FORMER Olympic medalist Eumir Marcial recently secured the most impressive victory of his six-year professional boxing career by knocking out Omar Ulises Huerta in three rounds in San Diego, California. Huerta showed up in the fight with an eye-catching record of 15-1 with 13 knockouts. Confident in his punching power, Huerta lunged forward in the third round and threw a heavy left. Marcial countered perfectly with a textbook step-back: slipping backward to dull the impact of the blow, he instantly unleashed a devastating right hook. The explosive counter flattened Huerta, who remained down as the referee counted him out. While Marcial celebrated, the Asian Games began to unfold in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Marcial was supposed to be part of the Philippine team but decided to withdraw at the last minute. Carlo Paalam, Junmilardo Ogayre, Norlan Petecio, Aira Villegas, Riza Pasuit, and Nesthy Petecio now lead the country’s bid. The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines also reached a consensus to remove Marcial from the roster, prioritizing his physical health. It was determined that the grueling flight from the US to Japan, combined with the fatigue from his recent professional bout, posed too great a risk to Marcial’s recovery. Marcial, of course, is still an integral part of the Philippine boxing squad. The four-part Asian qualifying boxing tournaments for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are set to begin in April 2027, kicking off with the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan. Stage 2 will follow with the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament in China. If Marcial still salivates for an Olympic gold medal, he is expected to step into the ring for these upcoming events. Then again, Marcial cannot serve two masters. Despite the shared fundamental of throwing punches, amateur Olympic boxing and the professional ranks are entirely different sports. Olympic boxing consists of three rounds and three minutes for men. Pro boxing ranges from 4 rounds for beginners up to 12 rounds for championship bouts. The pacing is vastly different. Amateur/Olympic fights demand an immediate high-intensity output like a sprint. Professional fights require energy conversation, body work, and strategic setup for the later rounds. Although both boxing disciplines rely on the 10-point must system, Olympic and amateur scoring differs from professional standards by prioritizing clean blows, technical superiority, and tactical efficiency over sheer punch power, meaning a knockdown might simply be evaluated as a series of clean scoring punches rather than automatically dictating a lopsided round. Marcial is 30 years old and has figured in an estimated 86 amateur bouts. He won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. You can say that Marcial has “maxed out” his stay in the amateur ranks. Marcial’s power-punching style is built for professional boxing. Because amateur bouts last only three rounds, a hit-and-run tactician can easily outscore him. In the pros, however, Marcial does not need a sizzling start; the longer format gives him the time he needs to wear down his opponents and finish them in the later rounds. Marcial turned pro in December 2020 and has since raked up a record of 8-0 with 5 knockouts. Having been a pro boxer for six years, Marcial should have logged in more bouts. Marcial cannot sustain his current split focus between amateur and pro boxing; he needs to commit to a single discipline, and professional boxing is his best option. Having accomplished almost everything in the amateur ranks, Marcial should now be motivated to become the first Filipino to claim the middleweight (160 lbs.) world title since Ceferino Garcia in October 1939 — a historic feat that would also secure him a massive financial windfall. Overstaying in the amateur ranks has derailed many stellar careers, leaving fighters shopworn by the time they finally turn pro. The proof is in the history books: 1984 Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, 1976 Val Barker winner Howard Davis Jr., and three-time Olympic medalist Zou Shiming all failed to live up to the hype in the paid ranks. Marcial needs to avoid this exact trap. By passing the amateur torch to the young guns, Marcial can chase a far more lucrative professional career. Marcial’s explosive style is tailor-made for the grueling distance of 10- or 12-round fights, not the short bursts of three-round amateur bouts.

