Singapore Grand Prix: George Russell to go ‘all out’ as Kimi Antonelli nears Formula 1 title

South China Morning Post - Oct 9, 2026

George Russell said he will need to throw everything he can at stopping, or even just delaying, Kimi Antonelli’s march to the Formula 1 title – but that will not be easy from the back of the grid at the Singapore Grand Prix. Russell was third, with Mercedes teammate Antonelli ahead of him in second, when his power unit suddenly failed on Sunday during the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, leaving him with a penalty this week for an engine change. After that, this week it is “all-out attack, just...

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Alex Eala arrives in Wuhan ahead of WTA 1000 event

Oct 9, 2026

Alex Eala arrives in Wuhan ahead of WTA 1000 event

Alexandra Eala has arrived in Wuhan, China, ahead of the WTA 1000 Wuhan Open, which is set to begin next week.

MLB proposes shortening regular season to 154 games in 2029, expanding Division Series to best-of-7

Oct 9, 2026

MLB proposes shortening regular season to 154 games in 2029, expanding Division Series to best-of-7

NEW YORK— Major League Baseball proposed to shorten the regular season to 154 games from 162 starting in 2029 and to expand the Division Series to best-of-seven in a plan given to players during collective bargaining Thursday. Owners also proposed adding nine additional days off to the current postseason format, extending it to a maximum 42 days in a move that would give top starting pitchers potential to appear more often. MLB would allow higher-seeded teams in the first two rounds of the postseason to pick their opponents beginning next year and would make most regular-season Mondays a day off for the vast majority of teams starting in 2029 except for those in up to two nationally broadcast games. Cutting regular-season games would reduce the opportunity for players to set season and career records. "Returning to a 154-game schedule would allow us to introduce a weekly off day, which is good for player health, while also creating a new national broadcast window to showcase our most exciting teams and players," MLB spokesman Glen Caplin said in a statement. The players' association said it will review the plan and will respond at the bargaining table. Baseball's five-year labor contract expires Dec. 1, and management is expected to lock out players in a confrontation that could delay or wipe out the 2027 season. MLB proposed a salary cap, which the union has vowed to never accept, along with limits on contract values and length. "Unfortunately, the league once again made clear that all of its proposals are contingent on players' agreement to a salary cap, a system that guts player rights and compensation, as well as its other anti-player proposals," the union said in a statement. MLB's regular season currently schedules 162 games over 187 days, and the new format would play the 154 games over 180 in most years. MLB would keep the Wild Card Series at best-of-three at the ballpark of the higher-seeded team, add an extra day off between Games 1 and 2 and stagger series starts. There would be only two games scheduled on each of the first three days rather than the current format of up to four games per day. No. 3 seeds could select after the regular season whether to host No. 5 or No. 6 in the Wild Card Series, and the No. 1 seeds could pick which wild-card winner to play in the Division Series. Each best-of-seven series would be played over 11 days instead of nine, adding off days before Games 5 and 7 in addition to the travel days before Games 3 and 6. MLB would stop scheduling early round postseason games in afternoons after some teams have struggled to fill stadiums in those slots. Management made a "pick your opponent" proposal in 2022 bargaining as part of a 14-team playoff plan players didn't agree to. "A shorter regular season unlocks making October even better for our fans — with fewer weekday afternoon games, a longer Division Series and more opportunities to see the game's best pitchers on the biggest stage," Caplin said. "And allowing the top seeds to select their opponents in the first two rounds would create compelling storylines, intensify existing rivalries and create new ones." As part of the proposal, each team would be scheduled for four day-night doubleheaders, one against each division rival. Minor league schedules have included days off on Mondays since 2021. Big league clubs would be scheduled for Monday games on national holidays, when many typically draw large crowds. Teams that play Mondays would be scheduled to have Thursday off. MLB said player salaries would not be adjusted to reflect fewer games and bonus provision thresholds — like those that pay players for games played — would be adjusted to reflect the shortened schedule. The National and American Leagues adopted 154-game schedules in 1904 that had every team in each eight-team circuit playing all opponents 22 times. The AL switched to a 162-game schedule when it expanded to 10 teams for 1961 and the National League followed suit the next year. The LCS started in 1969 and were best-of-five through 1984, then expanded to best-of-seven. Division Series have been best-of-five since their inception for annual use in 1995. Wild card games started with the expansion of the playoffs from eight to 10 teams in 2012 and became best-of-three Wild Card Series when the postseason increased to 12 clubs in 2022.

WNBA: Aces star A'ja Wilson wins record fifth MVP award

Oct 9, 2026

WNBA: Aces star A'ja Wilson wins record fifth MVP award

Las Vegas Aces star A'ja Wilson became the first five-time MVP in WNBA history Thursday, extending her record with another selection as the league's top player.

Manny Pacquiao trains Polish President Karol Nawrocki in boxing

Oct 9, 2026

Manny Pacquiao trains Polish President Karol Nawrocki in boxing

Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao joined Polish President Karol Nawrocki in a training session in a boxing gym in Parañaque.

First stop, Bangkok: Japan volleyball chiefs eye Asia expansion, global influence

Oct 9, 2026

First stop, Bangkok: Japan volleyball chiefs eye Asia expansion, global influence

Japan’s top volleyball competition will stage regular-season matches overseas for the first time this weekend, in a strategic push to transform itself into an Asian league. The SV League will host women’s matches on Saturday and Sunday in Bangkok, and plans to take men’s games there in January. Launched in October 2024 as the successor to the former V League, the revamped professional competition features 10 men’s teams and 14 women’s teams competing in a regular-season and playoff...

