LONDON — Casey Jarvis on Saturday moved a step closer to winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship after building a two-stroke lead heading into the final round. Jarvis’s round of seven-under par on the Old Course at St Andrews maintained his fine form at the links event. The tournament is played over three courses — Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews — with the latter also hosting the last round on Sunday. Jarvis, who held a one-shot advantage overnight, opened with a superb eagle on his approach from 103 yards before picking up three birdies ahead of the turn despite the windy conditions. Two more on the back nine, at three and five, saw him sign for a 65, to sit at 18 under, ahead of Englishman Matthew Jordan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who shot the joint-best round of the day with a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns. “I just felt like I was in control of my game today,” said Jarvis, who is aiming to seal a third DP World Tour win this season. “Every golfer dreams of taking a lead, playing the Old Course on Sunday. I got goosebumps right now just standing here. “I just can’t wait for tomorrow. Even if I don’t win, to be taking the lead, I am just going to enjoy it as much as I can.” Chasing his first DP World Tour win in his 183rd tournament, Jordan carded a bogey-free 66 during his third round at Kingsbarns. Belgian Thomas Detry is at 15-under after his seven-under at St Andrews, while Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who made a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns, is four shots off the lead.

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a fortnight of competition featuring some record-breaking performances. Among the best performers were the two athletes named Asian Games MVPs: 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai track and field sprinter Boonson Puripol. Yu, who won all three of her individual events with ease, said “I’m no prodigy” after being named the women’s MVP on Sunday. The schoolgirl, who looks poised to take the Los Angeles 2028...

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a fortnight of competition featuring some record-breaking performances. Among the best performers were the two athletes named Asian Games MVPs: 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai track and field sprinter Boonson Puripol. Yu, who won all three of her individual events with ease, said “I’m no prodigy” after being named the women’s MVP on Sunday. The schoolgirl, who looks poised to take the Los Angeles 2028...

What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate. South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service. While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all...

What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate. South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service. While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all...

The Philippines may still be the country to beat in the competitive Mobile Legends: Bang Bang scene.

Far Eastern University claimed another win against a UAAP Season 88 finalist, this time defeating University of the Philippines, 90-79, Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

MANILA, Philippines -- Far Eastern University defeated University of the Philippines, 90-79, for the first time in seven years to roll to its third straight win in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the PhilSports Arena Sunday. Kirby Mongcopa poured 24 points, nine rebounds, and three assists to lead the Tamaraws, who last defeated the Fighting Maroons in the second round of Season 82 back in 2019. Jorick Bautista aided Mongcopa with 16 points, four rebounds, three assists, and two steals, as FEU improved to 3-1 for a share of the standings lead with Ateneo de Manila. UP suffered its second straight loss to fall to 2-2 for a four-way tie with National University, University of Santo Tomas, and De La Salle from fourth to seventh places.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament FEU def. UP, (90-79) Kirby Mongcopa Player of the game #UAAPSeason89

David Hayes would be more than happy to see a rain-affected Randwick track for superstar Ka Ying Rising’s important trial to “dispel that rumour that he doesn’t go on the wet”. The world’s highest-rated galloper headlines a seven-horse field for Tuesday’s 1,000m trial, which will serve as a key hit-out in preparation for the champion’s defence of his Group One The Everest (1,200m) crown on October 17. Heavy rain lashed Sydney on Saturday and while conditions are expected to clear in the lead-up...

The curtain came down on the Asian Games on Sunday, with officials hoping the fortnight in Japan would be remembered not for the chaos dogging every step but for the athletic performances that brought more than 150 world, junior and continental records. In keeping with the overall approach of the Games, the closing ceremony was a strange affair, one that felt a little like adults trying to be cool in a room full of teenagers. The fact it took place in front of rows and rows of empty seats at a...

Patience was indeed a virtue for trainer Frankie Lor Fu-chuen after quirky pair Horsepower and Mr Cool snapped huge 529 and 546-day losing streaks respectively at Sha Tin on Sunday. Horsepower had last tasted success way back in April last year, but it was not for a lack of trying. In 12 runs since that win, he had finished second on three occasions, and put the writing on the wall with a half-length fourth at Happy Valley on reappearance. The Harry Angel galloper was sent off an unconsidered...

