BEIJING — Novak Djokovic advanced to the China Open final on Monday after Daniil Medvedev was disqualified late in the second set, when a ball that came off the Russian’s racquet hit a spectator. A man sitting in the stands behind Medvedev’s side of the court was seen holding his face and escorted from his seat after being hit, as Djokovic was serving for the match with the score at 7-5, 5-3. Eleventh-ranked Djokovic will play world No. 9 Alex de Minaur for the title Tuesday in Beijing. The Australian had advanced over Hubert Hurkacz after the 29-year-old from Poland retired from their semifinal with an adductor muscle strain. Medvedev’s disqualification arose from a moment deep in the match. When he failed to return a point, the ball bounced off the back wall and Medvedev hit it with a backhand up into the stands, with the chair umpire stopping play. “Terribly sorry to the spectator, first of all,” he told reporters afterwards, adding it was “100 percent an accident” and that he wished to apologize to the fan in person. “The ball was bouncing back, so I tried to, like, just hit it anywhere, so it doesn’t go out from the court,” he said. It had been a physical battle before Medvedev’s disqualification. Djokovic was red-faced and hunched over between points, with both players forcing each other through grueling rallies, until the Serbian took control in the second set. The 39-year-old put on a dazzling performance and saved 16 break points across the match, diving at the baseline and sprinting to the net. “I didn’t see what happened, to be honest,” Djokovic told the crowd after the fan was hit. “I’m sure that Daniil didn’t ... do it intentionally. It happened by accident. Sorry for the crowd,” he said, adding that it had been a tough contest. “I know the feeling,” Djokovic told reporters later, recounting his own disqualifica- tion from the 2020 US Open after accidentally hitting a ball at a line judge. “It’s horrible ... but it happens,” he said. Although Djokovic was three points away from winning the match, he said victory wouldn’t have come easy and that he got “lucky” in a “very exhausting” battle. ‘Gave everything’ In the women’s draw, third-seeded Coco Gauff dispatched Chinese teenager Sun Xinran, 7-5, 6-1, to secure a meeting with Belgium’s Elise Mertens in the round of 16. “Today was really just about feeling,” said the 22-year-old American, adding that it could be tough to play young players with styles largely unknown. “I was just trying not to get frustrated out there,” Gauff added, with a loud crowd behind the 16-year-old. Former world No. 1 Iga Swiatek staged a comeback to advance, dominating a must-win tie-break to beat Croatia’s Donna Vekic, 4-6, 7-6 (7/0), 6-2. “I was just angry, wanted to change something, because clearly it wasn’t working,” the 25-year-old from Poland said on court. “Sometimes if you care a bit less because you’re ... probably going to lose, it also helps you a bit,” she told reporters. She will face American teenager Iva Jovic for a spot in the quarterfinals. China’s Zheng Qinwen was tested by Marie Bouzkova, enduring her third three-setter of the tournament to beat the Czech player, 7-6 (7/3), 4-6, 7-5. She pulled out some of her most accurate tennis to clinch the last two games and win when 27th-ranked Bouzkova fired long. “I gave everything,” said Zheng, who had already spent more than five hours on court in the first two rounds. “Truthfully speaking, I felt a lot of pressure today,” the 23-year-old told her home crowd, thanking fans for their support. Zheng, the current world No. 54, next plays 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva, who s e n t o u t top seed Elena Rybakina in the second round.

NEW YORK — The NBA is experimenting with two pieces of technology in the leadup to the season, the league announced Monday (Tuesday in Manila). 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.

MANILA, Philippines — Hockey Philippines on Monday said they are looking for a new head coach for their national team. Earlier this year, Czech coach Václav Drábek coached the men’s national team to a winless campaign at the recent International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) World Championships Division 3B in Hong Kong. Drábek replaced Finnish mentor Juhani Ijäs only last February, before the country’s campaign in the recent world championships. “Hockey Philippines is looking for a dedicated and qualified Ice Hockey Coach to join our program,” the federation said. “We are seeking someone who can bring strong leadership, technical expertise, and a commitment to developing our athletes and growing Philippine ice hockey,” it added. The national team was supposed to be relegated to Division IV for 2027, but remained in division 3B because the lower division did not play their divisional tournament because of the ongoing war in the Middle East.