MAJOR League Baseball’s postseason is rapidly approaching, with the Los Angeles Dodgers seeking a third straight World Series title. It remains to be seen how much some of the game’s biggest stars will be able to participate in the playoffs, though. The Dodgers are once again among the best teams in the big leagues, and they’ll have several challengers in October, including the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. All three teams could finish the regular season with 100 wins or more. Los Angeles is rolling into the postseason and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) after a stint on the injured list. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves have also clinched spots in the postseason. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, a three-time AL MVP, is dealing with a right calf strain that will likely keep him out through at least the Wild Card Series. While the 12-team playoff field appears mostly set, there are a few long-shot contenders for the postseason, and specific matchups are in flux. Here’s some of what to watch as the season comes to a close. Who can clinch a playoff spot In the American League, the Cleveland Guardians can qualify for the postseason with a win at Boston and a loss by either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros. The Chicago White Sox can cap a turnaround season and earn a spot in October with a win over the Kansas City Royals and a loss by the Rangers. Over in the National League, the Chicago Cubs can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Miami Marlins or a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Philadelphia Phillies can clinch a wild card if they beat the Milwaukee Brewers and either the San Diego Padres or D-backs lose. The Padres can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Dodgers and a loss by the D-backs. AL Central and West are tight There’s quite a bit of mediocrity in the AL Central and West divisions this season, which has led to some fascinating pennant races and could lead to a sub-.500 team making the postseason. The Guardians (82-75) have a narrow advantage over the White Sox (81-76) in the AL Central while the Texas Rangers (78-79) and Astros (78-79) are fighting for the AL West. Over in the National League, the playoff bracket is close to set. The Cubs (87-70), Padres (87-70) and Phillies (87-70) are jockeying for position in the wild-card race but will almost certainly make the postseason. The only team within shouting distance is Arizona (83-74), which is four games back. Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker for home field over Philadelphia and San Diego, and the Phillies own the tiebreaker over the Padres after sweeping that season series 6-0. MVP races, stats to watch MLB’s major awards probably won’t have much drama this season. Both MVP races have strong favorites with Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong running away with the NL honor while Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is the probable choice in the AL, though Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has also had a fantastic season. Alvarez still has an outside shot at a Triple Crown. He leads the AL in batting average at.314 and his 41 homers are tied with Caminero, but his 102 RBIs are six back of Baltimore’s Pete Alonso. For the Cy Young Award, Milwaukee flame thrower Jacob Misiorowski and New York ace Cam Schlittler are the favorites in the NL and AL, respectively. The Rookie of the Year races also look set with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart and his 110-RBI season the leader in the NL and Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle the favorite in the AL. There are 12 teams that qualify for MLB’s postseason, including six teams from both the AL and NL. The three division winners in each league get seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked by win-loss record. Then the three wild-card teams get seeds No. 4 through No. 6, also ranked by win-loss record. The top two teams with the best record in both the AL and NL automatically advance to the Division Series. The other eight teams play in the Wild Card Series, which is a best-of-three format beginning on Sept. 29. In both the AL and NL, the No. 6 seed will travel to face the No. 3 seed while the No. 5 seed goes to No. 4. The higher seed hosts all three games. The winners then advance to the best-of-five Division Series, followed by the best-of-seven League Championship Series and a best-of-seven World Series between the winners of the AL and NL. Who are the favorites?The Dodgers (+220) are the favorites to capture a third straight World Series title while the Brewers (+600), Yankees (+800) and Rays (+800) are viewed as the top contenders. AP

NEW YORK — New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will undergo knee surgery and miss the remainder of the L regular season, head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). It is a severe blow to the Giants after Dart excelled in their season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys and had been widely tipped to thrive under new boss Harbaugh. In the latest of several quarterback injuries early this L season, Dart, 23, exited Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams after his left knee buckled awkwardly following a double tackle by defenders Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young. Harbaugh initially expressed hope the quarterback had avoided a “devastating outcome,” but by Tuesday admitted Dart and the team were weighing up a major decision concerning the injury. On Wednesday, Harbaugh confirmed the worst with surgery upcoming on his meniscus and medial collateral ligament (MCL). “He’s bummed. It’s hard. The season’s not over, but it is for him,” Harbaugh said. Harbaugh said Dart is expected to miss the “regular season at least,” but appeared to leave the door open to his starting quarterback returning in the post-season if the Giants make it that far. “There’s no way to know. It just depends on the recovery. You can’t pinpoint it exactly,” he told reporters. A first-round pick in the 2025 L Draft, Dart showed promising form in his debut season. In beating the Cowboys, he threw 230 passing yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another 54 yards. Dart was replaced by veteran quarterback Jameis Winston, who completed just 11-of-27 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns, two sacks and one interception. Harbaugh backed 32-year-old Winston — a former Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Cleveland quarterback who joined the Giants last year — to improve on his rusty Monday showing. “Jameis has been practicing every day. You know, he’s taking reps. He knows the offense. He has been in every single meeting,” said Harbaugh. “He has been engaged every step of the way with everything we’re doing. So, from that perspective, it’s seamless. It’s not ideal at all, but it’s definitely seamless.” Dart’s injury is one of several to have struck down L quarterbacks in the opening two weeks of the season. On Sunday, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered an elbow injury in his team’s loss to the Cowboys while Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams was also injured in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Williams’ back-up Tyson Bagent is also facing a potential spell on the sidelines after being placed in the concussion protocol on Sunday. In week one, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a glute injury while Minnesota’s Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. AFP

