Asian Games 2026 begin, with Japan hosting for 1st time since 1994

Inquirer.net - Sep 19, 2026

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 The Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 began Saturday, with Japan hosting the continental summer games for the first time since 1994 and welcoming 45 countries and regions competing in 43 sports. Qualification for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics is at stake in sports including

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LIVE: Team Philippines at Asian Games 2026 opening ceremonies

Sep 19, 2026

LIVE: Team Philippines at Asian Games 2026 opening ceremonies

The Asian Games 2026, hosted by Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, officially kick off on Saturday, September 19. Team Philippines’ delegation will be led by flag bearers Aira Villegas and Albert Ian Delos Santos. When and where to watch the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 opening ceremonies When: 6pm JST, 5pm PH time onwards Where: Paloma Mizuho Park Athletic

Sibol PH’s Pokémon Unite team ‘ready’ to catch Asian Games gold

Sep 19, 2026

Sibol PH’s Pokémon Unite team ‘ready’ to catch Asian Games gold

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Sibol Philippines’ Pokémon Unite squad is raring to make its mark in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after its recent World Championship appearance. Japan, where Pokémon, the global phenomenon anime, originated, included Pokémon Unite — the multiplayer online battle arena mobile

Asian Games: Ian Delos Santos relishes ‘unexpected’ role for PH

Sep 19, 2026

Asian Games: Ian Delos Santos relishes ‘unexpected’ role for PH

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Flag bearer and young weightlifter Albert Ian Delos Santos relished the rare opportunity to carry the flag of Team Philippines in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 opening ceremony on Saturday. Moments before the parade, Delos Santos expressed his excitement to be

Alas’ Rondina-Pons, Progella-Pagara begin Asian Games medal bids

Sep 19, 2026

Alas’ Rondina-Pons, Progella-Pagara begin Asian Games medal bids

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas women’s beach volleyball teams begin their medal quests in the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court in Aichi, Japan. Southeast Asian Games gold medalists Sisi Rondina and Bernadeth Pons and the fast-rising tandem of Khy Progella and Sofiah Pagara play in their respective groups, where the

Eala ramps up training for Singapore Open

Sep 19, 2026

Eala ramps up training for Singapore Open

FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra "Alex" Eala ramped up her training for the WTA 500 Singapore Tennis Open which will run from Sept. 21 to 27 at The Kallang. Alex's father, Michael, posted photos of her training in a facility on Friday night. As a top-four player in a 28-player, 500-tier tournament, world No. 18 and No. 3 seed Eala secured a first-round bye to begin her campaign in the second round. Initially seeded No. 6, Eala moved three places up after the withdrawals of world No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 13 Diana Shnaider and No. 15 Sorana Cirstea. Pegula, Shnaider, and Cirstea were supposed to claim the No. 1, No. 4 and No. 5 seeds respectively. World No. 5 Mirra Andreeva became the No. 1 seed while No. 11 Amanda Anisimova seized the No. 2 seed. World No. 19 Elise Mertens elevated to the No. 4 seed, completing the top four players with first-round byes. The Singapore Open was set to begin its qualifying stages on Saturday. After appearing multiple times at the New York Fashion Week, Eala went back to the Philippines on Sept. 13. Eala paid a visit to her alma mater Colegio San Agustin-Makati where she also trained briefly before flying to Singapore. The 21-year-old left for Singapore on Thursday. The Singapore Open serves as Eala's buildup for the 20th Asian Games, where tennis play will swing from September 27 to October 3 in Nagoya, Japan. That schedule runs smack into the WTA 1000 China Open, which is set from Sept. 30 to Oct. 11 in Beijing. Eala will skip the China Open in a bid to win the Asiad gold medal which will give her a qualification path to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. If Eala wins the gold, she only needs to maintain a singles ranking inside the top 500 by the June 2028 deadline. Without a WTA exemption, Eala will suffer a zero-point penalty, a $10,000 (P626,000) fine, and potentially lose year-end bonuses for skipping the China Open which she is contractually obliged to compete in as a top player. The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) requested an exemption from the WTA for Eala to avoid such penalties but there's no word yet on whether it was denied or approved.

