Who's hot, who's not in China Sports (Week 12)

Chinese teams held off in AFC Champions League

Following a 5-1 demolition of the Korean Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the first round of their AFC Champions League match, the favored Guangzhou Evergrande suffered a humiliating 2-1 home loss to the Thai League champions Buriram United. It's also the first home loss ever for any Chinese team against a Southeastern Asian counterpart in the history of AFC Champions League.

The other two Chinese teams, Tianjin Teda and Beijing Guoan, both earned a 1-1 draw. The three Chinese teams are all in third place in their group, a dangerous position that leaves them with not many choices.

Fight for CBA's ultimate glory starts

Beijing Ducks won its debut game in the CBA Finals, 108-101 over the reigning champion Guangdong S Tigers on Wednesday night at the Mastercard Center, where the 2008 Beijing Olympics basketball finals were held. In the feisty, intense game that was filled with technicals and skirmishes, the veteran Stephon Marbury stood out and grabbed a game-high 36 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists to catapult the Ducks to a 1-0 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Yao back in old stomping grounds

When Yao Ming was drafted as the number one overall pick in 2002 by the Houston Rockets, he might have never imagined that a decade later he would have retired from basketball and could only attend a Rockets home game as a spectator, along with another Rockets legend Robert Horry. The 2.29-meter Chinese center received a standing ovation from the crowd, with whom he witnessed the Rockets overcoming a 17-point deficit to beat the Los Angeles Lakers, 107-104.

Former soccer powers to stand trial in April

Former vice president of CFA Nan Yong and his predecessor Xie Yalong are expected to stand trial in April on corruption charges, which will mark the end of China's 2 1/2-year soccer corruption crackdown, according to the Legal Evening News. The two big fish are believed to have taken millions in bribes during the job and will face a possible prison term of more than 10 years under Chinese law.

Ding wins Championship League

Chinese snooker player Ding Junhui beat Judd Trump in the final Championship League match on Thursday and earned the £10,000 top prize and a berth in the Premier League this summer.

"It's always good to win, but chances to qualify for the Premier League were running out with just Beijing and Sheffield to go," said Ding, who won the Championship League for the first time. “It's the perfect start to the day, especially in a demanding tournament like this, where you are playing off and on from morning until mid-evening."