KAWHI Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a two-year contract extension that could be worth $115 million if he plays both seasons, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The second year of the deal, the 2028-29 season, is at Leonard’s option, according to the person who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity. The Raptors on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) confirmed that the contract had been signed, without releasing the terms, which were first reported by ESPN. Leonard, 35, led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA title and is now locked into a new deal with a team with eyes on competing for another title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Los Angeles Clippers in 65 games a year ago. Leonard will make just over $50 million this season, the last year of his current contract. It was generally assumed that the Raptors would strike a deal to keep Leonard — a seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP — soon after landing him in a trade with the Clippers. The sides agreed to that trade in late June but didn’t complete it until earlier this month, delaying the process because of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules on Leonard’s behalf. The NBA found four deals that ran afoul of league rules, leading to a one-year suspension of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, the forfeiture of five first-round draft picks, suspensions of other team personnel and a $30 million fine. Leonard was fined $700,000 by the league but is not facing any suspension. AP

NAGOYA, Japan — The head of the South Korean national Olympic committee on Thursday lambasted the organizers of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games for their shoddy operations, saying he would give them a failing grade. In a meeting with South Korean media at the Main Press Centre in Nagoya, Ryu Seung-min, president of the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee, laid into issues covering athletes' accommodations and transportation, among others. "I am sure a lot of others will feel the same way," Ryu said. "Things have been improving since the beginning, but problems with accommodations and transportation are affecting athletes' performances. They deserve a failing grade." Ryu is a former Olympic table tennis champion and an ex-member of the International Olympic Committee. When asked to compare this Asiad to other international events he has attended as an athlete and an official, Ryu said, "If I were to give them a grade, it would be an F." "If athletes' performances are affected, then we have to be critical," Ryu added. "If problems like this persist, then it is serious incompetence. It is not a

The “laundry war” that broke out among baseball teams competing at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games appears to be coming to an end, with each national team finding its own solution. Taiwan’s China Times reported on Wednesday that the Chinese Taipei Baseball Association had finally found an outside laundry service, allowing the Taiwan baseball team to have its uniforms washed at its own expense. “Players no longer have to do their laundry themselves in the early hours of the morning,” the report said. The report added that Korea, Japan and China had also each contracted separate laundry services, predicting that scenes of players from different countries lining up in front of the hotel’s coin-operated washing machines would soon become a thing of the past. The baseball competition has been plagued by various operational problems involving accommodations, transportation and training facilities. Among them, a lack of adequate laundry services has caused difficulties for teams from several countries. According to an official with the Korean baseball team, all teams competing in

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea blew out Indonesia to grab a ticket to the women's basketball semifinals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday. Seven players scored in double figures to help South Korea beat Indonesia 101-59 in the quarterfinals at Aichi International Arena in Nagoya. In Friday's semifinals, South Korea will meet the winner of the Mongolia-China quarterfinal showdown. Coached by Park Soo-ho, South Korea is chasing its first gold medal in women's hoops since 2014 and its fifth overall. The men's national team won gold here Sunday. South Korea set the tone early by draining six three-pointers in the first quarter and taking a 28-18 lead in the opening 10 minutes. South Korea pulled away further in the second quarter, making four more shots from long distance to take a 52-30 lead into the second half. After being held scoreless for about three minutes at the start of the third quarter, South Korea soon regained its rhythm and built a 71-43 lead entering the final frame. South Korea opened the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run en route to the easy win. Choi I-saem led South Korea

