Asian Games, day 7: Hong Kong guaranteed gold medal in squash, China rule roost in diving

South China Morning Post - Sep 26, 2026

The battle for mixed doubles gold in squash will be an all-Hong Kong affair at the Asian Games on Sunday, after the city’s duos both won their semi-finals on a day when the city’s athletes picked up another three bronze medals and some semblance of normality returned to table tennis. With swimming finally over at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre, it was the turn of the divers to take centre stage, and to the surprise of absolutely no one, China won the two gold medals on offer on Saturday, the first of...

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Eala battles Thai netter to start Asiad gold bid

Sep 27, 2026

Eala battles Thai netter to start Asiad gold bid

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala faces Thai Patcharin Cheapchandej to start her 20th Asian Games women's singles gold medal bid at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, Japan. The 21-year-old Eala arrived in Japan on Saturday evening. Seeded No. 1 in the continental meet with a first-round bye, world No. 18 Eala takes on No. 510 Cheapchandej in the second round likely on Monday. The order of play for Monday's matches wasn't revealed yet as of writing. Cheapchandej dominated Pakistani Mahin Aftab Qureshi, 6-1, 6-1, in their first-round clash that lasted only 53 minutes on Sunday. If Eala gets past Cheapchandej, she will face either Iranian Mandegar Farzami or Taiwanese Joanna Garland in the quarterfinals. Eala also competes in the doubles side with Shaira Rivera, as they face the Hong Kong tandem of Lai Ching Laam and Liu Kallista in the first round. A win by Eala and Rivera would pit them against the Chinese duo of Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan in the second round. Jiang and Yang received a first-round bye. Meanwhile, another Filipino women's singles bet Tennielle Madis fell to No. 7 seed Himeno Sakatsume in the first round, 1-6, 0-6, on Sunday. At press time, Philippine mixed doubles players Rivera and Francis Alcantara were facing the Iranian tandem of Meshkatolzahra Safi and Kasra Rahmani in the first round.

Brownlee ‘intends’ to return, no timetable yet – Cone

Sep 27, 2026

Brownlee ‘intends’ to return, no timetable yet – Cone

WHILE there had been many speculations on Justin Brownlee’s health status, Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone stressed that the beloved Gin Kings import “intends to return.” “We're in communication with him. He intends to return, but no date yet,” Cone told The Manila Times over the weekend. The American mentor did not say what has made the four-time PBA Best Import, except to reply in the affirmative that Brownlee continues to recover from his injuries. The 38-year-old Brownlee has been out of commission for over two months already since he last suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in a double overtime loss to New Zealand in Auckland last July in the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers. Brownlee then, missed the away game versus Australia in Perth, along with a pair of home games of the fourth window where Gilas beat Jordan and Iran, respectively. The seven-time PBA champion import also missed Gilas’ recent stint in the Asian Games where the national team failed to retain its men’s basketball crown in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Puerto Rican forward Jordan Murphy,  G League veteran, has been tapped to serve as Ginebra’s import when the Season 50 Governors’ Cup resumes in the first week of October. Murphy arrived last Thursday and will continue what Riley Grigsby started for the Gin Kings. The Gin Kings struggled with Grigsby as their import after winning just two of their first six games, slumping at the bottom of the Group B standings in the process just before the league took a break to give way for Cone and Gilas’ international tournaments. Grigsby averaged 31.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.6 steals, and 1.6 blocks in a solid pinch-hitting job through six games stint with the Gin Kings. Cone expects Murphy to create an impact on both ends of the floor. “We expect him to be an in to out player. We’ve only had him for one practice, so there is more to learn about him,” said Cone.