In the third instalment of a four-part Health Matters series on traditional Chinese medicine, Aidyn Fitzpatrick speaks to a Hong Kong fencer studying TCM and local practitioners to see how athletes, both elite and amateur, are using TCM alongside Western medicine for smarter injury recovery. Fresh off helping Hong Kong clinch a bronze medal in the women’s foil team event at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan, fencer Janelle Leung Ya-lei – ranked 53rd in the world – knows the fine margin between peak...

The 20th Asian Games closed on Sunday after a rocky fortnight lit up by youthful brilliance in the sporting arenas but tempered by logistical dysfunction and subdued public interest.

BEIJING — Second-ranked Aryna Sabalenka was bundled out in the third round of the China Open in straight sets by the Czech Republic's Nikola Bartunkova on Sunday. The No. 34-ranked Bartunkova defeated the four-time Grand Slam champion 6-4, 6-3 in just over an hour and a half leaving the tournament without its two top seeds in the first week. Newly-crowned world No. 1 Elena Rybakina was ousted from the tournament on Saturday and will now be joined by Sabalenka in exiting WTA-1000 event in Beijing early. Sabalenka, who was denied a three-peat at the US Open last month by Rybakina, squandered five break points in the first set as her historic struggles in Beijing continued. The 28-year-old Belorussian has never progressed past the quarterfinals at the event. “First of all, I focused on myself, to be calm,” Bartunkova said. “And Aryna, she’s great, she’s a legend, she’s a Grand Slam champion. So, yeah, I’m really happy that I won the match... I’m not a girl who celebrates too much.” Bartunkova will next play 24-year-old Sinja Kraus of Austria, who earlier defeated Dayana Yastremska 6-1, 6-4. Fifth-ranked Mirra Andreeva eased into the fourth round with a 6-4, 6-1 victory over Polina Kudermetova. This year's French Open winner fired six aces and took five of her seven break point opportunities to overwhelm her Uzbek opponent in just in 68 minutes. In the men’s tournament, Hubert Hurkacz beat Karen Khachanov 7-6 (2) 6-2 to make the final four. Later Sunday, top seed and U.S. Open champion Alexander Zverev plays his quarterfinal match against Novak Djokovic.

History was made for Philippine taekwondo as Jeus Yape captured gold in the inaugural mixed individual virtual event on Friday, giving the country its first-ever Asian Games title in the sport.

Eager to get back on the win column, defending champions De La Salle University trampled on University of the East, 112-87, Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.