TOKYO — Injured shoulder and all, swimmer Kim Woo-min forced his way into the heats for the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay swimming event at the Asian Games here on Thursday. He came away feeling worse than he had anticipated, which ultimately led to his withdrawal from the rest of the competition. The relay race at Tokyo Aquatics Centre came just two days after Kim, a three-time gold medalist at the 2023 Asiad, disclosed that he had been dealing with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder. He had finished last in the 1,500m freestyle Tuesday evening, a shocking development that could only be explained by some physical issues. Kim led off the relay and clocked 50.01 seconds, the slowest split for the team. South Korea, though, still qualified easily for the final set for Thursday evening with a time of 3:19.55. "It hurts more than I thought it would. I started getting worried when I was warming up," Kim said afterward. "At the start of the race, I thought I felt OK but then I couldn't get as much behind my strokes as I wanted to." Kim said the shoulder stiffens

NAGOYA, Japan — Park Hyun-su grabbed bronze in the lightweight men's single sculls rowing event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday for South Korea's first rowing medal here. Park finished third in the 2,000-meter race with a time of 6:53.35 at Nagaragawa International Regatta Course in Aisai, some 20 kilometers west of the main host city Nagoya. Chiu Hin Chun of Hong Kong won the gold in 6:50.32. Amirhossein Mahmoodpour Shahrestani of Iran beat Park over the final stretch for silver in 6:52.59. In the lightweight men's rowing events, athletes must not weigh heavier than 72.5 kilograms. Park was in third place at the halfway mark but moved into second place at the 1,500m mark at 5:10.52, about one second ahead of Mahmoodpour Shahrestani. But the Iranian had the fastest split among the six finalists over the last 500m to snatch silver from Park. Park, 30, won the 2018 Asiad gold in this event. The lightweight event was removed from the program for the 2023 Asiad but made its way back for this year.

NAGOYA, Japan — Lee Jong-jun and Jang Kook-hee combined for silver in the mixed team skeet shooting event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, South Korea's first shotgun medal of the ongoing competition. The South Korean duo finished with 51 points for silver, just one point behind the world record score set by Lyu Jianlin and Jiang Yiting of China at Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota, some 25 kilometers east of the main host city Nagoya. India got the bronze with 44 points. This is the fifth day of shooting at the Asian Games. South Korea had previously won five medals in Toyota — two from pistol and three from rifle events. In skeet shooting, athletes take shots at unglazed clay discs launched from two separate structures, high house on the left and low house on the right. In the mixed team competition, each shooter of the team fires at four targets for a total of eight shots per series, with every successful shot worth a point. In the four-team final, Qatar was eliminated first after the third series of shots with 18 points. China was in the lead at that

Seong Seung-min has completed a rare sweep of modern pentathlon milestones: a world championship gold, an Olympic medal and, now, an Asian Games title. The 23-year-old Korean became the first Korean woman to win an individual Asian Games gold medal in modern pentathlon on Saturday, scoring 1,492 points in the final at Anjo Sports Park in Aichi Prefecture. Her victory also delivered Korea’s first gold medal of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games. Three years ago, however, Seong’s Asian Games story began with a failure she could hardly have scripted. At the 2022 Hangzhou Asian Games, her horse suddenly stopped during the riding event, resulting in her disqualification from the women’s individual competition. She went on to win a bronze medal in the team event, but the individual disappointment stayed with her. What followed was not a retreat, but a transformation. Seong focused intensely on riding, once considered one of her weaker disciplines, while also sharpening her fencing and shooting. By 2024, she had emerged as one of the leading figures in Korean modern pentathlon. She first made her

Korea blanked Ecuador 3-0 in their men's football friendly match at home Thursday, giving interim head coach Robert Moreno his first win in his debut with the Taegeuk Warriors. Oh Hyeon-gyu, Son Heung-min and Lee Dong-gyeong scored a goal apiece in the second half at Suwon World Cup Stadium in Suwon, just south of Seoul, in Korea's first match since the end of the FIFA World Cup in June. Korea suffered a group-stage exit from the tournament then, costing head coach Hong Myung-bo his job. The Korea Football Association brought in Moreno on a temporary basis for six friendly matches scheduled during the September-November period, instead of rushing to hire a full-time boss. But Moreno will have a chance to stay on for the Asian Football Confederation Asian Cup in January, depending on Korea's performance in his first six matches. The Spanish tactician got off on the right foot, with captain Son netting his 57th career goal to move within one goal of the country's all-time leader, Cha Bum-kun. Korea will next face Uruguay at Seoul World Cup Stadium at 8 p.m. Monday.

