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Women's Sports

Oct 6, 2026

Carlos Yulo shifts focus to Worlds

MANILA, Philippines -- Leading the Philippines at the 20th Asian Games with two gold medals in Japan, gymnast Carlos Yulo shifts his focus to the World Championships from October 17 to 25 in Rotterdam, Netherlands. "I'm gonna do my best and show up," said Yulo when asked about the matter during the Team Philippines' "Heroes Welcome" at a hotel in Manila Monday night. While he always strive for excellence, Yulo said he's out to observe more in the worlds where he's a 3-time champion already. Yulo ruled the floor exercise in the 2019 edition of the Worlds and the vault apparatus in 2021 and 2025. The 4-foot-11 gymnast topped the same events at the 2024 Paris Olympics, mirroring that performance in the just concluded Asian Games. The 2-time Olympic gold medalist said the World Championships next year is the real deal since it will serve as a qualifier for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. "I'm not expecting anything in the Worlds. I just want to observe the competitors," said the 26-year-old Yulo. "The most important is next year's edition since it will be a qualifier for the Olympics. But for this one, I just want to see the rotation. I'm praying that we will be safe competing there." "Caloy" will be joined by the national team including his brother Eldrew. The 18-year-old likewise claimed a medal at the Asiad, snaring bronze in horizontal bar.

Oct 6, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns unlikely to sign contract extension before NBA season

Knicks All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, a centerpiece in New York's championship season, is not optimistic a contract extension will be finalized before the season opens in two weeks.

Oct 6, 2026

Proposed Asian football reforms threaten to kill Hong Kong’s World Cup hopes

As Hong Kong bathed in the afterglow of their Fifa Asean Challenge Cup triumph on Saturday, the level-headed Sun Ming-him cautioned that World Cup qualification remained a pipe dream for Roberto Losada’s team. What Sun, one of Hong Kong’s best players, did not know as he spoke was that despite the World Cup swelling to 48 teams this year, and another 16 potentially joining mammoth future editions, the city side’s qualifying task could soon become all but impossible. It has been reported that on...

Oct 5, 2026

NBA tests smart basketballs, wrist wearables in select preseason games

NEW YORK — The NBA is experimenting with two pieces of technology in the leadup to the season, the league announced Monday. Select exhibition games will include a smart basketball that has a Bluetooth sensor in it and can collect data for future use in real-time officiating decisions. The league said the information from the Wilson-developed connected balls will be for research only and not affect calls made during those games. Officials in select games will also use wrist wearables to communicate with the replay center in designated situations, including replay reviews, scoring changes and clock malfunctions. The wearables went through what the NBA called a successful pilot program during the summer league. The technology will not extend into the regular season.

Oct 5, 2026

LeBron, Embiid, Maxey skip 76ers' preseason opener vs Knicks

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James and Joel Embiid are among the healthy inactives for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason opener Monday night against the NBA champion New York Knicks. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey also will sit out. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe are the lone regular starters in the lineup. The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks. James signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers over the summer. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. James, Embiid and the full healthy roster played in a public scrimmage on Saturday on the 76ers' home court.

Oct 5, 2026

Yulo, Yape set for highest Asian Games cash bonus

GYMNAST Carlos Yulo and taekwondo jin Jeus Yape emerged as the top cash incentive earners among Filipino athletes who medaled at the just-concluded 20th Asian Games in Japan. Under Republic Act 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, Asian Games gold winners will receive P2 million from the government while silver and bronze medalists will receive P1 million and P400,000, respectively. Winning two gold medals with floor exercise and vault titles, Yulo will take a total of P4 million. On the other hand, Yape will seize P2.4 million for his gold in mixed individual virtual taekwondo and bronze in the men’s individual poomsae. Yape served as the Philippine flag bearer in the Asiad closing ceremony on Sunday. Pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena rose as the third highest earner from the Games with P2 million for securing a second straight gold in his sport. Obiena is also entitled to additional incentives after setting a new meet record with his 5.91-meter clearance. The Philippines finished in 17th place at the Asiad with four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes which translate to P23.4 million in cash incentives. Meanwhile, Team Philippines coaches will also receive cash incentives amounting to half of the incentives of the athletes they coached or trained. Under Section 9 of Republic Act 10699, coaches are entitled to cash incentives “if they have personally trained and rendered service to the athletes or teams who win in international competitions at least six months prior to the international competition.” In Yulo's case, coach Aldrin Castaneda will receive P2 million.

