Asian Games: Philippines eyes medals in busy September 20 slate

Inquirer.net - Sep 19, 2026

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Team Philippines has medal opportunities in soft tennis, teqball, wushu and triathlon among a crowded Sept. 20 program at the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. The Philippine women’s soft tennis team faces host Japan in the semifinals, putting the squad within reach

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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.