TOKYO — South Korea picked up bronze in the women's 4x200-meter freestyle swimming event at the Asian Games on Thursday, capping a busy day in the pool for the country in Tokyo. Jo Hyun-ju, Hur Yeon-kyung, Han Da-kyung and Lee Song-eun posted a time of 8:01.87 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, with China cruising to gold in 7:49.37 and Japan finishing second in 7:59.53. Jo had South Korea in second place after her leadoff leg, but the team fell to third after the next leg by Hur. Han kept the team in third place, comfortably ahead of Hong Kong but also well behind Japan. Lee maintained that spot for South Korea as the country won its second straight Asiad bronze in this event. This bronze was South Korea's fifth medal in Tokyo on Thursday — following bronze by Cho Sung-jae in the men's 200m breaststroke, silver by Park Si-eun in the women's 200m breaststroke, silver by Kim Jun-woo in the men's 800m freestyle and silver by the men's 4x100m freestyle relay team.

TOKYO — South Korea claimed silver in the men's 4x100-meter freestyle relay swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday, its second straight runner-up finish. Hwang Sun-woo, Kim Ji-hun, Yang Jae-hoon and Kim Young-beom posted a time of 3:11.69 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, ending up 1.09 seconds behind China, which set an Asian record of 3:10.60. Japan finished third in 3:11.96. Hwang led off with his personal-best 100m time of 47.50 seconds, putting South Korea in the lead. By the time Kim Ji-hun finished his second leg, South Korea fell to third behind China and Japan. Yang kept South Korea in the bronze medal position, and Kim Young-beom pushed the team to second place with a blistering anchoring leg of 46.84. He had the fastest final 50m split with 24.60 seconds. In the morning's heats, Kim Woo-min, Ji Yu-chan, Lee Ho-joon and Kim Min-seop swam for South Korea. These four will also receive their silver medals. Kim Woo-min competed through a shoulder injury. He helped South Korea win bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay Monday but then finished last in the 1,500m freestyle Tuesday, afte

TOKYO — Kim Jun-woo earned a joint silver medal in the men's 800-meter freestyle swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday for his first career individual medal. Kim and Kaito Tabuchi of Japan finished with the identical time of 7:43.86 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. In swimming, ties are recorded and awarded to the one-hundredth of a second. Zhang Zhanshuo of China won the gold with an Asian Games record time of 7:42.49. Kim had earlier helped South Korea win bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. The 19-year-old said he was happy to see his hard work pay off in his Asian Games debut. Kim is also the second straight South Korean medalist in this race, after Kim Woo-min's gold in 2023. Kim Woo-min won his gold in 7:46.03, and Kim Jun-woo was 2.17 seconds faster on Thursday. "Since this was my first major international competition, I came in with a focus on my time, rather than my placement," Kim Jun-woo said. "It would have been nice to finish higher but I am pleased with my time here." Kim Woo-min did not have a chance to defend his gold medal here due to shoulder injury. After finishing la

TOKYO — Cho Sung-jae earned bronze in the men's 200-meter breaststroke swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday, becoming only the second South Korean to reach the podium in this event. Cho clocked 2:08.76 for third place, as Shin Ohashi of Japan set a world record with a time of 2:04.83 and Denis Petrashov of Kyrgyzstan won silver in 2:08.67 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Cho touched the 50m pad in sixth place and moved to fifth place at the halfway mark. He was in fourth with 50m to go, trailing Ippei Watanabe of Japan by 0.67 second. But Cho found another gear and covered the last 50m in 33.30 seconds, the third-fastest split in the 10-man final. Cho held off Adam Mak Sai-ting of Hong Kong by 0.01 second. Cho joins Choi Kyu-woong, a joint silver medalist in 2010, as the only South Koreans to win an Asiad medal in the men's 200m breaststroke. Cho, 25, earned his first individual medal in his third Asian Games appearance. "It has been almost six years since I last got into the 2:08 range," Cho said. "I was so desperate for a medal here and I think it showed." He said he was pleased with how he