NAGOYA, Japan — The 20th Asian Games were a blur, a sports kaleidoscope of 45 countries and regions that went dark on Sunday, closed officially by Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al Thani, the president of the Olympic Council of Asia. The games featured about 11,000 athletes — more than the Summer Olympics two years ago in Paris. And now they head west to Doha, Qatar, in 2030. This will be a homecoming. Sheikh Joaan is a Qatari, a younger brother of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Tamim bin Al Thani. Amid the whirlwind of 43 sports — there were many regional specialties featured like kurash, kabaddi and sepaktakraw — the games provided a glimpse at many top athletes who will compete again in two years at the Los Angeles Olympics. China topped the medal table as it has for decades with 169 gold and 341 overall. Japan was second with 83 gold and 269 overall. South Korea (39, 150) was next followed by India (21, 85), Uzbekistan (21, 70) and Iran (19, 52). Forty of the 45 countries or regions won at least one medal. The bottom four won only a single bronze medal: Bangladesh, Brunei, Laos and Syria. Athletes to watch in Olympics Japanese 17-year-old Shin Ohashi set a swimming world record in the 200-meter breaststroke (2 minutes, 4.83 seconds), the first to swim under 2:05. Also in the pool, Chinese 13-year-old female Yu Zidi won the 200 butterfly and the 200 and 400 medley relays. Organizers named her the female MVP of the event. Zhang Zhanshou was the other prominent Chinese swimmer, a freestyler who won seven gold medals. The male MVP was track and field sprinter Puripol Boonson of Thailand, who clocked 9.90 in the 100 and 19.88 in the 200. India defeated bitter rival Pakistan for gold in men’s cricket, and South Korea’s men won both the baseball and soccer gold. That granted team members an exemption from mandatory military service at home. Tom Kim also picked up the exemption, taking men’s singles golf. Mixed martial arts also debuted, without the cage and with fighters wearing gloves and shin pads. Proponents talk of a long-shot to land in the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia. Organizers offer defense Organizers and the OCA offered an aggressive defense of the games, which were dotted with glitches and larger mistakes. Japanese organizers put on what they termed “sustainable” games — no athletes village, lodging for athletes on a cruise ship, in hotels and in temporary containers. The transportation system was also stressed by venues that stretched from Nagoya, the host city, across central Japan. Swimming was in Tokyo with some soccer in Osaka. Despite the focus on austerity and “no white-elephants,” organizers and the OCA added a half-dozen sports to the program. They planned for 15,000 athletes and officials, but they said 17,000 arrived through late registrations. To cram in more sports, organizers began the basketball competition on Sept. 10, nine days before the official opening. The Olympics often do the same, starting two or three days ahead — but not nine. “We had some delays of buses and we’d like to apologize for that,” Hideaki Omura, the governor of Aichi prefecture and the head of the organizing committee, said Sunday. He described the event as having faced “huge challenges.” Some of the glitches included buses heading to the wrong destination, the North Korean anthem played at a field hockey match between South Korea and Bangladesh, and an initial scramble to find beds for all 17,000 officials and athletes. As is usual at large events, audible complaints seemed to fall off once the event got rolling and the sports took over. Fallout from Tokyo Games Nagoya was awarded this event in 2016 — before Covid-19 and before the Tokyo Olympics were delayed until 2021. Japan officially spent $13 billion on the Tokyo Games although a government report said the real number might be twice that much, Nagoya organizers in 2016 announced a budget of roughly $650 million, but late in 2025 they said the budget had swollen to about $2.5 billion — almost four times as much. The Japanese advertising giant Dentsu, convicted of bid-rigging connected to the Tokyo Olympics, was kept out of bidding on contracts for the Asian Games. Dentsu has wide experience running large sports events and lining up sponsors. “Yes, the organizing committee had challenges,” said Husain Al Musallam, the director general of the OCA. “But our duty and responsibility as leaders was to work hard with the organizing committee, to help Japan demonstrate to the world that Japan can deliver.”

Rising fencing star Harris Ho Shing-him said for the coming Youth Olympic Games he only had one goal in mind: to win the gold medal. Hong Kong have never won any individual gold medals at the Youth Olympic Games since their inception in 2010, and while teenager Ho had “no idea” who he might face in the capital city of Senegal, he was determined to succeed. “I had a one-week break after the Asian Games and that’s enough for me. I am ready to get going again,” the 17-year-old said. “I am confident...