NAGOYA — The Asian Games in Japan will close later Sunday after a fortnight of record-smashing displays from young stars, but marred by mix-ups, patchy crowds and accusations of mismanagement. More than 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics, descended on Nagoya and Aichi prefecture for the continent's premier sporting spectacular. Chinese swimming sensation Yu Zidi, just 13, stole the show in the pool with three gold medals, all in Games-record times. She looks set to be a major medal threat at the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. The schoolgirl was named a Games MVP on Sunday to cap an extraordinary showing that saw her scorch to gold in the 200m butterfly and do the 200m-400m individual medley double. But for that all that, the shy teenager said: "I don't think I am what people describe as a prodigy." Also in the pool, Japanese swimmer Shin Ohashi, himself only 17, smashed the men's 200m breaststroke world record to delight the home crowd. In athletics, where rain tumbled down over several days, Thai sprinter Puripol Boonson did the 100m-200m double and was named men's MVP. "This time there were a lot of global athletes at this event, so the MVP gives me a lot of confidence that I can make the podium in LA," the 20-year-old said. 'Failure grade' With the hours ticking down to the closing ceremony, when Japan will hand over the baton to Doha, top officials were on the defensive. Olympic Council of Asia director general Husain Al-Musallam said "numbers are facts," pointing to 50 world records broken at the Games since they opened on September 19. "The athletes cannot perform if they don't sleep good, the athletes cannot perform if they don't have good transportation," he said. This 20th edition of the Games, which were first contested in 1951, did not have a traditional athletes' village in a bid to save money. Instead, participants were housed in wooden temporary units, on a cruise ship and in hotels. Organizers said this was a template for future multi-sports events. But it came with issues, with some teams complaining the units were too cramped and the beds too short. More than that, the ballooning numbers of athletes and officials meant there were not enough beds for everyone. One Thai Olympic official told AFP it was "like musical chairs." The sport, including a blockbuster cricket final won by India against arch-rivals Pakistan, did sometimes shine through. North Korean weightlifter Ri Song Gum, a 140cm (4ft 7in) pocket powerhouse, set three new world marks in one day for gold. But problems kept coming too, including organizers playing North Korea's national anthem for the South Korean hockey team. There were athletes' buses that did not turn up when they should, or did not arrive at all. Two teams were sent to the wrong venue, delaying a volleyball match. "If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F," Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport and Olympic Committee, said. Games organizers were on the back foot as well over attendances, with the opening ceremony taking place in front of thousands of empty seats. At the women's football semi-final between hosts Japan and South Korea there were 998 spectators in a 50,000 stadium. Boy history-maker Japanese Olympic Committee president Seiko Hashimoto admitted that "there were many problems," but said the country wants to host more international events in future. She said bad weather had turned some spectators off, but was eager to point out that some sports were well attended. About 30,000 saw South Korea beat Japan 1-0 to clinch men's football gold, although the occasion was tarnished somewhat when the South Korean flag failed to go up in the victory ceremony. The hosts finished with 83 golds, a distant second in the medals table behind China with 169. Japan's tally included gold for Yuki Kurihara, who won an eSports competition aged 11, believed to make him the youngest Games champion in history. Several sports with ambitions of making the Olympics made their debut, including padel, MMA and virtual taekwondo.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament La Salle def. UE (112-87) Mason Amos  Player of the game #UAAPSeason89

MANILA, Philippines --- De La Salle blasted University of the East, 112-87, at the PhilSports Arena Sunday to snap its 2-game skid in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament. The Green Archers pulled away from the Red Warriors in the second frame, flipping a 38-28 lead with a 13-2 run capped by a Mason Amos jumper to seize a 21-point, 51-30 lead with 3:22 left in the first half. Taking control for the rest o the way, La Salle improved to 2-2 for a 3-way with NU and UST from fifth to seventh places as of posting time. UE dropped to 0-5 and suffered its 25th straight loss dating back to Season 87 including that playoff for no. 4 defeat against Adamson.

When Cado Lee Ka-to carried Hong Kong’s flag into the Paloma Mizuho Stadium on Sunday, he did so at the head of what remained of the most successful Asian Games delegation in the city’s history. While only a handful of the 580 athletes who made up the team attended the closing ceremony, their impact will be felt far beyond the past fortnight, although it may be in what wasn’t achieved that a lasting legacy is created. At first glance, an overall medal count of 54, only one more than the previous...

SALT LAKE CITY — Natalia Silva unanimously outpointed Wang Cong to claim the vacant UFC women’s flyweight championship Saturday night at UFC 332. Silva (21-5-1) extended her winning streak to 15 bouts after largely dominating Wang (10-2) over five rounds. “This is incredible for me,” Silva said. “I have worked hard for this moment and now I am the new (champion) and I am so so so happy.” Silva went from challenger to favorite in the title bout after Valentina Shevchenko vacated the title nearly a month ago because of back and shoulder injuries. She proved far more aggressive than Wang early, using her speed, fluid movement, and strong legs to create an advantage. Silva knocked Wang to the canvas midway through the second round with a sharp head kick. She kept Wang on her heels with her quick striking ability through the next two rounds and connected on other roundhouse kicks. Wang fought back in the final round, but Silva landed enough blows to stay in control and had winning scores of 48-47, 48-47, 49-46 from the judges. “I think if she had stepped on the gas a little earlier, it would have been a completely different fight,” UFC President Dana White said. Payton Talbott earned a victory via TKO over Delveson Figueiredo with 2:51 left in the first round of the bantamweight bout billed as the co-main event. Talbott (12-1) dominated Figueiredo (25-8-1) from the start of the fight. He put him on the canvas early with a right-handed strike and then delivered an elbow along the fence that sent Figueiredo reeling. Talbott pressed his advantage, raining down blows and forcing his opponent to cover up until he forced a TKO. “Definitely thought he was going to be more durable,” Talbott said. It marked a successful return to the octagon for the Nevada fighter after going 10 months between bouts. Talbott said he wished the latest bout had not ended so quickly. “I wanted to just feel that war,” Talbott said. “I’m really happy to get the finish because it’s been a while since I got that finish. Deep down, that’s who I am. I chase finishes. But, yeah, I definitely wanted it to come a little bit later in the fight.” Roman Kopylov defeated Ateba Gautier by TKO with 3:12 remaining in the first round of the middleweight bout that served as the first of three main card fights leading into the co-main event. Kopylov swarmed Gautier with several clean strikes before finally dropping him to the canvas with a left-handed blow. He earned his second UFC victory of the year while handing Gautier his second career defeat. UFC newcomer Roberto Soldic debuted with a unanimous decision victory, scoring 29-28, 29-27, 29-27 over Khaos Williams in the welterweight bout. The fight lasted all three rounds, but Soldic dominated his opponent throughout with timely blows and bottled him up on the canvas at the end of each of the first two rounds. Esteban Ribovics edged King Green by TKO with 52 seconds to go in the first round of the lightweight bout. Ribovics dropped Green to the canvas three times with well-timed strikes, overwhelming him after the third fall. White reported a gate of $2.7 million for the event with 16,492 fans in attendance.