TOKYO — Park Si-eun grabbed a surprising silver medal in the women's 200-meter breaststroke swimming at the Asian Games on Thursday. Park finished with a new national record time of 2:22.69 at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, just 0.12 second back of the champion from Japan, Kotomi Kato. Swimming in Lane 5, Park led Kato by 0.72 second at the 150m mark, but Park came home in 37.41 seconds, compared to 36.57 seconds by the Japanese. Zhu Leiju of China got the bronze in 2:25.51. Park, 19, said she was inspired to take up swimming after watching highlights of former swimmer Jeong Da-rae, who won the 2010 Asiad gold in the women's 200m breaststroke. Jeong remains the only South Korean with an Asian Games title in this event. "I have trained so hard, not taking any day off even when my friends were enjoying their time away from the pool," Park said, choking back on tears. "I really wanted to do well here and all that time spent in the pool was worth it." Park said she is now motivated to reach even greater heights. "I came here trying to win a gold medal and I fell just short," Park said. "This has give

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korean artistic gymnast Yeo Seo-jeong won gold in the women's vault at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, giving the country its first title in the sport. Yeo scored an average of 14.483 points after two attempts, beating defending Asiad champion North Korea's An Chang-ok, who scored 13.666 points, in the women's vault final of artistic gymnastics at Nagoya General Gymnasium in Nagoya, central Japan. The bronze medal went to Du Siyu of China, who scored 13.450 Thursday's gold was Yeo's second career Asian Games title in the women's vault, following her victory at the 2018 Asian Games. She skipped the 2022 edition to focus on the world championships. Yeo now stands alongside her father, Yeo Hong-chul, who won gold medals in the men's vault at the 1994 and 1998 Asian Games. The father-daughter duo have also won Olympic silver and bronze medals, respectively. Yeo was unrivaled in the final, as she was the only gymnast among the eight finalists to score above 14 points on both attempts, thanks to her outstanding takeoffs, twists and landings. In her first attempt,

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea won the gold medal in the men's kayak four 500-meter race at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Thursday, bringing home the country's first gold in canoe sprint at the competition. The team of Cho Gwang-hee, Kim Hyo-bin, Jang Sang-won and Choi Min-kyu finished the race in 1:22.587 in the final of the men's kayak four 500m event at Miyoshi Lake Canoe Course in Miyoshi, just east of the main host city of Nagoya. It was South Korea's first gold medal in canoe sprint and ninth overall at the competition. South Korea edged out China by 0.255 seconds, with Japan finishing 3.322 seconds behind the champions. The South Korean quartet crossed the 250-meter mark in 40.44 seconds to take the lead. They battled neck and neck with China through the rest of the race but held onto the lead through the finish. In Heat 2, held the previous day, South Korea finished first in 1:25.383 to advance to the final. Canoe sport comprises two disciplines — canoe sprint and canoe slalom — with kayak events contested in both.

MANILA, Philippines — World No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia pulled the rug from under Alex Eala of the Philippines, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the round of 16 of the 2026 Singapore Open on Thursday night at the Kallang Stadium in Singapore. Eala is ranked 18th in the world, received a first-round bye and seeded No. 3 in the tournament. Prozorova, on the other hand, is making her first appearance as a direct entry in a WTA 500 event. In an arena filled with dominant Filipino spectators, Prozorova understood that she was facing the darling of the crowd and a tough competitor. The Russian challenged the Filipina in the first frame after sending the match to seven deuces but Eala recovered and won 2/6 of the break points for a 6-4 decision. It took 67 minutes for Eala to fend off Prozorova in the opening set. The Russian, however, showed patience in the second frame. After being down, 4-2, Prozorova turned things around and added more variety in her swings to regain the lead, 5-4. Eala tried to claw back, but Prozorova showed more accuracy in her shots to even the count at 1-all. The 22-year-old Russian showed impeccable forehand swings and countered Eala’s attacks that allowed her to enjoy a 2-0 advantage in the third set. The 21-year-old Eala refused to back down in the fight and won three games in a row for a 3-2 lead. But Prozorova refused to give up and outhustled Eala the rest of the way. Prozorova was emotional after the win and was seen crying as she shook Eala's hand. She has not beaten any player in the WTA Top 40 before. With her early exit in Singapore, Eala will now shift her focus on her games in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan starting next week.

