Last weekend, NYU Shanghai hosted the final leg of the 2025-2026 Sino Foreign University Cup (SFUC), welcoming around 265 athletes from Duke Kunshan University (DKU) and University of Ningbo Nottingham China (UNNC) to battle it out in basketball, volleyball, badminton, table tennis, soccer, and tennis.
With around 133 student athletes in action, NYU Shanghai clinched championship titles in tennis and women’s soccer—beating both UNNC and DKU 4 to 1 in tennis, and winning two shutouts in women’s soccer (2-0 against UNNC and 1-0 against DKU).
The scoreboard for the NYU Shanghai leg ended with NYU Shanghai scoring 10 points, ending the entire tournament with DKU in 1st place, followed by UNNC in 2nd place, and NYU Shanghai finishing third.
Although DKU may have taken the championship trophy home this time—our Qilins still had much to celebrate—from the camaraderie of teammates forged through wins and losses, their personal growth over the season, and being moved by the unwavering support of their friends.
Student athletes said playing in front of a home crowd felt different from the first two legs of the SFUC, held at UNNC and DKU. “It’s really fun to bond with people and make a big community; this is going to be in my memory for a long time,” said soccer player Zhaksylyk Tursynkhan ’27 from Kazakhstan.
His teammate Maxim Krokhin ’29 from Cyprus said playing at home was a special experience, thanks to the home crowd. “We push harder, we play harder, and we strive to win even more,” he said.
Captain of the table tennis team Zhu Xiaowen ’26 said hearing the supportive cheers from his friends and teammates on the sidelines helped him tackle his nerves on the court. “Every time I won a point, my team cheered me up very loudly, so I got some confidence,” he said.
The team grew together over the course of the competition, he said. “We really supported each other in every time-out, giving feedback and guidance during each break and practice session,” he said. Their goal, he said, isn’t to always win, but to improve together.
As graduation approaches, Xiaowen knows these fleeting moments with his team are worth cherishing, and he’s looking forward to passing on the torch to his teammates.
Badminton player Luo Xiangcheng '26 said seeing team growth kept him and his teammates fighting till the end. “We lost, but we saw the improvement in ourselves,” he said.
Men’s soccer player Zhaksylyk Tursynkhan ’27 added that there’s a lot to learn beyond celebrating wins when one can “accept some defeats and losses and keep going.”
Regardless of the outcome, the Qilins put in the hard work on the court and on the field. “Whatever happens during the game is what happens,” said soccer player Maxim Krokhin. “Just focus on what you can do—that's definitely my ritual, just getting into that mindset.”
That mindset helped others too. Women’s soccer team player Isabel Villalobos '26 from Costa Rica came back from an injury at the start of the season. “Recovering…and trying to get back at soccer and having to lean on people for support, I’ve grown closer to my teammates and learned a lot about myself,” she said.
But alongside the training and mental focus, NYU Shanghai’s Qilins know that sports should be fun too. “It's what I look forward to every single week,” says soccer team player Mya Hasbun ’28 from the US, who says sports is a way to destress and be with the girls. “It's more of a treat…to have fun and create new memories.”
Bonnie Chang ’28 from the US agrees. “It doesn't have to be serious all the time…I've laughed so much with my friends on the soccer team and on the basketball team,” she said. “Just have fun, be yourself, and GO QILINS!”