As the second ⁠edition of World Humanoid Robot Games kicked off at the National Speed Skating Oval for the 2022 Winter Olympics, in Beijing, a Chinese robot named Lightning ⁠has run ​the 100m in 9.32 seconds, ⁠beating the human world ⁠record, held by the Jamaican, Usain bolt, in 2009.

The humanoid, developed by the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Honor, ‌reached a peak speed of 14.5 metres per second during ‌a test event for ​the second World Humanoid Robot Games. The ​performance surpassed ​the ​9.58sec men’s ​100m world record ​set ​by Usain Bolt 17 years ago at the World Athletics Championships in Berlin.

China is in the lead of promoting humanoid robots as an emerging industry, with policymakers and companies ‌believing that these advances in AI and hardware will accelerate their deployment in manufacturing, logistics ​and consumer applications.

Lightning also won the Beijing half marathon in April in 50 minutes and 26 seconds, faster than the men’s world record. The robot stood 169cm tall and ​had ​95cm-long legs at ​the half marathon.

Researchers have since lengthened ​its legs ‌by 10​cm for these Games.

More than 2,000 humanoid robots are participating in the second edition of the five-day games, with the spectacle intended to demonstrate China’s rapid progress in advanced robotics as the technology race with the US heats up.

This edition has 51 events and more than 1,000 competitions taking place including running, table tennis and football.

The games opened the same week as Beijing held the 2026 World Robot Conference, where companies showcased around 3,000 products, including humanoid robots. China makes the majority of the world’s humanoid robots.

In what’s believed to be targeting China, last month, the US Federal Communications Commission announced a ban on imports of new foreign-made humanoid robots. The Pentagon recently also added Unitree, one of China’s leading humanoid robot makers, to its list of companies that it deemed have ties with the Chinese military. Beijing has hit back at the accusations.

At Saturday’s opening of the robot games, the organisers and robot makers said that Chinese humanoid robots defeated human world records, as hundreds of humanoid robots marched in formation on to the field in a massive display of synchronised coordination.

In a standing high jump, a humanoid robot was able to reach 2.88m, well above the 0.95m best result by a humanoid in last year’s first edition of the games.

It equally surpassed the human high jump record of 2.45m set by Cuba’s Javier Sotomayor in 1993. Both robots were from Beijing-based X-Humanoid.

Experts say humanoid robots are still mostly used for demonstrations, performances and research – at least for now – and it will take time to achieve mass real-world deployment. Some spectators at the robot games said they were excited about the humanoid robots’ quickly improving abilities.

Press reports indicate that humanoid robots are “evolving rapidly”, said Li Yanfeng, an education worker and a Beijing resident. “At first, I wasn’t very accepting of artificial intelligence. I was even a bit resistant to it, because of the possibility that it might replace or displace humans,” she said. “But now that I see this development is unstoppable, I decided to come and take a look.”

Yang Shangzheng, another spectator, said: “These sports are perfectly normal for humans, but now robots can do them. I find it amazing.” Liu Tao, who was watching the games with his son, said he was hoping to see “the best robots China currently has to offer”.

This year’s robot games – which the organisers say has 16 countries participating, among them Germany, Japan and the US – also includes other events such as weightlifting and tug of war.

Nigeria’s 12- player squad will depart for Kenya on Saturday to participate at the 2026 Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship, scheduled for Aug. 23 to Sept. 5 in Nairobi, Kenya.

The News Agency of Nigeria ((NAN) reports that the team of 12 female volleyball players and their coaches were officially sent off by the Nigerian Volleyball Federation on Friday in Abuja.

In his address to the players, DCP Stephen Hasso, Chairman Nigerian Beach volleyball Commission, urged the players to be good ambassadors of the country.

“You were chosen from among many players to represent Nigeria and I believe you will be good ambassadors. You are lucky to be the first Volleyball team of this country to have a foreign technical adviser to train you throughout your three weeks camping,” he said.

“I pray when you go there you will exhibit what he taught you here. Listen to your coaches. Play to your coaches’ instructions. I have watched your training and I am really impressed with what I have seen. I believe you are equal to the task and you will come back successful,” he added.

Speaking on behalf of the players,  Captain Ijeoma Ukpabi said the team have worked hard enough to achieve success in Kenya.

“I believe we have worked hard enough to go far in the tournament. We have sacrificed  time and energy and I am sure it will not be a waste. As a team, we promise we will stay and stand strong no matter the opponents we face, ” Ukpabi said.

“We have worked together as a team and as a family, so we are going to prove to ourselves that there was no time wasted and no effort lost,” she added.

Head coach Elishama Elam said he and his staff worked very well on the players and  that he is confident of getting good results.

“We started with the basic things. We worked on their techniques. We cared about the players physically, and about injuries and technical aspects, which is the most fundamental. And I am happy with what we have going into the tournament. I am sure we will have good results,” the coach said.

Featuring 16 nation, the 2026 Women’s African Nations Volleyball Championship is a qualification pathway for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games and the 2027 FIVB Women’s World Championship.

Edo Queens FC are ready to fight for the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League WAFU-B qualifying ticket in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, assistant coach Gabriel Benson has said.

Benson said the players were fully aware of the task ahead and understood the responsibility of representing Nigeria at the regional competition.

“The girls are ready to go. They know the task ahead of them. They know they are representing Nigeria at large and are ready to fight for the trophy,” he said.

“The weather here is a bit hotter than in Nigeria and we try to engage the players on exercises that can help them easily acclimatise,” Benson added.

He said Edo Queens would approach the competition with determination, irrespective of the quality of opposition in their group.

“In this group, we are here to play against anybody. Even though there are former champions in our group, we will take one game at a time,” he noted.

The reigning Nigeria Women’s Football League (NWFL) champions arrived in Ouagadougou at on Thursday and had thier first training session this morning.

Edo Queens are drawn in Group B alongside ASEC Mimosas of Côte d’Ivoire, Ampem Darkoa Ladies FC of Ghana and AS Garde Nationale of Niger.

Meanwhile Group A comprises USFAS of Burkina Faso, Dynamique FC of Benin and ASOK Da-Kara Feminines of Togo.

The Nigerian representative will begin her campaign on Monday against AS Garde Nationale of Niger at Stade 4-A-Oût.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the WAFU-B qualifiers will determine the team that represents the zone at the 2026 CAF Women’s Champions League.