PH posts best Asiad haul in 60 years

Oct 5, 2026

TEAM Philippines secured its most impressive overall medal tally in six decades at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, finishing with 29 total medals consisting of four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes. This stands as the nation’s highest overall medal haul since capturing 42 medals at the 1966 Bangkok Games. Historically, the Philippines achieved its all-time best performances during the 1954 Manila Games with a 14-14-17 medal spread and the 1958 Tokyo Games with eight golds, 19 silvers, and 20 bronzes. Fielding a 447-athlete delegation — the country’s largest representation since sending 524 competitors to the 1994 Hiroshima Games — the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) aimed to break through the four-gold threshold. The national team matched its four-gold performances from both the 2018 Jakarta and 2022 Hangzhou Games. Addressing public criticisms over the outcome, PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio clarified that the target of eight golds was set as an inspiring challenge rather than a firm performance guarantee. He emphasized the value of the team’s achievements, noting that silver finishes represent near-gold performances and urging observers to recognize the significant number of silver medals won. “That silver is also a gold; we were just unlucky. But the silver, if you compute it. And the thing that we’re talking about the eight golds ... We should also count how many silvers we got,” Gregorio said. “Once a sportsman, always a sportsman. The bashing is part of the culture and social media; it does not only happen in the Philippines, but in the entire world,” he added. The 2026 campaign featured several notable milestones alongside narrow misses. The nine silver medals collected in Aichi-Nagoya equaled the nation’s silver medal record previously set at the 1970 Bangkok Games. The delegation came closest to grabbing its fifth gold on the final day of competition on Oct. 3, when Alexandria Luz Enriquez advanced to the finals of the women’s under-63 kilogram jiu-jitsu event, though she fell short against Thailand’s Orapa Senatham in a tightly contested bout. This achievement builds upon a long history of Asian Games participation. Following strong shows in the 1970s — including 22 medals in Bangkok 1970 and 14 apiece in Tehran 1974, Bangkok 1978, and Bangkok 1982 — the Philippines recorded steady tallies across subsequent decades. The country gathered 18 medals at New Delhi 1982, 10 at Seoul 1986, 13 at Beijing 1990, 18 at Hiroshima 1994, and 26 at both Bangkok 1998 and Busan 2002. Leading into the current era, the nation captured 19 medals at Doha 2006, 16 at Guangzhou 2010, 15 at Incheon 2014, 21 at Jakarta 2018, and 18 at Hangzhou 2022 before reaching its 60-year high in 2026.

