AsiaLogue - Women's Sports

Women's Sports

Oct 7, 2026

Mark Villar lauds athletes in Asian Games, seeks 20-year sports road map

MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Mark Villar commended the Philippine delegation to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, for bagging 29 medals — four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes — the country’s largest medal haul in 60 years. “The 29-medal haul of our athletes proves how great the potential of Filipinos is in sports.

Oct 7, 2026

Iga Swiatek surges past Iva Jovic to reach China Open quarterfinals

BEIJING–Iga Swiatek beat 18-year-old Iva Jovic, 6-1, 6-3, 3, Wednesday, and reached the quarterfinals of the China Open. No. 8-seeded Swiatek broke Jovic’s serve twice in the last four games to win in one hour and 35 minutes and advance against Elise Mertens of Belgium. READ: China Open: Swiatek, Zheng survive three-set tests in third

Oct 7, 2026

UAAP: NU gets back on track with Adamson rout

MANILA, Philippines—National University got back to its winning ways after trouncing Adamson, 85-66, in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament at Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday. Following a tough loss to Ateneo on Saturday, the Bulldogs dominated the Soaring Falcons to improve to a 3-2 record. “It’s a good response but we still

Oct 7, 2026

Starstruck Eala links up with idol Sharapova

FOR the first time since she was a kid, Alexandra “Alex” Eala met her idol and tennis great Maria Sharapova. In an Instagram post on Tuesday, Sharapova shared behind-the-scenes footage from Eala’s guest appearance on her “Pretty Tough” podcast. “By very popular demand and rightfully so ... she’s the girl of the moment @alexeala (Alex Eala),” wrote Sharapova. “Tomorrow on PrettyTough I cannot wait for you to listen to this one,” the five-time Grand Slam champ added. Eala’s excitement was clearly visible upon meeting Sharapova again — one of her biggest idols in the tennis world, from her playing style to her fashion. “Oh my God. Oh my goodness. Nice to meet you,” Eala said in the video posted by Sharapova. Sharapova expressed her gratitude to Eala for taking the time to be part of her podcast. “Look at you. Thank you for finding time for us,” Sharapova replied. After Eala’s historic third-round win over defending champ Iga Swiatek at Wimbledon last July, Sharapova called her a “star” in the comments section of a Wimbledon post. During Wimbledon, an old photo of a young Eala and Sharapova also went viral. In an interview with PopSugar last month, Sharapova expressed excitement over the future of the Filipino tennis sensation. “I’m always rooting for Coco Gauff, Alex Eala, who’s had an incredible summer, and I’m so excited about her future. Those two have come to mind,” said Sharapova Perhaps, Eala and Sharapova’s latest meeting had been in the works since Wimbledon. Eala is coming off a bronze medal finish at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. The 21-year-old returns to Tour action at the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open in China slated from Oct. 12 to 18. Ranked No. 18, Eala is expected to be the No. 15 seed in the tournament due to the withdrawals of injured players in world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, No. 11 Amanda Anisimova and No. 15 Victoria Mboko. Being No. 15 seed will be Eala’s highest-seeding in a 1000 tournament where she will have a first-round bye.

Oct 7, 2026

PH boxers begin Olympic bid at 2027 World Champs

FILIPINO boxers will begin to hunt for Olympic berths at the World Boxing Championships in Astana, Kazakhstan, in April next year. The tournament is the first direct qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A total of 44 total quota spots will be rewarded across 14 Olympic weight categories — seven each for men and women. Carlo Paalam, the lone Philippine boxer to make the podium at the just-concluded Asian Games in Japan, is expected to lead the charge for the Filipino pugs. Paalam claimed a silver medal in the men’s 55-kilogram class after a controversial split decision loss to home bet Rui Yamaguchi in Nagoya. Paalam’s fellow Olympians Nesthy Petecio and Aira Villegas are seen as the top bets for the Philippines in the women’s side. Paalam is a silver medalist at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, while Petecio likewise snared silver in Tokyo and bronze at the 2024 Paris Games. Villegas took her bronze medal in Paris as well. If the Filipino pugs could not secure Olympic berths in Astana, they can still make the Games in three tournaments. Offering Olympic spots are the Asian qualifier in China and two final world qualifying tournaments in 2028. The schedule for the three tournaments hasn’t been released yet.