Lionel Messi will pull on Argentina’s sky blue-and-white jersey for the last time on Tuesday and enjoy an emotional farewell in front of his adoring fans in a stadium with a name to match his legacy: Monumental. Some 85,000 Argentina fans will be on hand to watch the 39-year-old idol perform his wizardry in a friendly against Benin that brings down the curtain on his 21-year international career. Millions more will be following the action in South America’s largest arena, Buenos Aires’...

Jay Rooney KWAI CHUNG TALENTS - R6 (10) Second on return and looks poised to break through   Owen Goulding AURIO - R9 (1) Ran huge on return and looks primed for an overdue win with Purton up   Paul Lally KWAI CHUNG TALENTS - R6 (10) Looks ready to win after last-start second first-up   Phillip Woo KWAI CHUNG TALENTS - R6 (10) Can go one better than promising return second   Trackwork Spy DARYL FLASH - R7 (11) Bumped into one on return and looks set to go one better off light weight   Racing...

After a woeful 0-3 start in the NCAA Season 102, Mapua University has now rolled to its third straight win with a gritty 89-84 overtime win against Emilio Aguinaldo College on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines -- Mapua University outlasted Emilio Aguinaldo College in overtime, 89-84, at the San Juan Arena Tuesday to roll to its third straight win in the NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament. Russel Liwanag delivered on a wide open layup after the Cardinals got past the Generals' full-court press with five seconds left. Liwanag then stole the ball from Jude Bagay on the other end to seal the win for Mapua, which elevated to 3-3 for fourth place in Group A. Cyrus Cuenco poured 28 points, four rebounds, and four assists for the Cardinals, who failed to finish off the Generals in regulation but proved steady in overtime especially with a 9-0 opening run. EJ Castillo pumped 19 points and three rebounds for EAC, which 2-game win run got snapped to fall to 2-4 in fourth place in Group B.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   Mapua def. EAC in OT (89-84) Cyrus Cuenco Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

Senator Bam Aquino has filed a resolution seeking to honor Filipino gymnastics star Carlos Yulo for his double-gold showing at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan.

Jorn Andersen was on the brink of a sensational return as Hong Kong head coach earlier this year, only for talks to collapse and pave the way for interim boss Roberto Losada’s permanent appointment. Enormously popular with supporters after ending the city team’s 55-year wait to reach a major tournament at the last Asian Cup finals, Andersen ultimately accepted a “great offer” from Myanmar back in July. He had been unemployed for two months after leaving Yunnan Yukun when the local football...

Elite Hong Kong athletes Ryan Choi Chun-yin and Vincent Ho Chak-yiu have been named among the recipients of this year’s Ten Outstanding Young Persons award. The pair have represented the city at home and abroad over the past several months, with Choi winning two silver medals at the Asian Games last month, in the men’s individual foil and men’s team foil categories. Ho, meanwhile, captained Hong Kong’s first ever Shergar Cup team to an impressive second place at Ascot in August and is the first...

Lawrence Mangubat once again showed why Jose Rizal University can count on him regardless of the circumstance, lifting the Heavy Bombers to a nail-biting 64-62 escape in NCAA Season 102 on Tuesday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

ROME — Tennis world number one Jannik Sinner has brought a premature end to his season due to a knee injury, the Italian announced on Tuesday. "Me, together with the doctors, have decided that I need a course of treatment for my knee, which means that the 2026 season is officially over," Sinner said in a video posted on social media. The 25-year-old's announcement came just over a month before he was due to defend his crown at the ATP Finals in Turin. Sinner had finished the previous two seasons on a high by winning in Turin, leading to "so many beautiful feelings and emotions," he said. "This year is going to be way different," he acknowledged. "But at the moment, I also need to think about my long-term career." He has had an impressive, if injury-hit season, winning Wimbledon in July and five Masters 1000 events. He has won all six finals he has played in this year. The Italian's 94 percent winning record in 2026 is the best of his career, even beating his figures from the previous two seasons in each of which he won two Grand Slams and the ATP Finals. A statement from Sinner's management team said that he would "follow a course of treatment for inflammation in his knee," which would help him "to recover before beginning preparations for 2027."