Oct 5, 2026

Eala out of WTA Finals contention

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala is already eliminated from WTA Finals contention after skipping the WTA 1000 China Open for the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Currently at No. 17, an “X” is already placed next to Eala’s name in the WTA live race Monday, signifying that she’s no longer in contention for the season-ending event. The WTA Finals is slated from Nov. 8 to 15 in Indian Wells. World No. 18 Eala missed out on precious China Open ranking points to play for the Philippines in the Asiad, where she made a semifinal finish for a bronze medal. The decision to skip China Open ensured that Eala won’t reach the top eight in the cutoff deadline on Nov. 1. Sporting 2,181 points this season, Eala is 2,173 behind current No. 8 Linda Noskova who holds 4,354 as of posting time. Even if Eala joined the China Open, it would have been improbable for her to overtake Noskova. Overtaking the Czech netter meant that the Filipino player would need to go deep in the tournament while the former would need to make a quick exit. Then, that scenario would have needed to repeat at the Wuhan Open — the last 1000 event of the year — for Eala to truly close the gap and give herself a fighting chance to take the No. 8 spot. A quick exit in China would have quickly eliminated Eala from the WTA Finals contention anyway. Even world No. 14 Diana Shnaider got booted out after reaching the third round in Beijing, giving her a total of 2,408 only which is even 227 higher than Eala’s total points. Taking this to account, Eala’s decision to skip China for the Asiad proved sound albeit she will suffer fines and likely be disqualified for season-ending bonuses. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina (7,492) and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenaka (6,485) are so far the only players who have qualified for the WTA Finals, which has a 5,915-point qualification cut. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula (5,825), No. 4 Mirra Andreeva (5,722), and No. 5 Coco Gauff (5,654) are closing in on the threshold. World No. 6 Elina Svitonlina (4,809), No. 7 Karolina Muchova (4,400), No. 8 Noskova (4,234), No. 9 Marta Kostyuk (3,910), and No. 10 Iga Swiatek (3,584) are within striking distance.

Oct 5, 2026

PBA adjusts schedule for Gilas’ FIBA bid

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to the national cause, adjusting its calendar to support Gilas Pilipinas in their quest to secure a berth in the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Currently in the final leg of a two-month conference break, the pro league suspended action to allow national team players to compete in two major international tournaments: the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Season 50 Governors’ Cup is set to resume on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to complete the elimination round and quarterfinal phase. However, the PBA will take another scheduled hiatus shortly after to give Gilas ample time to prepare for the fifth window of the Asian Qualifiers in late November, where the Philippines will face Syria and Iran in Seremban, Malaysia. These calendar sacrifices come on the heels of momentum-building home victories against Jordan and Iran during the August window at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Playing without injured naturalized star Justin Brownlee, Gilas leaned heavily on the return of 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto, who anchored the team with solid averages of 15.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. The Philippines currently holds a 4-4 record in Group E, trailing leaders Australia (8-0), New Zealand (6-2), as well as Iran and Jordan (both 5-3). With only the top three teams per group and the best fourth-placed team qualifying for the World Cup, every remaining window is critical. To accommodate these international commitments while keeping its three-conference format intact, the league is looking at tighter timelines for next season. PBA Commissioner Willy Marcial revealed that Season 51 is targeted to open in February 2026, following the Rookie Draft on Jan. 17, but side events like out-of-town games and the annual All-Star Weekend may be sidelined to fit the calendar before December 2027. All proposed schedule adjustments remain subject to final approval by the PBA Board of Governors.

Tiongson signs 2-year extension deal with ROS

Oct 5, 2026

STOCKY Fil-American forward Caelan Tiongson has signed a two-year extension deal with Rain or Shine, assuring the Elasto Painters of a solid front court player through 2029. The 6-foot-4 Tiongson inked his fresh two-year extension deal in the presence of ROS team governor Atty. Mamerto Mondragon, and accompanied by player agent Marvin Espiritu. The team made its official announcement via its social media platform. Terms of the deal was not disclosed. Tiongson, selected seventh overall in the PBA 2024 Rookie Draft, has been providing a solid inside presence and lockdown defender for coach Yeng Guiao in his first two seasons in the league. The former La Verne and Biola U standout averaged over 10 points and four rebounds in the Season 50 Governors’ Cup, where Rain or Shine currently leads Group B of the team standings with its 4-2 record. Tiongson’s re-signing assures Guiao of an intact front court, as the team also locked in 6-foot-8 Luis Villegas to a fresh two-year deal last week. Tiongson, along with Villegas and injured Keith Datu form Rain or Shine’s new front court under Guiao, who is looking to steer the franchise back to the finals this conference since the team won its last PBA title in the 2016 Commissioner’s Cup.