Eala battles Thai netter to start Asiad gold bid

Manila Times - Sep 27, 2026

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...

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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

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Sep 27, 2026

Three talking points from the Azerbaijan Grand Prix

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Sep 27, 2026

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PNVF acknowledges Bagunas' concerns, vows to be better

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PNVF acknowledges Bagunas' concerns, vows to be better

MANILA, Philippines -- The Phlippine National Volleyball Federation acknowledged the grievances of Alas Pilipinas team captain Bryan Bagunas in an interview following the national team's 16-25, 25-27, 22-25 opening loss to South Korea in the 20th Asian Games men's volleyball tournament in Japan Sunday. Bagunas said that the team lacked in financial support to the point that players have to shoulder expenses from their personal pockets and even borrow money. "We acknowledge the concerns raised by Mr. Bagunas in his recent interview," the PNVF wrote in a statement.  "We recognize the sacrifices our athletes have made, including having to shoulder their own expenses and, in some instances, borrow money. This is a situation that no National Athlete should ever have to endure." Led by president Frank Lao, the PNVF said that it will work harder to cater to the needs of the athletes.  "Our national athletes deserve a Federation that works just as hard for them as they battle for our country. Our athletes deserve better. Philippine volleyball deserves better. And we will work tirelessly to deliver better." PNVF shared that it inherited financial burden from the previous administration led by Tonyboy Liao, making it hard for the federation to function. "When President Frank Lao assumed leadership of PNVF in August 2026, he inherited a Federation burdened with substantial financial liabilities and outstanding obligations," the PNVF shared. "While there have been reports of funding received by the PNVF from various sources, the current leadership is in the midst of a comprehensive inventory and accounting of its financial records, including reconciling funds previously received and determining their corresponding disbursements.  "We remain committed to establishing a clear and accurate picture of the Federation's financial position and ensuring transparency and accountability in the management of its resources." The PNVF said these problems don't excuse the federation to cater to the urgent needs of the athletes today, though. Hence, Lao used his personal funds to provide allowances to the men's national team. This contradicts Bagunas' claims that the national team has only been receiving allowances from the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and not from the PNVF. "President Frank Lao has personally advanced funds to address many of the immediate concerns raised by our National Teams. In particular, before their departure for the Asian Games, President Lao personally provided allowances to the men's national team," the PNVF said. "He also facilitated the necessary ticketing and visa requirements to ensure that certain members of the National Team would be available to participate in the Asian Games.  Furthermore, when the National Team requested an additional round-trip ticket for one of its members, the Federation accommodated the request. These are among the measures undertaken by the current leadership to address the immediate needs of our athletes while working toward more sustainable solutions. Nevertheless, we agree with Mr. Bagunas. These efforts are not enough."

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Asian Games: PNVF admits efforts to support Alas Pilipinas Men 'not enough', vows to address athletes' financial woes

Sep 27, 2026

Asian Games: PNVF admits efforts to support Alas Pilipinas Men 'not enough', vows to address athletes' financial woes

The Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) admitted to its shortcomings in financially supporting its athletes after Alas Men veteran Bryan Bagunas raised concerns over the lack of allowances in their Asian Games campaign.

Bryan Bagunas laments lack of support for Alas Pilipinas

Sep 27, 2026

Bryan Bagunas laments lack of support for Alas Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas team captain Bryan Bagunas has voiced deep frustration over the national team's financial struggles, revealing that players have not received their allowances since July and have resorted to borrowing money just to commute to training. The revelation came shortly after the squad's straight-sets loss to Japan, where Bagunas scored a team-high 15 points. Speaking on behalf of the squad, the team captain highlighted how the financial strain is hurting player morale and training attendance, particularly for younger student-athletes. "It’s really sad because we represent the country, but we don’t feel the support meant for us. I’m really affected, especially for the younger players," Bagunas shared. He added that the lack of transportation funds often prevents players from attending practice, sometimes leaving as few as seven or eight athletes on the court. The financial burden has followed the squad overseas. While in Japan for their campaign, players have had to pay out-of-pocket for basic necessities like meals when training schedules clash with hotel dining hours. Outside of basic Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) allowances, Bagunas noted that team members are forced to shoulder their own daily expenses. The current national team roster retains the same core lineup from the FIVB Volleyball Men's World Championship, now competing in the Asian Games. The squad is led by heavy hitters Bagunas and Marck Espejo, outside hitters Buds Buddin and Jude Garcia, and opposite spikers Leo Ordiales and John Lirck Mendoza. The national team's financial complaints follow recent administrative changes within the Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF), which elected businessman Frank Lao as its new president.

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