MANILA, Philippines -- Jose Rizal University escaped Arellano University, 64-62, at the San Juan Arena Tuesday to take its second straight win in the NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament. The Heavy Bombers went on a 6-0 finishing kick capped by a Chris Hubilla split from the line to seize a 2-point lead with four seconds left. Sebastian Valencia tried to it for the Chiefs but missed his triple, and Renzo Abiera's putback did not count as time already expired. Lawrence Mangubat led JRU with 14 points including the trey that pulled his team within one, 61-62, in the last 19 seconds. Mangubat added nine rebounds and three steals to his name. JRU improved to 4-1 to solidify its hold of the second spot in Group A, while Arellano suffered its second straight loss for a 4-2 card which remains the best in Group B.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   JRU def. Arellano (64-62) Lawrence Mangubat Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

Douglas Whyte is adamant Live Wire will handle the rise to Class Three when the progressive sprinter chases a third consecutive win at Happy Valley on Wednesday night. After returning with a dominant all-the-way success last month, the Tassort four-year-old will make the leap from Class Four in the first section of the Yip Fat Handicap (1,200m). Live Wire has always shown potential and delivered on that at his seventh career start, scoring narrowly at the city circuit at the end of last...

Gilas Pilipinas Girls secured their maiden win in the 2026 FIBA U18 Asia Cup Division A after a thrilling 69-64 win over New Zealand on Tuesday at the Karisma Arena in Malaysia.

MANILA, Philippines — Basketball has always been a game of nerves especially in college sport. Fans shout. Students and alumni taunt. School bands make noise. And when an opposing player goes to the free-throw line, the crowd does everything make him lose his concentration and miss the shot But the antics seen during Monday’s NCAA senior basketball match between the San Beda Red Lions and the Letran Knights raise a different question: When does cheering stop being part of the game and become an attempt to interfere with it? Members of the San Beda pep squad were seen on TV behind the Letran basket spinning giant red-and-black spiral boards whenever Letran players shoot free . San Beda eventually won, 74-65, in overtime. The incident has since drawn attention even the day after the match because the display appeared to be deliberate. The issue was the use by San Beda supporters of large, spinning objects directly in the shooter's line of sight. Under FIBA rules, not every form of crowd distraction is prohibited. Basketball crowds are expected to be loud, and there is nothing unusual about fans trying to rattle and distract an opposing player. The rules, however, do address conduct such as excessive taunting and attempts by participants to obstruct an opponent's vision. Those provisions primarily apply to players, coaches and other persons covered by the playing rules, rather than ordinary spectators. And that is where the San Beda incident gets interesting. The people allegedly behind the antic were reportedly members of the Red Corps, an organized cheering group of San Beda University. Whether its actions are covered by a specific NCAA rule is a matter for the league to determine. What does the NCAA rulebook say? This is where some caution is needed. FIBA rules cannot simply be imposed on the NCAA. The international federation itself makes clear that its rules are different from those used by the NCAA which has its own rules and policies. There is no publicly available NCAA provision that specifically says a cheering squad cannot spin large objects behind the basket during a free throw. So it would be premature to declare outright that San Beda violated an NCAA rule. But that does not mean the league has no reason to look into it. The NCAA has dealt with spectator-related incidents before and has made clear that conduct inside the playing venue can be subject to league action. The question in this case is whether an organized cheering activity crossed the line from enthusiastic support into deliberate interference with play. That is a judgment for NCAA officials. Interestingly, the NCAA in the United States has specific guidelines governing cheering squads during basketball games. Those guidelines regulate where cheerleaders and mascots may position themselves and include restrictions designed to prevent them from obstructing the view of players, spectators and others. There are also restrictions on spirit squads standing during free-throw attempts. Again to clarify, those are not Philippine NCAA rules  and should not be treated as such. But it shows that collegiate basketball leagues can draw a line between ordinary cheering and that may be worth considering. Did the spinners affect Letran's shooting? There is no evidence that they did. No player, coach or league official made it an issue. Letran shot just 11-of-27 from the free-throw line, while Letran’s star player, Titing Manalili made only one of seven attempts. Manalili did not blame the Red Corps for his misses. He acknowledged that free-throw shooting was something the team needed to work on. And that is probably the right way to look at it. The question is not whether the spinning images caused Letran’s players to miss their shots. The question is whether that kind of fan distraction should be allowed . Noise is a type of distraction. Visual interference is another. Many years back and especially during crucial matches, supporters of opposing teams buy ringside tickets for seats behind their rival team’s bench where scantily-clad women were made to sit and deliberately distract players There is nothing wrong with a student section trying to get inside an opponent's head. That is part of college basketball. San Beda and Letran have been doing this to each other for generations. The rivalry is built on emotion, school pride and, at times, a fair amount of psychological warfare. But there is a difference between screaming from the stands and deliberately placing a large moving object behind the basket while an opposing player is trying to shoot. One is noise. The other is visual distraction. And if such tactics become accepted, it is not difficult to imagine where they could lead — bigger objects, more elaborate props and increasingly aggressive attempts to disrupt an opponent's concentration. That is why the NCAA may want to take a closer look, even if it ultimately decides that no rule was broken. The league may need to draw the line The San Beda-Letran incident may be nothing more than an unusually creative example of school spirit. But it has also exposed a gray area in the rules. The NCAA does not need to take the fun out of cheering. Nor should every unusual act by a student section be treated as misconduct. What it may need, however, is a clearer standard on organized cheering activities during live play — particularly those conducted by school-affiliated groups and aimed directly at an opposing player. The league's own emphasis on competition, sportsmanship and the values of collegiate athletics makes the discussion worthwhile. After all, home-court advantage should mean having the louder crowd, not necessarily having a moving target behind the basket. The Red Corps may have found a clever way to test an opponent's concentration. Now the NCAA may have to decide whether it wants that tactic to become part of the game. [The author, former managing editor of The Manila Times, covered the NCAA as campus sportswriter for both Letran and San Beda.]