PH tankers launch Asiad gold medal bid

Sep 19, 2026

PH tankers launch Asiad gold medal bid

THE Philippine national swimming team begins its campaign in the 20th Asian Games at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Japan on Sunday. Filipino tankers see action in five events starting with Gian Santos who competes in the men’s 200m individual medley. Santos tries to make the cut out of the four heats set at 9:08 a.m. with the final scheduled at 4:09 p.m. in Manila. Logan Wataru Noguchi follows Santos as he splashes his way in the men’s 100m freestyle final. Noguchi battles in the 5-heat event set at 9:44 a.m. with the final unfurling at 4:53 p.m. With only a little breather, Noguchi returns to action in his second and final event in the men’s 100m backstroke heats at 10:05 a.m. If he makes the cut, Noguchi tries to medal in the final at 5:13 p.m. Meanwhile, Miranda Renner opens the Philippine campaign on the women’s side as she dives in the women’s 50m breaststroke. The 3-heat event is set at 9:59 a.m. with a final set at 5:01 p.m. After Renner’s heats, Xiandi Chua, Teia Salvino, Heather White, and 2-time Olympian Kayla Sanchez plunge in the women’s 4x100m freestyle relay. The 2-heat event is set at 10:19 a.m. with a final set at 5:33 p.m. Sanchez, who won a silver medal in the same 4x100m freestyle relay event with the Canadian Olympic team at the 2021 Tokyo Games, is expected to anchor the fight for the Filipino tankers. The 25-year-old is making her second Asian Games appearance after debuting for the Philippine national team in the previous edition in China in 2023. Sanchez won three gold medals at the Southeast Asian Games last December.

Filipinas eye QF berth versus China

Sep 19, 2026

Filipinas eye QF berth versus China

FRESH off a decisive 2-0 win over Hong Kong, the Philippine Women’s National Football Team turns its attention to a crucial group-stage finale against 2022 Asian Games bronze medalist China on September 21 at the Nagaragawa Stadium in Gifu, Japan. Currently sitting second in Group G with four points—tied with China on points and trailing only by two in goal difference—the Filipinas are in a strong position to secure a second consecutive quarterfinals appearance. Having already battled Uzbekistan to a 1-1 draw in their opener and handled business against Hong Kong, the team enters this decisive fixture with strong momentum and high hopes of advancing to the knockout round. Head coach Mark Torcaso remains clear-eyed about the challenge ahead, balancing confidence in his squad’s form with respect for their opponent. Facing a renowned football powerhouse, Torcaso emphasized that the team will enjoy their recent win while preparing meticulously to capture the result they need. His sentiments were echoed by Philippine Football Federation President John Anthony Gutierrez, who commended the team’s relentless fighting spirit and highlighted the crucial dynamic between the team’s emerging talents and its seasoned core. That chemistry will be vital against China. The Filipinas’ recent victory showcased fresh offensive firepower, with Skye Leach scoring her debut international goal in just her second appearance, and Mallie Ramirez doubling the tally off an assist from substitute Megan Murray. At the same time, the squad relies heavily on veteran leadership to keep them grounded. Central midfielder Jackie Sawicki recently celebrated her 50th international cap, joining Carleigh Frilles in reaching the mark, while team captain Hali Long etched her name into history by making her 108th appearance, tying legendary striker Phil Younghusband as the most capped Philippine footballer of all time. With solid defensive structure anchored by goalkeeper Olivia McDaniel and a deep, versatile bench capable of altering match dynamics, the Filipinas are fully prepared to test themselves against one of the continent’s finest teams as they continue their broader march toward the World Cup. “We will enjoy this win, continue our build to the World Cup, and fully respect China and prepare our best accordingly,” Torcaso said. “They are a powerhouse, and we will do our best to get the outcomes we want.”

Ben Shelton stumbles in Davis Cup return

Sep 19, 2026

Ben Shelton stumbles in Davis Cup return

PRAGUE — US Open finalist Ben Shelton struggled to dominate with his serve and was beaten 6-4, 6-4 by 24th-ranked Jiri Lehecka on Friday as the Czech Republic drew level 1-1 with the United States in the last qualifying round for the Davis Cup Final 8. Lehecka broke Shelton’s serve early in each set on the indoor hard court at Prague’s O2 Arena. Earlier, Learner Tien beat Jakub Mensik 6-2, 6-4 in his Davis Cup debut to give the 32-time champion Americans a 1-0 lead. Tien had only 15 unforced errors to Mensik’s 34. Shelton, who is up to a career-high No. 4 in the rankings after his US Open run, dropped to 0-3 for his career in the Davis Cup. In his only previous action in the competition, he lost both singles and doubles matches (with partner Tommy Paul) as the US was beaten by Australia in the 2024 quarterfinals. Doubles and reverse singles are scheduled for Saturday in the best-of-five match series. The winning team advances to the Final 8 in Bologna, Italy, in November. It was Shelton’s first match since losing to Alexander Zverev in New York on Sunday in his first Grand Slam final. South Korea nears Asian success South Korea moved within one victory of becoming the first Asian nation to reach the Final 8 after taking a 2-0 lead over India. The South Koreans came from a set down in both matches. Kwon Soon-woo beat Dhakshineswar Suresh 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 and then Hyeon Chung defeated Sumit Nagal 2-6, 6-4, 7-5 at Seoul’s Olympic tennis center. Austria and Belgium were tied 1-1. The other matchups of teams competing for spots to join host and three-time defending champion Italy at the finals are: Chile vs. Spain; Germany vs. Croatia; Britain vs. Ecuador; and Canada vs. France. Zverev is scheduled to play for Germany, which hosts Croatia in Halle on Saturday and Sunday. The Final 8 format was introduced in 2022.