Vietnamese dancesport wants to dance on higher after Rome success

Oct 9, 2026

Vietnamese dancesport wants to dance on higher after Rome success

Cutting rugs: Dancesport master Nguyễn Khánh Thi said the sport has athletes with the potential to go further, but sustained progress would depend on giving them the right conditions throughout their careers.

PH men's, women's teams qualify for World Lacrosse Sixes Championships

Oct 9, 2026

PH men's, women's teams qualify for World Lacrosse Sixes Championships

A day after World Lacrosse formally announced the Philippine men’s team’s qualification for the 2027 World Lacrosse Sixes Championships, it also said that the women's team will also play in the world meet in Colorado, USA. The world lacrosse championships will also serve as qualifying event for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. Both teams are also taking part in the Asia-Pacific Sixes Championships in Australia. Despite losing 14-15 to China in their opening match on Oct. 5, the men later routed South Korea 22-7 the next day. This secured their qualification for the World Championships. As of press time, the men were in a semifinal clash with Japan. Meanwhile, the women first beat China 16-15, then New Zealand 14-12, before losing to Australia 24-3, then routing Singapore 21-3. Lacrosse will return to the Olympics in 2028, following a 120-year absence from the Games’ official list of sports.

NU, Letran dispute solo lead in SSL Unity Cup

Oct 9, 2026

NU, Letran dispute solo lead in SSL Unity Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Five-peat-seeking National University braces for Letran’s tough resistance when the two unbeaten teams clash for the solo lead in Pool A of the 2026 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.    Lady Bulldogs head coach Norman Miguel sees the reigning NCAA champion Lady Knights as one of the biggest threats to their reign. Miguel knows that even with NU’s advantage in depth and firepower, Letran is not a team to be taken lightly when they meet at 3 p.m. as action in the league’s centerpiece competition, backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R&B Milk Tea resumes after an 11-day break.     “Letran, being the NCAA champion, has gained so much experience and we know magagamit nila sa game ‘yun. Kaya walang reason para maging complacent kami sa game,” Miguel said. The Lady Bulldogs had a dominating start in their title-retention bid, sweeping past San Beda University, 25-14, 25-19, 25-18, last September 26. Arah Panique, who scored nine points in the previous match, will again lead NU’s charge alongside veterans Vange Alinsug, Alexa Mata, Chams Maaya, Celine Marsh, Harlyn Serneche and Sam Cantada. The Lady Knights, meanwhile, are coming off a huge opening-day win after tripping Arellano University, 25-19, 18-25, 25-18, 25-18, last September 27. Letran coach Aleksi Lahteenmaki is pinning his hopes on Judiel Nitura, Carlyn Tizon, Sheena Sarie and Kaizah Huyno to pull off an upset over NU. Meanwhile, Far Eastern University and San Sebastian College-Recoletos square off at 1 p.m. to open the triple-header playdate of the tournament, supported by Smart, PusoP.com DICT, Executive Optical, Milo and Summit Natural Drinking Water, with the Philippine Sports Commission, the Commission on Higher Education, Mikasa, Asics, Rigour Technology, Jersey Haven, Solar Sports and 12 Beyond Production as technical partners.  The Lady Tamaraws and Lady Stags are tied on top of Pool C. FEU hurdled Ateneo De Manila University, 25-20, 25-13, 25-12, in its first game while SSC-R outlasted Emilio Aguinaldo College in a come-from-behind, 16-25, 18-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-6, thriller. In the other pairing, University of the Philippines debuts against rebound-seeking University of the East at 5 p.m. in their Pool D showdown. The Lady Warriors seek to bounce back from a 22-25, 26-24, 26-24, 12-25, 13-15, defeat to Lyceum of the Philippines University. All games are available live and on demand via PusoP.com and Solar Sports. TMT

Hong Kong tennis bosses eye golden pipeline after Coleman Wong secures sport’s future

Oct 9, 2026

Hong Kong tennis bosses eye golden pipeline after Coleman Wong secures sport’s future

Coleman Wong Chak-lam’s historic men’s singles gold at the Asian Games had an impact far beyond earning him a spot at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics; it also secured tennis’ elite status in Hong Kong for another four years. Wong beat Wu Yibing of China in straight sets in the final at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Centre in Nagoya, becoming his city’s first singles winner at the continental Games. Bronze for Eudice Chong and Cody Wong Hong-yi in the women’s doubles made it the most successful Games...

Gilas girls fall big to China, turn focus to key 5th-place match

Oct 8, 2026

Gilas girls fall big to China, turn focus to key 5th-place match

MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas Youth women’s team lost to China by 63 points, 112-49, on Thursday in the qualification for the semifinals of the Fiba U18 Women’s Asia Cup 2026 Division A in Seremban, Malaysia. But despite the loss, the Gilas girls still have a shot at booking a place in the Fiba U19 Women’s Basketball

Mirra Andreeva seals China Open semifinal vs Nikola Bartunkova

Oct 8, 2026

Mirra Andreeva seals China Open semifinal vs Nikola Bartunkova

BEIJING–Russian teenager Mirra Andreeva pushed through two tie-breaks to beat her compatriot Ekaterina Alexandrova 7-6 (7/4), 7-6 (7/3) at the China Open on Thursday, powering into a semi-final clash with Nikola Bartunkova. Andreeva, the 19-year-old fourth seed, is the favorite for the tournament in Beijing now that a series of upsets have knocked out her

Alex Eala shares coach’s blunt lesson on effort

Oct 8, 2026

Alex Eala shares coach’s blunt lesson on effort

MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala admitted that giving everything in a tennis match does not necessarily mean playing well, a difficult lesson driven home by criticism from her coach after a three-set contest. The Asian Games bronze medalist and world No. 18 in the Women’s Tennis Association singles rankings shared the experience during an October 7 appearance

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