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine athletics team is no longer hesitant to compete at the highest level of international competition. With the Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) ramping up its investment in development programs, the national team is poised to become highly competitive in the Asian arena and a consistent qualifier in future world championships. The optimism follows a strong campaign at the recently concluded 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, where Ernest John "EJ" Obiena successfully retained his title plus a record-breaking feat and the team added two more bronze medals. Building on that momentum, PATAFA is now setting its sights on more victories at next year's Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia and on qualifying more athletes for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. "We are no longer skeptical to compete at a high level because we have already gained confidence in our capabilities," PATAFA President Terry Capistrano said. "The future is getting brighter. We already have a number of potential stars, and some of them have already stepped up to the challenge." Obiena, one of the country's most decorated athletes, secured back-to-back Asian Games gold medals in the men's pole vault after shattering the Asiad record with a clearance of 5.91 meters. Newcomer Victoria Bossong impressed in her Asian Games debut by clinching bronze in the women's 800 meters, while John Cabang Tolentino added another bronze in the men's 110m hurdles. Their combined effort helped the Philippines surpass its medal output from the Hangzhou Asian Games three years ago, where the country settled for a single gold. The future appears even brighter with a new wave of young talents emerging. Among them are Naomi Cesar, the 800m gold medalist at the 2025 Bangkok SEA Games, fellow SEA Games champion Hussein Lorana, and Pi Durden Wangkay, who topped the 200m at the Asian Youth Games. All are expected to be strong medal prospects in the coming years. "Satisfied? No, not quite. While this is the best showing since 1982, we really think we could have done better. We're hoping to see improvement in every competition," Capistrano said. "Next year will mark the start of Olympic qualifying and the SEA Games. I'm confident Bossong will be formidable there," he added. Capistrano also expressed gratitude to the ICTSI Foundation and Bloomberry for their unwavering support for the athletes and for PATAFA's grassroots and elite development programs. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — The NBA on Disney+ 2026–27 season starts here! Disney+ Philippines brought The Plus Side of Basketball closer to Filipino fans by welcoming ESPN NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon to Manila on October 5 for the Manila stop of The Hoop Collective World Tour.  The special event celebrated the start of the new NBA season on Disney+ and gave fans the chance to connect with the voices behind the game through a live podcast recording and special fan experiences. Hosted by Windhorst, The Hoop Collective podcast features candid conversations, expert analysis, and insider perspectives on the NBA’s biggest stories.  The highlight of the event was a live recording of The Hoop Collective, featuring Philippine basketball icon Jimmy Alapag as special guest. The former Gilas Pilipinas team captain, PBA MVP, and current head coach of the NLEX Road Warriors has also previously served as the player development coach for the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Windhorst, MacMahon, and Alapag engaged in an in-depth conversation on Filipinos’ love for basketball, their experiences in the NBA, and the upcoming NBA season on Disney+.  