Ronaldo called up in Portugal   

Sep 19, 2026

Ronaldo called up in Portugal   

LISBON, Portugal — Cristiano Ronaldo was included in Portugal’s squad by new coach Jorge Jesus for its upcoming Nations League games on Friday. The 41-year-old Ronaldo said that this summer’s World Cup was his last, but the global star has yet to say when he plans to retire from international play. He will be 43 by the time the 2028 European Championship, the next major tournament, is held. This was the first squad named by Jesus, who was hired to replace Spaniard Roberto Martinez after Portugal lost 1-0 to Spain in the round of 16 of the World Cup. Jesus’ previous coaching job was with Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr in Saudi Arabia, where they won the league together last season. Regarding Ronaldo’s role, Jesus said “all the called-up players are at my disposal.” “If he performs well, he plays. If he doesn’t perform well, he doesn’t play. That’s how I treat everyone,” Jesus said, before adding a caveat. “Now, does Cris have a different status? Yes. His career is different,” he said. “He has five Ballon d’Or awards. But does that influence my decisions? No. It doesn’t influence anything, zero, but he is different from the others.” The 72-year-old Jesus has also coached several Portuguese clubs, including Benfica and Sporting Lisbon. Ronaldo is the leading scorer for men’s international soccer with 146 goals. His greatest achievement with Portugal was helping it win the 2016 Euros. He is now chasing 1,000 career goals. He currently has 979. When asked if he imagined Ronaldo hitting that milestone, Jesus said he doubted it would be with Portugal. “I think he’s more likely to score his thousandth goal for Al-Nassr than for the Portuguese national team,” Jesus said. Portugal will open the Nations League by hosting Wales on Sept. 24. It plays Norway away three days later and then in Denmark on Oct. 1, before hosting Norway on Oct. 4.

Heat, Larsson agree on $60M 4-year contract extension

Sep 19, 2026

Heat, Larsson agree on $60M 4-year contract extension

MIAMI — Pelle Larsson and the Miami Heat have agreed on a four-year contract extension that could be worth up to $60 million if the final year of the deal is included, a person with knowledge of the talks said Friday (Saturday in Manila). Larsson's starting salary for 2027-28 will be $13.5 million and increase from there, with a mutual option for the 2030-31 season, said the person who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the contract remains unsigned. Larsson was a second-round pick, No. 44 overall, by Houston in 2024 before his rights were sent to Miami as part of a three-team trade. He quickly became a key part of Heat coach Erik Spoelstra's rotation, playing in 55 games as a rookie and 70 games — starting 54 of them — this past season. The shooting guard who played collegiately at Utah and Arizona averaged 4.6 points on 44% shooting as a rookie and 11.4 points per game last season while making nearly 50% of his shots. The Heat have raved about his development, including his play this summer for his native Sweden in World Cup qualifying games. Larsson averaged 26 points in four qualifiers for Sweden, with a pair of 31-point games against Slovenia and Finland. The 25-year-old Larsson is scheduled to earn $2.3 million this season. He could have been a restricted free agent next summer had the sides not struck a deal. Meanwhile, Jazz guard Keyonte George signed a multiyear extension Friday, securing for Utah a key element in their rebuilding project. The club did not announce the terms, but ESPN reported it was a five-year, $157.5 million extension. The deal takes him through the 2031-32 season. “Keyonte’s leadership, growth, and commitment to what we’re building make him an integral part of this franchise’s future,” Austin Ainge, Jazz president of basketball operations, said in a statement. “His work ethic, ability to connect with teammates in the locker room and on the floor, and his love for this team and our fans have been incredible to watch. "We’re thrilled he’s choosing to remain in Utah as a foundational piece as we continue chasing our ultimate goal: a championship.”

