Sony World Competition — Photography of the daring and intimate moments of sports
The Sony World Competition announced the finalists and shortlists for their 2026 professional awards. The Awards spotlights photographers telling the stories of our time. Here is the selection of images from the professional competition in the sport category.
Roxana learned ‘hair suspension,’ a circus technique that she describes as meditative, rather than painful. (Photo: Luis Henry Agudelo Cano, Colombia, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
Roxana grew up dreaming of flying like a butterfly. As a child in rural Colombia, her mother made her colourful wings from paper and plastic to help bring that dream to life, but her flight was short-lived, as armed conflict forced her family to flee to the city of Medellín. Threatened by local paramilitary forces, the family sought asylum in the USA, but when that was refused, they were forced to relocate to Bogotá. When Roxana was 12, her father disappeared and was later murdered; his body was never recovered. Roxana drifted on to the streets and into drug addiction, living in extreme poverty. It was there that she discovered the street circus, which became a refuge for her. Ten years later, she learned ‘hair suspension,’ a circus technique that she describes as meditative, rather than painful. Today, at 31, Roxana is a dance student, continuing to use movement as a way to fulfill her dream of flying. (Photo: Luis Henry Agudelo Cano, Colombia, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) For many years the photographer has attended sighthound training sessions. Many of the sighthounds are former racing dogs that have been adopted by private owners and families in order to give them a happy post-racing life. However, even after retirement they are still athletes that need to run and chase on a daily basis. At this private track, an artificial rabbit is pulled by wire along the track, allowing the dogs to run alone or in small groups. At the end of the track there is a soft sandbox where they can grab the fake rabbit this is the photographer’s favourite moment to photograph these magnificent and gentle creatures. (Photo: Rob Van Thienen, Belgium, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another photo of sighthound training. (Photo: Rob Van Thienen, Belgium, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) In the shadowed arch of an underpass in Lagos, Nigeria, far from the gleam of professional rings, a raw and resonant rhythm of ambition pulses. Beneath the Bridge documents a makeshift gym where amateur boxers — boys and girls alike — forge their discipline and dreams with nothing but tyres, rope, water and willpower. The project creates an intimate, visceral portrait of grassroots aspiration, exploring universal themes of resilience, gender equality in traditionally male spaces, and the profound human need to carve a place of purpose from the margins. Photographed in the natural light of the underpass, shadows and hard light sculpt the boxers’ bodies, as textures of rust, rope and sweat become central to the narrative. This is not a story about winning or losing, but of preparing; a testament to the unadorned, potent moments where character is built before a single punch is ever thrown. (Photo: Morgan Otagburuagu, Nigeria, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another image from Otagburuagu's Beneath the Bridge series. (Photo: Morgan Otagburuagu, Nigeria, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Nymphs is an underwater photographic series shot in a swimming pool using a camera in a waterproof housing. Lights were placed outside the water to provide both front and back lighting, with the images of national synchronised swimmers captured using breath-hold immersion. (Photo: Delfina Pignatiello, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Part of the underwater photographic series Nymphs. (Photo: Delfina Pignatiello, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Founded more than 25 years ago, the San Diego Senior Women's Basketball Association is the largest league in the USA for women over the age of 50. Two of the teams feature players who are over 80: The San Diego Splash and newbie team the Golden Girls. Many of their players grew up in a time when sport was considered unfeminine, and opportunities for women, especially African American women, were scarce. A 1972 law changed organised sports, but it came too late for these women, who are simply thrilled to be playing team basketball. Today, the league offers more than sport: it fosters active ageing, friendship and community. (Photo: Alain Schroeder, Belgium, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The San Diego Senior Women's Basketball Association in another photo by Alain Schroeder. (Photo: Alain Schroeder, Belgium, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Roda polo is a new sport that has emerged from Argentina’s polo heartland. Born in 2019, it reimagines polo by replacing horses with e-wheels, which cost $1,000–2,000 and are quick to master. This makes the game far more accessible and faster, three-a-side matches can be played in parks, schoolyards or any other open space, encouraging children to step outdoors. Roda polo is already practiced across three continents, keeping the adrenaline, strategy and camaraderie of polo alive while redefining who gets to play. (Photo: Irina Werning, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another image from Werning's Roda polo photography. (Photo: Irina Werning, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Buzkashi (literally