Internationals keep Presidents Cup lead with late fightbacks

Sep 27, 2026

Internationals keep Presidents Cup lead with late fightbacks

MEDINAH, Illinois — Canada’s Corey Conners capped a late fightback and the Internationals were poised to snap a 28-year win drought, leading the United States by three points after Saturday’s (Sunday in Manila) four-ball and foursomes matches at the Presidents Cup. The Internationals took a 10.5-7.5 edge into Sunday’s 12 concluding singles golf matches at Medinah, leading on US soil for the first time after pairs matches. Australian Min Woo Lee and British Open champion Ryan Fox of New Zealand rallied to beat US Open champion Wyndham Clark and Sam Burns 3&2 while Canada’s Conners and Nick Taylor, three down after 10 holes, shocked Jacob Bridgeman and Russell Henley 1-up. “No giving up. We knew it was going to be a battle,” Conners said. “We gave them a few holes early on, did a good job of just staying with them. It feels good to get it done.” The Internationals swept Friday’s foursomes matches to grab a four-point lead and they clung to the edge even though the Americans went 4-3-1 in Saturday’s matches. “Our guys battled hard. It was a tough day. I was proud of the way they hung in there,” US captain Brandt Snedeker said. “Stay the course. It’s going to be a long hard day tomorrow.” Internationals captain Geoff Ogilvy of Australia was overjoyed at the fightback foursomes split. “Amazing. Having all red on the board, being down in every match, for the boys to come back and split points in the session was great,” he said. The Americans, who lead the all-time rivalry 13-1-1, seek an 11th consecutive victory with each side needing 15.5 points to hoist the trophy. US President Donald Trump, who attended the Americans’ Ryder Cup loss last year, is expected to watch Sunday at the suburban Chicago layout where Europe rallied for an epic 2012 “Miracle at Medinah” Ryder Cup victory over the Americans. The Internationals, who took their only victory in 1998 at Australia, had been heavy underdogs with the US team boasting eight of the world’s 11 top-ranked golfers. Lee and Fox took three of the last four holes to win. Lee made a 23-foot birdie putt at the par-three seventh to equalize and the global side never trailed again. “We turned it around, which was awesome,” Lee said. Conners and Taylor sparkled late as Henley and Bridgeman stumbled. Taylor’s five-foot par putt won the 11th and his 11-footer took the 12th before US bogeys at 14 and 15 gave the Canadians their first lead, setting up Conners’ winning six-foot par putt at 18. Cameron Young and Chris Gotterup won their second match of the day, routing Australian Adam Scott and South Korean Im Sung-jae 6&4. Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele also led from the front in handing a 2&1 loss to South Koreans Tom Kim and Kim Si-woo. The Americans, swept in Friday foursomes to trail 7-3, went 2-1-1 in Saturday morning four-ball matches to trim the deficit. Kim and Kim defeated Clark and Collin Morikawa 2&1. Kim Si-woo sank a birdie putt from just beyond 12 feet at 16 then made a 16-foot birdie putt at 17 to seal victory.

Warriors extend Stephen Curry deal

Sep 27, 2026

Warriors extend Stephen Curry deal

LOS ANGELES — The Golden State Warriors have extended their long-term deal with superstar Stephen Curry for two more years in a deal worth a reported $116 million, the basketball franchise announced. "A true legend of the Bay, here to stay. The Golden State Warriors have signed four-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry to a contract extension," the California franchise said on its X account. Sports broadcaster ESPN reported that the Warriors point guard had signed a new two-year contract, with an option for an additional year, worth $116 million. Curry, 38, holds a number of records, including the NBA's all-time record for three-pointers. The player famous for constantly chewing his mouthguard will begin his 18th season at the highest level of world basketball in late October, having spent his entire career with the same team. This summer, the franchise also extended the contract of its other stalwart, Draymond Green, for one season and $28 million, after failing in an attempt to sign LeBron James. Green, 36, has likewise spent his entire career with the Warriors, who selected him in the 2012 draft. In May, coach Steve Kerr signed a new two-year deal with the Warriors. He joined the franchise in 2014 and has since guided them to four NBA championships, in 2015, 2017, 2018 and 2022.

Fernandez reaches Singapore Open final

Sep 27, 2026

Fernandez reaches Singapore Open final

SINGAPORE — Leylah Fernandez reached her first WTA final of the year after the Canadian recovered from a poor start to beat Poland's Maja Chwalinska in the Singapore Tennis Open on Saturday night. The sixth seed dropped the first five games of the semifinal against her fifth-seeded opponent but came back strongly to win 1-6, 6-4, 6-2 to set up a final against unseeded Australian Talia Gibson on Sunday. Gibson advanced to her first WTA final after her semifinal opponent Tatiana Prozorova was forced to withdraw from the tournament due to the WTA's concussion protocol. Fernandez was broken in all four of her service games in the opening set by fellow left-hander Chwalinska. Galvanized by vocal support, the Canadian raised her game in the second set and earned a crucial break to take a 5-4 lead before holding serve to level the match. The world number 31 then broke Chwalinska twice, and set up match point with an ace before firing a powerful backhand down the line to secure victory in two hours and eight minutes. It will be Fernandez's first WTA final since she won last year's Japan Open. The unseeded Prozorova stunned third seed Alexandrea Eala in the round of 16 on Thursday and then beat China's Wang Xinyu in a gruelling three-set quarterfinal the next day. However, the Russian was struck in the face by the ball while playing in the doubles quarterfinals later on Friday. Prozorova had to withdraw from that match and then had to sit out the singles semifinal after the WTA physiotherapist diagnosed her with concussion. The WTA said players diagnosed with concussion cannot compete until they complete a graduated return-to-play protocol and receive medical clearance.