Oct 7, 2026

Fresh start fuels Obiena’s resurgent season

CHANGING his environment and rediscovering his passion in pole vault powered EJ Obiena's resurgent 2026 season. Following a down season in 2025, Obiena bounced back and seized 10 gold medals this year including his title defense at the Asian Games in Japan. Obiena aced his second Asiad gold with a meet record 5.91-m clearance. "Probably, a different perspective, I'm a little bit happier, I enjoy what I do, I have a much brighter perspective on the sport that I love. Sometimes that matters," said Obiena. A two-time Olympian, Obiena said his coaching change and moving his base from Italy to Greece last June to train with his friend and world No. 2 Emmanouil Karalis really moved the needle for him. "Of course that influenced a lot of things, I mean, it's hard to change a perspective without a change of venue, change of mindset," said world No. 10 Obiena. "How do you say this, it's a natural course, so with that I'm happy that I'm training with a guy who's jolly, who's enjoying, I'm learning from him as much as he's learning from me, and with that, it's a recipe for good things." Now coached by Marcin Szczepanski, Obiena said it was hard to part ways with his former coach Vitaly Petrov, though. Petrov trained Obiena for 12 years from 2014 to 2026. The 30-year-old expressed gratitude to Petrov who transformed him into a world-class pole vaulter. "Of course, Vitaly and I, we talked, he congratulated me, I told him after the competition, we're good," said Obiena. "I think we both understood, we're at that point in our career, that we decided that it would be better for me to move, and with that, I really love the guy, I love him more than just a coach, so with that, I really appreciate his honesty, his transparency, and he still helped me, he helped me get to where I'm at today, and with that, I'm thankful.”

Oct 7, 2026

Adamson tops UP for first victory

ADAMSON University outlasted the University of the Philippines (UP), 67-60, to clinch its first win in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Lady Falcons snapped their two-game losing streak to enter the win column, tying UP for fourth place with identical 1-2 records. “The first two games were eye-opening for us, but credit also to the players. We’re a team where we can force top teams to give out their best,” said Adamson head coach Jed Colonia. “We just have to stay composed, so that we don’t get complacent.” After opening the season with the league’s highest turnover average at 23.5 per game, the Lady Falcons did a much better job of taking care of the ball, committing just 13 turnovers compared to the Fighting Maroons’ 18. Adamson came out firing, with Elaine Etang leading the charge as the Lady Falcons raced to a 16-6 lead in the opening quarter. UP fought back in the second frame, with Shane Cunanan’s three-pointer tying the game at 31-all with a minute remaining in the half. However, Nadine Muñoz beat the buzzer to give Adamson a 36-33 lead at halftime. The Fighting Maroons forced another deadlock at 40-all early in the third quarter, but the Lady Falcons responded with a 10-3 run in the final two minutes of the frame to restore control. Holding a 50-43 advantage entering the final quarter, Adamson pulled further ahead with a 7-0 run to open the fourth. The Lady Falcons then held off UP for the remainder of the game to complete the wire-to-wire victory. Apag led all scorers with 23 points, while Etang contributed 16 points on 50-percent shooting, along with three rebounds and two steals. Cunanan paced UP with 14 points and five rebounds, while Louna Ozar added 12 points, eight rebounds and four assists.

Oct 7, 2026

Red-hot San Beda seeks 5th straight win vs Perps

DEFENDING champion San Beda University looks to extend its winning streak to five games when it faces University of Perpetual Help System Dalta in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Thursday at the FilOil EcoOil Center in San Juan City. Tip-off is at 5 p.m. San Beda is coming off a hard-earned 74-65 overtime victory over rival Letran College on Oct. 5. Head coach Yuri Escueta will continue to rely on a core led by Jomel Puno, Andrei Ugaddan, Lawrence Hawkins, Aldous Torculas, RC Calimag, Bismarck Lina and Jimuel Reyes. In contrast, Perpetual Help aims to snap a two-game skid following back-to-back losses to Arellano University and College of St. Benilde. “We need more players to step up, consistency, execution of our set plays and good defense,” said Altas head coach Olsen Racela. Racela will lean on Mark Gojo Cruz, LA Casinillo, Ray Allen Maglupay, Gelo Gelsano, JM Tulabut, Shawn Orgo, Kenji Duremdes, Aries Borja, Jan Roluna, alongside rookies Jim Corpuz and Kurt Velasquez, to turn things around. In the juniors division, the Junior Altas aim for their fifth straight win when they face the San Beda Red Cubs at 12 p.m. “After our last game against La Salle Greenhills, we practiced well for this matchup,” said Perpetual Help juniors coach Joph Cleopas, whose squad — the NCAA Season 100 champions — shares the Group B lead with the Letran Squires at 4-1. Opening the day’s slate, defending juniors champion Letran takes on Lyceum at 10 a.m., followed by their seniors counterparts at 3 p.m.