meaning 'goat pulling' in Persian) is the fierce, ancient sport of Tajikistan. It is similar to polo, but there are no teams and no boundaries. The ball is the eviscerated, headless carcass of a goat and the aim is brutally simple: seize it, hold it, break free. The game was born among the nomadic horse cultures of Central Asia, where strength and horsemanship were measures of identity. For centuries, chapandaz (riders) have hurled themselves into this churning mass of hooves and bodies, fighting for honour and a moment of clear sky among the dust. (Photo: Todd Antony, New Zealand, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Part of Todd Antony's photographs of Buzkashi. (Photo: Todd Antony, New Zealand, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The International Women's Mud Wrestling Championship held at East Lake Beach Resort in Wuhan, China, is not a simple contest of strength, but a unique sport that blends power, ferocity and visual tension. Shrouded in mud, the athletes’ muscle contractions and relaxations are amplified, and every move, punching, blocking and dodging, outlines dynamic curves full of explosive energy. Abandoning conventional gentleness, the athletes display a forceful beauty that breaks from the inherent perception of women’s physical capabilities, presenting female strength in a vivid, three-dimensional way. (Photo: Qiu Yan, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) The International Women's Mud Wrestling Championship captured in another photo by Qiu Yan. (Photo: Qiu Yan, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Black Star Polo is the world’s only all-Black water polo team. Founded in 2021 by Prince Kofi Asante Sefa-Boakye, the Ghanaian team builds elite athletes despite minimal resources and infrastructure, and difficulty accessing swimming pools. In 2023, visa denials prevented the team from competing at an international tournament in Italy, exposing ongoing barriers for African competitors. Yet still they persist, training, competing, and redefining who is allowed to play, travel, and succeed in global sport. (Photo: Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026) Another photo capturing Black Star Polo team. (Photo: Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)
/file/attachments/orphans/4019_11405_LuisHenryAgudeloCano_Colombia_Professional_Sport_2026_908777.jpg "Roxana grew up dreaming of flying like a butterfly. As a child in rural Colombia, her mother made her colourful wings from paper and plastic to help bring that dream to life, but her flight was short-lived, as armed conflict forced her family to flee to the city of Medellín. Threatened by local paramilitary forces, the family sought asylum in the USA, but when that was refused, they were forced to relocate to Bogotá. When Roxana was 12, her father disappeared and was later murdered; his body was never recovered. Roxana drifted on to the streets and into drug addiction, living in extreme poverty. It was there that she discovered the street circus, which became a refuge for her. Ten years later, she learned ‘hair suspension,’ a circus technique that she describes as meditative, rather than painful. Today, at 31, Roxana is a dance student, continuing to use movement as a way to fulfill her dream of flying. (Photo: Luis Henry Agudelo Cano, Colombia, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4017_11399_RobVanThienen_Belgium_Professional_Sport_2026_939141.jpg "For many years the photographer has attended sighthound training sessions. Many of the sighthounds are former racing dogs that have been adopted by private owners and families in order to give them a happy post-racing life. However, even after retirement they are still athletes that need to run and chase on a daily basis. At this private track, an artificial rabbit is pulled by wire along the track, allowing the dogs to run alone or in small groups. At the end of the track there is a soft sandbox where they can grab the fake rabbit this is the photographer’s favourite moment to photograph these magnificent and gentle creatures. (Photo: Rob Van Thienen, Belgium, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4017_11393_RobVanThienen_Belgium_Professional_Sport_2026_244855.jpg "Another photo of sighthound training. (Photo: Rob Van Thienen, Belgium, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4015_11373_MorganOtagburuagu_Nigeria_Professional_Sport_2026_771899.jpg "In the shadowed arch of an underpass in Lagos, Nigeria, far from the gleam of professional rings, a raw and resonant rhythm of ambition pulses. Beneath the Bridge documents a makeshift gym where amateur boxers — boys and girls alike — forge their discipline and dreams with nothing but tyres, rope, water and willpower. The project creates an intimate, visceral portrait of grassroots aspiration, exploring universal themes of resilience, gender equality in traditionally male spaces, and the profound human need to carve a place of purpose from the margins. Photographed in the natural light of the underpass, shadows and hard light sculpt the boxers’ bodies, as textures of rust, rope and sweat become central to the narrative. This is not a story about winning or losing, but of preparing; a testament to the unadorned, potent moments where character is built before a single punch is ever thrown. (Photo: Morgan Otagburuagu, Nigeria, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4015_11371_MorganOtagburuagu_Nigeria_Professional_Sport_2026_702660.jpg "Another image from Otagburuagu's Beneath the Bridge series. (Photo: Morgan