Pereira makes history with stunning 200m victory, Yan blows away field at Asian Games

Sep 27, 2026

Pereira makes history with stunning 200m victory, Yan blows away field at Asian Games

Most of Sunday’s athletics events at the Asian Games were seen by many as background noise to the women’s javelin clash between China sensation Yan Ziyi and Japan’s Haruka Kitaguchi, although don’t dare suggest that to Singapore’s Shanti Pereira. While the much-anticipated throwing competition was ultimately as damp as the rain that blanketed Nagoya for much of the day, Pereira’s breathless victory in the women’s 200m was everything sprinting is supposed to be. The 30-year-old’s successful...

A'ja Wilson wins AP WNBA Player of the Year for 3rd straight year; Angel Reese top defensive player

Sep 27, 2026

A'ja Wilson wins AP WNBA Player of the Year for 3rd straight year; Angel Reese top defensive player

NEW YORK — A'ja Wilson is in a class by herself, winning the AP's WNBA Player of the Year award for an unprecedented third straight year. Wilson received 15 of the 17 first-place votes from a national media panel Sunday. She topped Olivia Miles of Minnesota as well as Caitlin Clark and Kelsey Mitchell of Indiana, who all had stellar seasons. “It’s big. It's an honor for me to do it three times in a row. It’s not easy,” Wilson said in a phone interview. “My counterparts in this league are really good. I don’t take it lightly because of how much talent we do have in this league." It's the fourth time that Wilson has won the AP award, breaking a tie with Breanna Stewart for most since the awards were first given in 2016. “That’s got a nice ring to it,” Wilson said. “That’s pretty cool.” The AP voting is done by a 17-member panel that votes on the power poll each week. It’s the 11th year of the awards. The WNBA will announce its postseason awards over the course of the playoffs, which begin Sunday. Wilson is a huge favorite to win the WNBA MVP for the third straight season. Wilson once again led the league in scoring (26.2) while shooting nearly 53% from the field. She also averaged 9.4 rebounds, a career-best 3.2 assists and 1.9 blocks. Angel Reese dethroned Wilson as the AP Defensive Player of the Year. Wilson had won the award in three of the last four seasons. Reese made the most of her move to Atlanta this offseason. She was third in the league in steals and had the versatility to guard most positions defensively. She also topped the league in rebounds for the third consecutive season. Miles had an incredible first season and was honored as the AP Rookie of the Year as a unanimous choice. The No. 2 pick in the draft by the Lynx averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists and 4.7 rebounds to help Minnesota finish with the best record in the league. She set the WNBA record for points by a rookie, surpassing Clark's from 2024. Miles was joined on the AP All-Rookie team by Dallas' Azzi Fudd, Chicago's Sydney Taylor, Seattle's Flau'jae Johnson, New York's Pauline Astier and Toronto's Kiki Rice. Wilson, Clark, Miles and Mitchell headlined the AP All-WNBA first team. They were joined by New York's Stewart. Reese was on the second team along with teammate Rhyne Howard, Dallas' Paige Bueckers, Las Vegas' Jackie Young and Golden State's Gabby Williams. Other AP winners included: — Coach of the Year: Cheryl Reeve. It's the third time the Lynx coach has won the award, also being honored in 2020 and 2024. She guided the team to the No. 1 seed in the playoffs while it was missing superstar Napheesa Collier for the first half of the season when she recovered from offseason surgery on both her ankles. Reeve beat out Golden State's Natalie Nakase and Washington's Sydney Johnson. — Comeback Player of the Year: Clark. The Fever guard missed much of last season with a variety of injuries. She came back strong this year, playing in 40 games. She averaged 22.3 points, 8.3 assists and 4.0 rebounds. Washington's Georgia Amoore and Chicago's Courtney Vandersloot also received votes. — Most Improved Player: Jessica Shepard. The Dallas Wings forward came to the team as a free agent and excelled. Shepard averaged career highs in points (14.5), rebounds (11.1), assists (5.3) and minutes (31.7). Shepard had six triple-doubles this season. Washington's Shakira Austin and Seattle Dominique Malonga were next in the balloting. — Sixth Woman of the Year: Janelle Salaun. The Valkyries forward came off the bench in all 40 games she played this season and averaged 12.7 points and 4.0 rebounds while shooting 39.2% from behind the 3-point line. She led all reserves in scoring this season and the Golden State bench averaged over 36 points a game. Marine Johannes of New York was next in the voting.

China’s Wang Manyu beats Sun Yingsha in women’s singles table tennis final at Asian Games

Sep 27, 2026

China’s Wang Manyu beats Sun Yingsha in women’s singles table tennis final at Asian Games

China’s Wang Manyu beat compatriot and defending champion Sun Yingsha in the women’s singles final at the Asian Games on Sunday to cement her position as the sport’s new table tennis queen. Wang’s win came days after she displaced Sun at the top of the world rankings. China also enjoyed success in the men’s doubles final, with Huang Youzheng and Lin Shidong beating Japan’s Harimoto Tomokazu and Shinozuka Hiroto 4-2. Wang reclaimed the title she last won at the Jakarta Asian Games in 2018,...