Prior to the live podcast recording, Windhorst led a sports journalism masterclass for student journalists from key universities across the Philippines. The session covered sports reporting, game analysis, and storytelling, offering participants insights into how journalists prepare for games and bring the stories behind the action to audiences. “When I came to Manila in 2023, I was energized by the passion of Filipino basketball fans and how much they understood the nuances of the game. As soon as I left, I said I wanted to come back and engage with the fans. The fact that Disney+ is where you get the NBA in the Philippines, it’s such a great opportunity for us to come together and promote it,” Windhorst shared. “I’m glad we could bring The Hoop Collective to Manila and be part of that experience as the new NBA season gets underway.”  The Hoop Collective in Manila marks the start of Disney+ Philippines’ “The Plus Side” campaign, bringing fans closer to the NBA as the new season approaches. The 2026–27 NBA season officially tips off on October 22, when fans in the Philippines can stream the NBA on Disney+.  The October 22 NBA Tip-Off on Disney+ opens with a double-header featuring the Minnesota Timberwolves VS Miami Heat at 7:30 AM, followed by the Golden State Warriors VS Los Angeles Lakers marquee game at 10:00 AM. The hardcourt action continues on October 23 with Cleveland Cavaliers VS Philadelphia 76ers at 7:00 AM and Denver Nuggets VS Oklahoma City Thunder at 9:30 AM. Alongside live games, Disney+ Philippines’ ESPN coverage and analysis include Inside the NBA, NBA Today, and NBA Countdown, providing more ways to follow the players, teams, and stories shaping the season. The NBA Tip-Off and all the other NBA on Disney+ games will be available on the new Disney+ app. Download the new app on App Store and Play Store starting October 7. For the full NBA on Disney+ game schedule and updates, visit www.disney.ph/NBA and follow Disney+ Philippines on social media. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Tim Cone is expecting a solid Gilas Pilipinas roster by the time the national team resumes its training in preparation for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers in November. The presence of young big men Kai Sotto, Quentin Millora-Brown and Mike Philips though remains uncertain at the moment, at least, based on Cone’s recent dealing with them or their handlers. “Nothing is ever sure, as we have learned over the last couple of years, but we certainly are expecting them to be available,” Cone told The Manila Times on Monday. Nonetheless, the American said under the ideal circumstances, the three bigs, along with Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu, who plays in Japan, along with Kevin Quiambao and Carl Tamayo, who sees action in the Korean Basketball League should be available by the November window. “Yes, of course. The Korean and Japan leagues are required to release their players for the Windows (and all FIBA sponsored events). The Asian Games was not a FIBA event,” he added. Cone had all sorts of chemistry problems during Gilas’ recent Asian Games stint in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan as Sotto and Co. weren’t there to help the Philippines defend its basketball crown. The result was a 1-2 ledger in the group stage, getting whacked by China by 44 points in the final day of the preliminary round that ousted Gilas from the knockout phase. But knowing Cone, the American coach is now training his sights on keeping the momentum going for Gilas heading to its showdown with Syria on Nov. 27, followed by Iran on Nov. 30 in Seremban, Malaysia in the fifth window. The Philippines will enter the November window with a 4-4 record in Group E, behind Australia’s immaculate 8-0 card, New Zealand (6-2) and Iran as well as Jordan (5-3). Cone admitted the windows in November and even the one in February 2027 are crucial games for Gilas in its bid to punch a ticket to the FIBA World Cup next year in Doha, Qatar. Only the top three teams per group and the best fourth-placed team will advance to the World Cup. -  The Philippine team won its most recent home games in the fourth window, beating  Jordan and Iran at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The 7-3 Sotto played a big role in the twin victories after averaging solid stats line of 15.5 points, 15 rebounds and three assists