BEIJING — No. 1-ranked Elena Rybakina was ousted from the China Open by No. 118 Alina Charaeva of Armenia in the second round on Saturday. Charaeva held her head in her hands in disbelief after winning 3-6, 6-4, 6-3. "I was just trying to stay really hard mentally and keep believing that at some point I could turn it around again to my side. And I guess I just never stopped believing,” said Charaeva, only the ninth woman outside the top 100 to beat a No. 1. Rybakina had seven double faults and dropped her serve five times, the last time to fall behind 4-2 in the third set. New US Open champion Rybakina became only the second woman to lose her first match as world No. 1. Naomi Osaka was the other, in 2019. “There was a lot going on after the US Open victory. I didn't get a lot of chances to sleep and recover," Rybakina said. “Congratulations to Alina. She played a very good match.” Coco Gauff, who lost to Rybakina in the US Open semifinals, won her first match since then against Camila Osorio 7-6 (4), 4-6, 6-2. In the men's tournament, top seed and US Open champion Alexander Zverev beat wild card Shang Juncheng 6-0, 6-3 to set up a quarterfinal against Novak Djokovic. Third-seeded Daniil Medvedev advanced by beating Jan-Lennard Struff 6-4, 6-3. In a second-round match, Alex de Minaur beat Quentin Halys 3-6, 7-6 (5), 7-5.

The Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) said on Sunday that a near 20% jump in revenue, strong viewership figures and a slew of world records proved the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games were a success, despite logistical problems plaguing the multi-sport showpiece.

The Philippines has struck four gold, nine silver, and 16 bronze medals throughout the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, and in the process, put together its biggest haul in six decades.

BEIJING — Aryna Sabalenka was swatted aside in straight sets by 34th-ranked Nikola Bartunkova in the third round of the China Open on Sunday, leaving the event without its top two seeds. Czech player Bartunkova, 20, sent down four aces to beat the former world number one 6-4, 6-3 in one hour and 35 minutes. "I focused on myself, to be calm," Bartunkova said. "She's a legend... so I'm really happy that I won the match," she said of the four-time Grand Slam champion. Bartunkova next faces Austria's Sinja Kraus in the round of 16. Second-seeded Sabalenka squandered five chances to break serve in the sixth game of the first set, with Bartunkova strong on defence and firing deep. The 28-year-old from Belarus threw on a cap for the eighth game of the first set as the women switched between playing in the shade and the sun, but it did not turn the tide in her favour. A frustrated Sabalenka tossed her racquet at a break down in the fourth game of the second set, and lost on the first match point when she returned into the net. Top seed Elena Rybakina -- who weeks earlier replaced Sabalenka as World No. 1 -- was ousted by Alina Charaeva in the second round on Saturday. Top seed Alexander Zverev was scheduled to play Novak Djokovic later on Sunday in the quarterfinals of the men's 500-level event also taking place. The 39-year-old Serbian great enters the match with an extraordinary unbeaten streak in Beijing, but Zverev -- last month's US Open champion -- is in the running for the top men's ranking. AFP

Japan is traditionally seen as a reliable host for major sporting events but an Asian Games dogged by organisational woes has tarnished that image and raised questions over future bids, experts say. The Games in Aichi-Nagoya saw a catalogue of mishaps, from athletes bused to the wrong venues to the North Korean national anthem played for the South Korean hockey team. There were not enough beds for the over 17,000 athletes and officials, a bigger number than the Olympics. Countries complained of...

