Invincible Ibis exceeds Mark Newnham’s expectations with thrilling first-up win in Celebration Cup

South China Morning Post - Sep 27, 2026

Hong Kong Derby (2,000m) hero Invincible Ibis exceeded trainer Mark Newnham’s expectations on his return to record a thrilling victory in the Group Three Celebration Cup (1,400m) at Sha Tin on Sunday. Handing Newnham and jockey Luke Ferraris back-to-back wins in the HK$4.2 million feature, Invincible Ibis ran on strongly from midfield and held off a late burst from Galaxy Patch to score by a neck. The son of Hellbent made a statement in his return from last season, which saw him claim Champion...

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Alas Pilipinas falls to South Korea in Asian Games opener

Sep 27, 2026

Alas Pilipinas falls to South Korea in Asian Games opener

MANILA, Philippines — Errors proved costly for Alas Pilipinas as the men’s volleyball team pushed South Korea to the limit late in the match before succumbing in straight sets, 25-16, 27-25, 25-23, to open its 2026 Asian Games campaign on Sunday afternoon at the Park Arena Komaki in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Following a slow start in the opening frame, the 115th-ranked Nationals found their rhythm and nearly stole the second set against World No. 25 South Korea. Offensives led by Bryan Bagunas helped the Philippines secure set point twice at 25-24, but back-to-back attack errors handed the Koreans a 27-25 set victory and a 2-0 match lead. The Philippines remained competitive in the third set, trailing by just one point at 21-20. However, an attack error from Buds Buddin alongside a Sanghyeon Lee service ace gave South Korea a late 23-20 advantage. Alas mounted a late rally when Joshua Magalaman blocked Shin Hojin’s match-point attempt, followed by a service ace from Leo Ordiales to bring the Philippines within one at 23-22. The momentum quickly swung back to South Korea after a service error by Ordiales and a match-ending block on Marck Espejo’s back-row attack by Junhyeok Choi. While Alas dominated the net with a 10-5 advantage in blocks, unforced errors heavily swung the match outcome. The Philippines conceded 13 service errors compared to South Korea's three. Bagunas paced the Philippines with 15 points off 13 attacks, an ace, and a block. Magalaman and Ordiales contributed 13 and 11 points, respectively, while Espejo added seven and Peng Taguibolos chipped in five. Setter Owa Retamar orchestrated the offense effectively, recording 33 excellent sets alongside two points. Sungjin Lim led South Korea with 12 points, supported by Donghyeok Im with 11 and Hanyong Jeong with eight. Youngseok Cha and Sanghyeon Lee added five points each. Alas Pilipinas now faces a crucial turnaround as they prepare to take on World No. 34 China on Monday. With only the top two teams from each pool advancing to the quarterfinals, the match serves as a must-win scenario to keep their playoff hopes alive before potential relegation to the classification round. The Philippines previously finished 13th in the group stage during the 2022 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

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

Sep 27, 2026

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

MANILA, Philippines — 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.