Aston Villa goalkeeper Zion Suzuki said he is confident Japan can win next year’s Asian Cup and thinks his “very bad” performances were responsible for their quarter-final exit two years ago. Suzuki, who has impressed in the Premier League since joining Villa in the summer, made a string of mistakes at the 2024 Asian Cup in Qatar as Japan were bundled out in the last eight by Iran. But he believes he is a better player this time around and backed Japan to end their 16-year wait for the...

BRISBANE, Australia — The cockatoo has won out over the kangaroo, the koala and the bin chicken to become the emblem of the 2032 Olympics and Paralympics — after a bit of an embarrassing social media leak. It's now official. Days after officials in Brisbane were forced to hold a hastily-convened news conference to explain the accidental leaking of the emblem ahead of schedule, the 2032 organizing committee held an official launch on Monday. The Olympic emblem is the crest of a pink cockatoo, an Australian bird, with the color stylized to resemble an Olympic and Paralympic flame, and a shape to resemble the host state of Queensland. Brisbane's Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner on Monday said the emblems "are a celebration of our city, our lifestyle." "They reflect the Brisbane (that) people know and love: vibrant, resilient, connected, friendly, playful and a little bit cheeky," Schrinner said. "They are also a symbol of the excitement building across our city. "With just under six years to go, we are already preparing to welcome the world to Australia's lifestyle capital." Organizers said First Nations elements were contained within the emblems, with "cockatoos seen as messengers carrying cultural meaning and linking people to place, story and ceremony." The emblems are separate to the Games mascot, which will be revealed closer to the Games. An explainer video meant to go live after a planned ceremonial event briefly appeared on the event's YouTube channel on Friday night. Screenshots of images and text soon circulated on social media. Brisbane 2032 vice president Tim Mander and chief marketing officer Brent Hill told the weekend news conference the accidental release was a pleasant surprise. Hill embraced the unexpected opportunity, saying "the publicity has been incredible." Ahead of the community launch Monday evening in the downtown Southbank parklands, Brisbane 2032 chairman Andrew Liveris said the "emblems are an opportunity to promote the unique character of a Games, inviting the world to learn more, visit, invest and be part of an event unlike any other." Lachlan Kennedy, the Brisbane sprinter who set an Australian record for the 100 meters when he ran 9.85 seconds at the Commonwealth Games at Glasgow in July, attended the emblem lauch and told local TV broadcasters: "I love it. I think it represents Brisbane well." "It's unique," he said, "I think it's got soul to it." For Mikaela Cojuangco Jaworski, who heads the IOC's coordination commission for the 2032 Games, the emblems represented a "vibrant expression" of the nature and character of the region. The Olympics and Paralympics will be centered on the state capital, Brisbane, but cities across the state, including the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast, will host competitions. Australia has twice previously hosted the Summer Olympics, at Melbourne in 1956 and at Sydney in 2000. The Sydney emblem design contained representations of famous landmarks including the Sydney Opera House, the city's famous harbor and beaches, as well as boomerangs, sun and rocks.

Aldous Torculas isn't exactly a stranger to big moments. But being the one to take the biggest shot when the game is on the line is unfamiliar territory for the high-flying forward.

MANILA, Philippines -- 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 5.91m 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 2-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."

MANILA, Philippines – Following her official appointment as Global Sports Ambassador, IAM Worldwide has launched its newest commercial starring global pickleball sensation and undisputed World No. 1 Anna Leigh Waters.  The campaign spotlights the multi-titled champion promoting the IAM Amazing Organic Barley Gummies, reinforcing the connection between elite athletic performance and accessible daily nutrition. The launch arrives as pickleball continues its meteoric rise as the world's fastest-growing sport. Sweeping across continents from North America to Asia, the paddle sport has transcended casual recreational play to become a global cultural phenomenon.  The Philippines has rapidly emerged as a key epicenter for pickleball in Southeast Asia. Across Metro Manila and key regions, the sport’s accessible, fast-paced, and highly social nature has ignited a nationwide obsession, with dedicated complexes opening nationwide and thousands of local "picklers" joining the movement. In the playful yet high-energy commercial, Waters is seen engaging in a competitive pickleball rally against a cute, animated IAM Gummy Bear, highlighting the dynamic blend of high-level athletic performance and recreational fun.  But beyond the playful action, the 60 seconder also reflects the mental fortitude and physical drive required for Waters to remain at the very top of her sport.  The campaign’s messaging centers on conquering the unexpected and turning constant effort into physical strength, emphasizing how optimal energy, immunity, and stamina allow athletes to dominate every game while having fun along the way.  As the face of the brand's athletic push, Waters officially champions the IAM Amazing Organic Barley Gummies. Designed to deliver natural vitality and physical support in a convenient, daily format, the product is tailored for both high-performing athletes and everyday sports enthusiasts.  Through the campaign, Waters aims to inspire pickleball hopefuls and active individuals across the globe to prioritize physical well-being. Together, IAM Worldwide and Anna Leigh Waters continue to advocate a vital message: a truly "wealthy" life is one where wealth is determined by health. "We are beyond thrilled to showcase Anna Leigh Waters in our latest product campaign," stated IAM Worldwide in an official release. "Anna Leigh represents the absolute pinnacle of dedication, athletic achievement, and integrity. Her mindset perfectly mirrors our belief that real success is built on a foundation of health and purpose. Having her represent our flagship barley line of products led by the IAM Amazing Organic Barley Gummies will inspire young athletes to prioritize their physical well-being as they chase their dreams." The debut of the commercial marks another major milestone for IAM Worldwide as it expands its global footprint, bridging the gap between elite sports excellence and everyday healthy habits. The new commercial is now available to watch across IAM Worldwide's official social media channels, including Instagram (@iamworldwideofficial) and Facebook (@iamworldwideofficialfb). Waters is also scheduled to appear live in Manila for a press conference this October presented by Franklin Sports and IAM Worldwide. TMT

