan County, Guangdong in 1912, he demonstrated a strong passion for sports, quickly establishing himself as a standout athlete in Guangdong, China, and throughout the Far East Games. He excelled in track and field and volleyball, clinching the volleyball championship in both the 9th and the 10th Far East Games in 1930 and 1934 respectively. In the 11th Olympic Games held in Berlin in 1936, Huang achieved the impressive result of 16.9 seconds in the 110-meter hurdles.

Huang Yingjie

Huang Jiliang is an outstanding football goalkeeper who joined Hong Kong’s South China Football Team in 1911. He pursued his studies in the Department of English at Sun Yat-sen University, starting in 1931. He competed at the Far East Games in 1934 and represented his country at the Berlin Olympic Games in 1936. He later contributed to the field of sports by teaching at Sun Yat-sen University’s Department of Physical Education as well as the South China Athletic Association in Hong Kong.

Huang Jiliang

Situ Guang, known as the “King of the Long Jump”, was also a remarkable student at Lingnan University. He excelled in the triple jump event during the 9th Far East Games in Tokyo in May 1932, securing fourth place and marking a significant achievement for his team in track and field events. A patriotic overseas Chinese living in Tokyo honored him with a large silver trophy inscribed with characters meaning “win glory for the country”. Situ represented his country on the world stage by competing in both the long jump and triple jump events at the 1936 Berlin Olympics.

Situ Guang

Liang Tian is a remarkable middle- and long-distance runner who entered the Department of Physical Education at Sun Yat-sen University in 1945. She successively won two championships in the women’s group of the Race Around Guangzhou City in 1947 and 1948. In addition, she participated in women’s volleyball where her team ranked 4th and she also ranked 4th in women’s high jump at the 15th Sports Meeting of Guangdong Province in 1947. After liberation, she joined the athletics team of the PLA Air Force and won the national championship of the middle- and long-distance races. Liang went on to coach the national athletics team and received recognition from top Chinese leaders including Zhou Enlai, Zhu De, He Long, and Chen Yi.

Su Yongshun, former coach of the national football team, was enrolled in the Department of Biology at Sun Yat-sen University in 1952 and joined the national football team in 1953. He then became the coach of the Guangdong football team and subsequently served as the national team’s coach from July 1980 to 1982. Under his leadership, the national team gained recognition as the “most watchable team”.

Zhou Yueshui is a notable figure, having served as the former director of the Department of Physical Education and professor at Sun Yat-sen University. He is a skilled swimmer who graduated from the Beijing Institute of Physical Education. In the 1970s, he had the unique opportunity to accompany Chairman Mao Zedong to swim in the Shisanling Reservoir. Zhou has held several prestigious positions, including Vice Chairman of the University Sports Association of Guangdong Province, Vice President of the Sports Association of Comprehensive Universities directly under the State Education Commission, and Director of the Sports Research Institute of the China Association of Higher Education. His contributions extended to serving as Executive Director of the Sports Science Society of Guangdong Province and Guangzhou City, as well as Director of the External Liaison Committee of the Track and Field Federation of University Sports of China.

Sun Shuwei won the men’s diving gold medal in the 25th Olympic Games in Barcelona in 1992.

Yang Jinghui won the men’s diving gold medal in the 28th Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Lao Lishi won the women’s diving gold medal in the 28th Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Luo Wei won the women’s Taekwondo over 67kg gold medal in the 28th Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Zhang Jiewen won the women’s badminton doubles gold medal in the 28th Olympic Games in Athens in 2004.

Yang Yilin won the women’s gymnastics team gold medal in the 29th Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.

Luo Yutong won the men’s diving gold medal in the 30th Olympic Games in London in 2012.

Jiao Liuyang won the women’s 200m butterfly gold medal in the 30th Olympic Games in London in 2012.

The Yingdong Sports Center, generously donated by Mr. Henry Fok, was completed in 1988 on the Guangzhou South Campus. This comprehensive complex includes the Yingdong Gymnasium, Yingdong Stadium, tennis courts, a basketball court, a volleyball court, a swimming pool and an administrative building.

Set to open in September 2019, the New Gymnasium on the Guangzhou South Campus spans over 17,000 square meters. It includes a large variety of sports amenities, including basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis courts, a fitness center, and fencing and aerobics rooms, offering an exceptional environment for both staff and students to engage in physical activity.

The Guangzhou East Campus features a central cluster of top-notch sports venues, including stadiums, football fields, tennis courts, volleyball courts, basketball courts, badminton courts, table tennis courts, baseball and softball fields, a swimming pool, a well-equipped gym, an artistic gymnastics room, a strength training room, a water sports center, and a versatile gymnasium.

The Zhuhai Campus Gymnasium is an architectural highlight, featuring a natural foundation and steel cable structure, clad in colorful profiled steel sheets and a roof of large-span color steel plates. Spanning nearly 9,000 square meters and measuring 120 meters in length and 70 meters in width, it is furnished with basketball, volleyball, tennis, badminton, and table tennis courts, providing round-the-clock training and competition facilities for students. The campus also offers a football field, stadiums, and a variety of sports amenities.