Ababa seeks back-to-back PGT wins in Pueblo de Oro

Oct 7, 2026

HAVING snapped a two-year title drought, Jhonnel Ababa hopes to ride the momentum and growing confidence from his victory last week as he shoots for back-to-back championships in the ICTSI Pueblo de Oro Championship, which blasts off on Oct. 12 in Cagayan de Oro City. Ababa overcame a nerve-wracking, see-saw battle in Iloilo last week, coming from behind with clutch birdies on the final two holes to force a tie with Jeffren Lumbo and then claim his 14th Philippine Golf Tour victory. The triumph was as emotional as it was unexpected. Unlike his previous victory at Apo Golf in 2024, when he prevailed in a sudden-death playoff over Guido van der Valk before a home crowd, Ababa said his Iloilo triumph felt like a blessing that came when he least expected it. He had trailed Lumbo by three heading into the final stretch. With the odds seemingly stacked against him, Ababa could only credit his faith for turning the tide. “God simply gave me this victory. I honestly didn’t expect to win because Jeffren had such a big lead. But God made it possible,” said Ababa in Filipino, who dedicated the victory to his family, including his late wife, Mailyn, and their sons, John Michael and Samuel. Ababa will now be hard-pressed to make it two in a row, with a slew of seasoned campaigners and hungry contenders also determined to shine in the eighth stop of the 10-stage circuit organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments Inc. Among them is Reymon Jaraula, the last player to win at the Pueblo de Oro layout when it hosted a PGT event in 2019. Jaraula edged Tony Lascuña in a dramatic playoff that year and returns to the venue after a strong third-place finish in Iloilo with the Del Monte ace looming as one of the players to watch in the P2.5-million championship. Lascuña, meanwhile, will try to bounce back from a 10th-place finish in Iloilo. He headlines a formidable cast that also includes Zaragosa, Lumbo, van der Valk, Russell Bautista and Angelo Que. The reigning Order of Merit champion, Que likewise hopes to regain top form after a hectic stretch of campaigns at home and abroad. He is chasing a third victory of the season after topping the Caliraya Springs and Summit Point legs. But the Pueblo de Oro field is deep, with recent Negros Occidental leg winner Art Arbole, Russell Bautista joined by Elee Bisera, Francis Morilla,Jay Bayron and Ira Alido, as well as Korean bets Kim Tae Soo, Chon Koo Kang and Lee Song. Also in the mix are US-based Jeremy Tandoy and Ivan Yabut, along with a number of other foreign challengers, setting the stage for another fiercely contested week on the PGT.

Oct 7, 2026

‘Destined’ Djokovic extends unbeaten record

BEIJING — Tennis great Novak Djokovic credited his “never-die spirit” for carrying him to the 102nd title of his career as he won the China Open on Tuesday night when his opponent Alex de Minaur retired injured from the final. With the win, the 39-year-old Serbian extended a perfect record to 34 wins in as many matches for his seventh title in Beijing — his first since 2015. Djokovic said afterward that in more than two decades as a professional player, “the grit and the dedication, and the kind of never-die spirit that really is always with me” have carried him through. Tennis is “quite a cruel sport” with players competing in knock-out tournaments year-round, Djokovic told reporters, adding that the stakes and pressure of performing in front of fans made the sport “so demanding and so special.” “You can feel so much weight on your shoulders, but it is what I have been destined to do,” he said. In front of a jam-packed stadium, Djokovic won the first set in the tiebreak 7-6 (7/3) and was down a game in the second set when the Australian ended the match early. “I always want to visualize myself with the trophy, particularly here in Beijing,” Djokovic said during the trophy ceremony. “But I was also quite aware that reality is a little bit different these days,” he said, adding that it had been a challenging year with “physical and health issues.” “I was just trying to find the good feeling on the court,” he said. The first set was a physical battle that lasted more than one hour, and both men needed medical timeouts before the second. De Minaur, the world No. 9, won the first game of the second set before retiring due to a left adductor strain. The 27-year-old had walked back onto the court after his medical timeout with a white wrap around his left thigh. “I don’t feel great,” de Minaur told the crowd afterward. “I want to say sorry to the amazing fans that came to watch ... I didn’t want to finish like this.” De Minaur advanced to the final after his opponent Hubert Hurkacz retired injured from their semifinal on Monday, while Djokovic moved through when Daniil Medvedev was disqualified for hitting a fan with a ball. But Djokovic, a 24-time Grand Slam champion, put on a valiant show to lift the trophy, ousting top seed Alexander Zverev in the quarterfinal after defeating home hope Bu Yunchaokete in a demanding three-set match. It means Djokovic will end the season with at least one title for the 21st consecutive year, and as the oldest man to win a singles final after Ken Rosewall in Hong Kong in 1977 at age 43. In the women’s draw, Karolina Muchova beat former world No. 1 Naomi Osaka on her ninth match point to reach the quarterfinals, triumphant in a tense tiebreak. Muchova, the seventh seed, overcame 50 unforced errors across the two-hour-and-52-minute match to beat Osaka, 7-5, 1-6, 7-6 (9/7). Osaka, who represents Japan, saved eight match points but could not get past Muchova’s match-winning volley.