Three talking points from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

Sep 27, 2026

Three talking points from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

He did not win, but in finishing within a whisker of George Russell's triumphant Mercedes on Saturday, Max Verstappen showed he could be a factor in this year's drivers' title race. With at least seven races to go, depending on the survival of the season-ending events in the Middle East, the four-time champion's pace and commitment in his resurgent Red Bull could upset Mercedes' supremacy. As championship leader Kimi Antonelli showed signs of vulnerability in Baku, even with a 66-point cushion, AFP Sport looks at three things we learned from Saturday's dramatic Azerbaijan Grand Prix: - Verstappen remains a force - Having signed a new contract to settle his future and driving a car that is rapidly improving, Verstappen is chasing a long-awaited 72nd victory. He has not won since last year's season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix and is in danger of completing a season winless for the first time since he joined Red Bull 10 years ago. Given McLaren's inconsistency and Ferrari's recent decline, he and team-mate Isack Hadjar can emerge as the chief threat to Mercedes as the F1 circus flies to Asia for a Bahrain Grand Prix held in Malaysia followed by the Singapore race. "I was close and it was fun," said Verstappen after a strong drive from eighth on the grid to finish less than two-tenths adrift of Russell. "For most of the race, we were on the wrong tires because the medium, unfortunately, didn't work like a lot of people expected. "Once we swapped to the soft, you could see George and I were pulling away. Can we win a race? We'll keep trying, and we'll see what happens!" Hadjar returned from injury to finish third. "The car is great," he said. "This weekend it was the second-fastest. I took it easy to avoid the walls and it was my comeback." "I had the better grip, but honestly I was fine to sit behind Max. Third was my target and I'm satisfied." With a power unit that the team has developed into one of the strongest, Red Bull could shake up the run-in. - Briatore ponders Colapinto future - Alpine team boss Flavio Briatore said he will reflect before deciding what action to take after Franco Colapinto's "rush of blood" crash into his team-mate Pierre Gasly, who then smashed into world champion Lando Norris's McLaren, wiping all three out of the race. It cost Alpine a solid points haul. Norris called for a one-race ban for Colapinto but race stewards settled for a 10-second time penalty, converted into a five-place grid drop for the next race. "I feel very sorry for the team and for Pierre and my apologies also go to Lando and McLaren for ruining their race," said Briatore. "I know that Franco has taken full responsibility for it, as he should -- he braked far too late considering the context of the race and the safety car restart. It was a very poor move for a driver of his experience. "I want to take time to reflect and consider what action should be taken." The Argentine driver was fortunate to keep his seat this year and Briatore will surely consider alternatives for 2027. - Russell can press Antonelli - Kimi Antonelli faces a test of his composure and emotions after Mercedes team-mate Russell ramped up the pressure for the run-in. The 20-year-old Italian's 66-point lead looks solid enough, but Russell returned to winning form with his first 'grand slam' of pole position, fastest lap and leading from lights to flag. "I never lost faith in myself," said Russell, after his eighth career win. "Even in the tough moments. So I am confident and I've been on the front row of the grid in three of the last four races and had three podiums. I can fight for victory now, week in and week out."

China’s Zhu Yuanling wins street skateboarding – just the latest teen winner at Asian Games

Sep 27, 2026

China’s Zhu Yuanling wins street skateboarding – just the latest teen winner at Asian Games

China’s 15-year-old Zhu Yuanling won gold in the women’s street skateboarding competition at the Asian Games on Sunday, the latest in a series of young winners at this edition of the continental multi-sport event. Zhu’s win came a day after Japanese primary school student Yuki Kurihara, 11, demolished opponents three times his age on the way to a historic gold in esports. Earlier in the Games, Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, 13, became one of the faces of the event with three golds, all in record...

China’s Zhu Yuanling wins street skateboarding – just the latest teen winner at Asian Games

Sep 27, 2026

China’s Zhu Yuanling wins street skateboarding – just the latest teen winner at Asian Games

China’s 15-year-old Zhu Yuanling won gold in the women’s street skateboarding competition at the Asian Games on Sunday, the latest in a series of young winners at this edition of the continental multi-sport event. Zhu’s win came a day after Japanese primary school student Yuki Kurihara, 11, demolished opponents three times his age on the way to a historic gold in esports. Earlier in the Games, Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi, 13, became one of the faces of the event with three golds, all in record...

Asian Games organizers fend off bed-size complaints in Nagoya

Sep 27, 2026

Asian Games organizers fend off bed-size complaints in Nagoya

Complaints about cramped rooms and small beds surfaced on social media from athletes staying in the modular units, as organizers get flak for not building a traditional Athletes' Village.

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