WASHINGTON, D.C. — NHL all-time scoring leader Alex Ovechkin said Monday that the current season will be his last in the North American ice hockey league. The Russian superstar left wing is in his 22nd season with the Washington Capitals, the team he has represented ever since arriving in the United States in 2005. Ovechkin, 41, shared the decision first with his teammates in the locker room in a video shared by the Capitals on Monday. "This is going my last year... it's very important (for) guys to know first. And yeah, it's sad, but you know, it is what it is," said captain Ovechkin. In a statement, Ovechkin said he and his family had decided over the summer that it was time to call time on his NHL career at the end of this season. "I love this game so much, but I know in my heart it's the right decision," he said. "It was important for me to make this announcement before our first home game, so I have the chance to thank all the people around the game, everyone who has been so important to me and my family and helped me through good times and tough losses." Ovechkin captained the Capitals to their first Stanley Cup championship in 2018. His 929 goals and 141 game-winning goals rank first in NHL history. Ovechkin has also recorded 759 assists. He is closing in on Wayne Gretzky's combined tally of 1,016 regular season plus playoff goals, needing to score just 11 more to overtake the great Canadian. Ovechkin sparked controversy this past off-season by appearing in a Russian political video backing President Vladimir Putin ahead of elections, but later told reporters he had no hesitation in making the video for the United Russia Party. "They asked me to do that. I said yes. So, simple as that," Ovechkin said. "I'm Russian. I support my country." Ovechkin's appearance in the video drew harsh criticism from some, with US Representative Joe Wilson calling on the NHL to review Ovechkin's involvement in the clip. "The thing about video, I'm Russian," Ovechkin said. "As soon as I'm done playing hockey, I'm probably going to stay there. I'm going to live there. My kids are going to live there. Family. "I'm for peace and love and I hope everything is going to be OK. My home is Russia and DC is my second home."

MANILA, Philippines — Fresh off her 2026 Asian Games stint, Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala had her first-ever experience attending a runway show in Paris, attending the Chanel Spring/Summer Season 27 on Oct. 5 at the Grand Palais exhibition space in France. The 21-year-old Eala relished her experience in watching the pieces of Matthieu Blazy in real life.  “I’m in awe; this is my very first show in Paris, my very first with Chanel. I don’t think that there could be a better first show,” she told Harper's BAZAAR Singapore in an interview.  With top tennis players like Naomi Osaka, Serena Williams, and Coco Gauff sporting fashion looks in their on-court matches— Eala is also open to incorporate looks in her future game days.  “I would definitely (wear). I would if given the opportunity. I would love to wear that look on court,” referring to supermodel Anok Yai’s floor-length black "galaxy" gown, puffed shoulder with a sequined overlay.  Eala was also asked to compare her first experience in sitting on a Paris runway show versus her first-time playing in Roland Garros. “Almost impossible comparison, but I do have to say Roland Garros. You know, tennis is my first love. It will always be my first love, but fashion has really been growing on me.”