Otagburuagu, Nigeria, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4013_11365_DelfinaPignatiello_Argentina_Professional_Sport_2026_191642.jpg "Nymphs is an underwater photographic series shot in a swimming pool using a camera in a waterproof housing. Lights were placed outside the water to provide both front and back lighting, with the images of national synchronised swimmers captured using breath-hold immersion. (Photo: Delfina Pignatiello, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4013_11363_DelfinaPignatiello_Argentina_Professional_Sport_2026_490370.jpg "Part of the underwater photographic series Nymphs. (Photo: Delfina Pignatiello, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4011_11351_AlainSchroeder_Belgium_Professional_Sport_2026_258904.jpg "Founded more than 25 years ago, the San Diego Senior Women's Basketball Association is the largest league in the USA for women over the age of 50. Two of the teams feature players who are over 80: The San Diego Splash and newbie team the Golden Girls. Many of their players grew up in a time when sport was considered unfeminine, and opportunities for women, especially African American women, were scarce. A 1972 law changed organised sports, but it came too late for these women, who are simply thrilled to be playing team basketball. Today, the league offers more than sport: it fosters active ageing, friendship and community. (Photo: Alain Schroeder, Belgium, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4011_11345_AlainSchroeder_Belgium_Professional_Sport_2026_192287.jpg "The San Diego Senior Women's Basketball Association in another photo by Alain Schroeder. (Photo: Alain Schroeder, Belgium, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4009_11335_IrinaWerning_Argentina_Professional_Sport_2026_157901.jpg "Roda polo is a new sport that has emerged from Argentina’s polo heartland. Born in 2019, it reimagines polo by replacing horses with e-wheels, which cost $1,000–2,000 and are quick to master. This makes the game far more accessible and faster, three-a-side matches can be played in parks, schoolyards or any other open space, encouraging children to step outdoors. Roda polo is already practiced across three continents, keeping the adrenaline, strategy and camaraderie of polo alive while redefining who gets to play. (Photo: Irina Werning, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4009_11329_IrinaWerning_Argentina_Professional_Sport_2026_481289.jpg "Another image from Werning's Roda polo photography. (Photo: Irina Werning, Argentina, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3999_11271_ToddAntony_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Sport_2026_654473.jpg "Buzkashi (literally meaning 'goat pulling' in Persian) is the fierce, ancient sport of Tajikistan. It is similar to polo, but there are no teams and no boundaries. The ball is the eviscerated, headless carcass of a goat and the aim is brutally simple: seize it, hold it, break free. The game was born among the nomadic horse cultures of Central Asia, where strength and horsemanship were measures of identity. For centuries, chapandaz (riders) have hurled themselves into this churning mass of hooves and bodies, fighting for honour and a moment of clear sky among the dust. (Photo: Todd Antony, New Zealand, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/3999_11267_ToddAntony_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Sport_2026_769835.jpg "Part of Todd Antony's photographs of Buzkashi. (Photo: Todd Antony, New Zealand, Finalist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4021_11417_QiuYan_ChinaMainland_Professional_Sport_2026_163922.jpg "The International Women's Mud Wrestling Championship held at East Lake Beach Resort in Wuhan, China, is not a simple contest of strength, but a unique sport that blends power, ferocity and visual tension. Shrouded in mud, the athletes’ muscle contractions and relaxations are amplified, and every move, punching, blocking and dodging, outlines dynamic curves full of explosive energy. Abandoning conventional gentleness, the athletes display a forceful beauty that breaks from the inherent perception of women’s physical capabilities, presenting female strength in a vivid, three-dimensional way. (Photo: Qiu Yan, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4021_11421_QiuYan_ChinaMainland_Professional_Sport_2026_125461.jpg "The International Women's Mud Wrestling Championship captured in another photo by Qiu Yan. (Photo: Qiu Yan, China Mainland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4025_11447_Mariuszmiejek_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Sport_2026_555934.jpg "Black Star Polo is the world’s only all-Black water polo team. Founded in 2021 by Prince Kofi Asante Sefa-Boakye, the Ghanaian team builds elite athletes despite minimal resources and infrastructure, and difficulty accessing swimming pools. In 2023, visa denials prevented the team from competing at an international tournament in Italy, exposing ongoing barriers for African competitors. Yet still they persist, training, competing, and redefining who is allowed to play, travel, and succeed in global sport. (Photo: Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
/file/attachments/orphans/4025_11455_Mariuszmiejek_UnitedKingdom_Professional_Sport_2026_886412.jpg "Another photo capturing Black Star Polo team. (Photo: Mariusz Śmiejek, Poland, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)")
Roxana learned ‘hair suspension,’ a circus technique that she describes as meditative, rather than painful. (Photo: Luis Henry Agudelo Cano, Colombia, Shortlist, Professional Competition, Sport, Sony World Photography Awards 2026)