I was not at all surprised that Alex Eala lost to Tatiana Prozorova at Singapore, and to Wang Xiyu at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. I simply applied “Murphy’s Law” that states: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong." And it did. Twice. While Eala was basking in the limelight and made to carry a big weight of the game on her shoulders at the WTA loved it, Prozorova was getting ready to upset her. And the Russian’s preparation may have included studying the numerous reels of Eala’s best plays, studying how she can beat the Filipina. For her part, Eala may have had no time to study Prozorova, or maybe somebody in her camp must have thought that since the Russian was ranked below the top 100 in the WTA rankings, Prozorova could be treated as a “gift” opponent. And the same scenario can apply when Eala faced Wang in Japan. Eala’s events to endear the fans also may have robbed her of precious time to get focused and put in more work in the gym and practice. Then there’s Eala’s need to compete in doubles events, just like in the 2026 Asian Games. Prozorova also fell victim to the need to compete in doubles, sustaining an injury that saw her exit Singapore for good. And the truth is - the tennis players ranked below the top 20 have more time to study the top 20 players. On the other hand, the top 20 players do not have time to identify the possible threats below the top 20 who can emerge as spoilers, like Prozorova. Eala herself was a spoiler before she made waves at Miami 2025, having been ranked at No. 140 in the WTA listing at that time. Now, Eala has entered the “danger” zone, where she now becomes a “target” of aspiring players below the top 20 or 100.  The top 10 players are also more aware of Eala’s prowess. Eala now has to face top 10 players more often, which is more challenging compared to facing unheralded opposition. That won’t be easy if you look at the records of Coco Gauff, Mira Andreeva, Linda Noskoiva, and Iva Jovic against top 10 players. Gauff has a 38-42 record against top 10 players, and holds a commanding 6-0 record against Andreeva. However, Gauff’s record against Swiatek is 5-11. Noskova’s record against the top 10 is 14-23, and is 1-6 against Swiatek and 0-3 against Elena Rybakina, the current No. 1. Andreeva is 11-14 against the top 10, while Eala is 9-4, and holds a 2-1 record against Swiatek, 2-0 versus Elina Svitolina, and 1-0 over Rybakina. Meanwhile, Jovic is 2-9 against the top 10. So, what can we expect from Eala from here? My answer: A more unpredictable path to reach the top 10, and that includes wins against top 20 and unheralded opponents, and losses against the top 20 and unheralded rivals. Also expect a higher level of burnout that also happens to the best, such as Swiatek whose fans at one point asked for more respect for her in the past months after the Polish sustained high-profile losses. The same should go for Eala. She still deserves respect. Because the truth is, Eala has faced higher level of competition this year, which is more taxing. And the sad fact is the lower-tier players always have the chance to beat top-tier players because the former have more time to rest and have time to study the moves of the top 20 players. Hence, let us rally behind Eala to keep swinging that racket, the same way Andreeva, Gauff, Noskova, and Jovic do. In fact, the five of them are already in the “danger zone.” But has Gauff slowed down because she is 5-11 against Swiatek? No.  Did Andreeva consider lying low because Gauff beat her six times? No.  Noskova bravely faced the top 10 even if that meant losing more matches to them. And will she buckle down? Not at all. And do you think Jovic is going to give up because she is 2-9 against the top 10? Definitely not. How about Eala? She will surely keep on fighting. Gauff, Andreeva, Noskova, Jovic, and our very own Eala demonstrate they have the fighting spirit that comes with entering the danger zone. They all deserve our respect.

The Detroit Pistons officially announced the contract extension involving All-NBA center Jalen Duren on Saturday.