McIlroy charges back in contention at PGA Championship

Sep 19, 2026

McIlroy charges back in contention at PGA Championship

VIRGINIA WATER, UK — Rory McIlroy revived his hopes of victory in the European Tour’s flagship PGA Championship with a five-under par second round that left him four strokes off the lead as Ryan Gerard of the United States took the lead. McIlroy had a poor finish to his first round at the Wentworth course, southwest of London, with three bogeys in his closing six holes. But it was a different story on Friday for the Northern Irishman, one of just six men golfers to have won all four of golf’s major titles. McIlroy, the reigning US Masters champion, made three birdies in his opening five holes. The 37-year-old McIlroy is trying to reel in the injured Patrick Reed to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title -- the competition which crowns the best player on the European Tour. McIlroy dropped a shot on the par-four eighth to head into the turn on 33, but regained that stroke with a birdie from 16 feet on the 11th hole. A birdie on the par-three 14th was followed by a bogey at 16. McIlroy narrowly missed an eagle chance on the 17th but he tapped that in and then made another birdie on the last for a round of 67. Reed retired midway through his second round with an injury, the American having been nine over. “Unfortunately he’s pulled out this week, which gives me an opportunity to try to claw back some ground that I lost last week in Ireland,” said McIlroy, the world number two. “This weekend is a big weekend for me to pick up a few points and make the race even tighter going into these last few weeks.” Gerard, who had started the day at five under, rolled in a fine eagle from 20 feet on the 17th to take the outright lead, before finishing with a birdie in a superb round of 65. Australia’s Adam Scott finished at 10 under after his 67 left him two shots off the lead and sharing second place with Italy’s Filippo Celli. US PGA champion Aaron Rai, playing alongside McIlroy and British Open champion Ryan Fox in a showpiece group, also had a birdie-birdie finish for his 69, which leaves the Englishman at nine under alongside Spain’s Manuel Elvira. New Zealand’s Fox was one of a quintet of players on eight under, with McIlroy, England’s Ross Fisher, Spain’s Ignacio Elvira and JJ Spaun of the United States.

Ciganda channels Spanish spirit at SC

Sep 19, 2026

Ciganda channels Spanish spirit at SC

CARLOTA Ciganda doesn’t have the career resume to inspire any level of intimidation. She has only three wins in 15 seasons on the LPGA Tour, eight more on the Ladies European Tour. Ciganda has never won or even finished runner-up in the 74 majors she has played. The 36-year-old Spaniard missed the cut in four of the five majors this year. But dress her in blue and gold, put 11 teammates around her with nothing more than the Solheim Cup at stake and American players standing in her way, and Ciganda is a different player. “I love beating the Americans,” Ciganda said after silencing Jennifer Kupcho in singles for the final point in a 15-13 victory in the Netherlands. That’s not an original thought, but it is key to European success in both cups. Some 20 years ago, Paul Casey caught some heat when he said he learned to “properly hate” the Americans in the Ryder Cup. Nothing personal. It’s just sport. Americans love to win, but do they love beating Europe? Dottie Pepper did. She once said Europeans would be bagging groceries if not for the LPGA Tour. That might have been a little personal. “Just winning for Team Europe, it’s the best feeling,” Ciganda said. “Playing for something bigger than yourself, I guess my mind gets to be very focused and I love this week. This is why I play golf.” There will be second-guessing for the American team, as there is for any losing team in any cup. The lingering question about this US loss was not about pairings or captain’s picks or lineups or even a lack of statistics. Whose idea was it to post their beer-happy celebration on the bus — on Saturday? The ultimate payback was Europe singing on the bus after leaving Bernardus Golf with the crystal trophy: “They drink on Saturday. We drink on Sunday.” And the payback for Ciganda? That was personal. Kupcho delivered a big moment in an otherwise pedestrian performance Saturday when she made a 93-foot birdie putt — so long she didn’t even study the break before giving it a whack — and then won the match with a 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th. “Vamos!” Kupcho screamed on the 17th green, directed at the equally vocal Spaniard. Imagine the delight when the blind draw for Sunday singles was announced, and Ciganda saw her name against Kupcho in the 11th spot on the card. “I was really happy to see that I was playing against Kupcho,” Ciganda said. “She’s a fighter, I’m a fighter. And I told her, ‘Look, great playing.’ What she did was amazing on 17 and 18. But today I knew she had no chance. I was like, ‘I want to kill you.’”

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