MANILA, Philippines — Kathlyn Bugna continued to make a strong case as one of the country’s most promising young tennis players, sweeping three titles, including two singles crowns, in the Bagong Pilipinas Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships at the Capitol indoor and outdoor courts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat recently. The Batang Onay/RSB standout from La Carlota was virtually untouchable in the girls’ 16-and-under division, dropping just four games in four matches before routing Justine Gumbao, 6-0, 6-2, in the final. Bugna was just as dominant in the premier 18-and-U category, yielding only five games in four matches and capping her run with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Princess Obaniana. She completed her three-title haul by teaming up with Ashley Garcia to capture the 18-and-U doubles crown over Dyan Placa and Marxian Sira, matching her three-title performance in the Bagong Pilipinas circuit’s Manila leg, underscoring the consistency of a player being groomed for a bigger future in Philippine tennis. Her latest sweep also earned her another MVP trophy in the Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking-sanctioned circuit, further highlighting her emergence as a leading prospect in the junior ranks and her ambition to follow the path blazed by Alex Eala, who has risen to international prominence. Bugna’s continued development comes amid expanded efforts from both government and private-sector partners to strengthen the grassroots tennis pipeline. The tournament is part of the Bagong Pilipinas sports agenda and held under the long-running Palawan Pawnshop talent-search, which seeks to widen opportunities for young athletes through grassroots programs, public training facilities and youth sports initiatives nationwide, while private supporters continue to help provide competitive avenues for rising players. Krelz Gecosala likewise sustained his impressive form in the boys’ side, ruling both the 16- and 18-and-U divisions in similarly dominant fashion. Gecosala dropped just four games in four matches in the 16-and-U category, highlighted by a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Rein Hayana in the final. He then captured the centerpiece crown with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kurt Alcantara in the event sponsored by Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu and supported by A.C. Garcia Corp., Gareco Garcia Refinery Corp., A.C. Garcia Group of Companies and A.C. Garcia Palm Oil Mill Corp. Other winners in the second leg of the circuit’s Mindanao swing were Kresthan Belacas and Gumbao in the 14-and-U division, and Liam Harrow and Athena Guarde in the 12-and-U category. Belacas defeated Rafael Pascua, 6-3, 6-4, while Gumbao bounced back from her 16-and-U final loss by beating Teresinha Calingasan, 1-0 (ret.). Harrow turned back Francis Dimzon, 6-2, 6-4, while unranked Guarde pulled off one of the tournament’s notable upsets, defeating top seed Arissa Macapendeg, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals before dominating Len Falconitin, 6-2, 6-1, in the final. TMT

Alexandra “Alex” Eala suffered an early exit in the Singapore Tennis Open after falling short against Tatiana Prozorova, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

The Philippines won its first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games as Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo ruled the men"s floor exercise final in artistic gymnastics on Thursday in Japan.

Grant Stewart has been awarded his long-awaited Kent county cap.

Rower Chiu Hin-chun grabbed the gold he needed to complete his set of Asian Games medals, Siobhan Haughey won her fourth of the week, and there was a wushu first as Hong Kong’s athletes had a Thursday to remember in Japan. Chiu’s triumph in the lightweight men’s singles sculls was one of four medals the city’s rowers brought home in Nagoya and Tokyo. Winne Hung Wing-yan took silver in the women’s lightweight single sculls, while there was bronze for women’s pair Cheung Yuen-shan and Leung...

Việt Nam take one silver and five bronzes in wushu, rowing and esports in the fifth day of activities at the Japan Asian Games.

Eli King admits it has been a “whirlwind” since his last-minute decision to join Gillingham, but he already feels at home.

Conor McManus has recovered from injury in time to represent his country and will miss Gillingham’s weekend trip to York City.

Olympics, World Championships, and Southeast Asian Games -- Carlos Yulo has won gold medals in all three competitions, and on Thursday, he completed his collection with an Asian Games gold.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament Letran def. EAC (91-80) Justin Cargo Player of the Game #NCAASeason102