COPENHAGEN — The international future of Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo hung in the balance after the 41-year-old walked out on the squad after learning that he would not start the game against Denmark on Thursday (Friday in Manila). Ronaldo announced late on Wednesday that he had left the team, shortly after a press conference in which coach Jorge Jesus confirmed the five-time Ballon d’Or winner would be left out of his starting lineup for a second consecutive Nations League game. In his absence, Portugal turned on the style to beat Denmark, 4-2. The former Real Madrid forward had been due to train with his teammates at the Parken Stadium on the eve of the game, but walked out following the announcement by Jesus. “Following the national team coach’s press conference, and after having a conversation with the Portuguese Football Federation president, I decided to leave the national team’s training camp,” Ronaldo wrote on Instagram. He had already spent the entirety of Sunday’s 2-1 Nations League win in Norway on the bench, having captained the side in the 1-0 home victory over Wales last Thursday. Ronaldo appeared to indicate that the reasons behind Jesus’s decision ran deeper, and hinted at a departure from the national team he has graced for more than two decades. “In due course, I will tell the truth to all the Portuguese people about my reasons for leaving the national team, to which I have always been dedicated,” Ronaldo said. “Now is time to wish good luck to Portugal and to all my teammates, without exception.” Spanish sports daily Marca said that Jesus and Portuguese federation president Pedro Proenca followed Ronaldo to Copenhagen airport in an attempt to persuade him to stay with the squad, before the player boarded his private jet. Jesus insisted earlier on Wednesday that there was no rift between him and Ronaldo, although the 72-year-old, who was appointed in July, acknowledged that his captain was disappointed to remain on the bench against Norway. The news sparked a wave of memes on social media and a furious backlash from Ronaldo’s sister, Elma Aveiro. “They don’t deserve to have the best of anything,” she said about the Portuguese people on Instagram. “We are envious, scornful, and ignorant, and we deserve to return to the mediocrity that defined us in the pre-CR7 era of football,” she added, using his nickname. The game in Oslo was the first time since November 2024 that Ronaldo had not featured for Portugal while not being either injured or suspended. “There was no incident whatsoever,” Jesus, who coached Ronaldo at Saudi club Al-Nassr for a year, insisted after that match. “Any player — and I was a player myself ... when you spend 20 or 30 minutes warming up and then don’t get on ... no one is happy about that,” Jesus added on Wednesday. The Portuguese coach also said that he had told Ronaldo before the match that he might bring him on as a substitute. “Afterwards, as coach, I decided not to bring him on. It’s nothing to make a fuss about,” Jesus insisted. After the win on Thursday, Jesus’s press conference was dominated by talk of Ronaldo. “This Portugal team scored four goals and put in a performance which, in my opinion, was of a very high standard,” he said. “Of course, this is more important than anything else that has happened. “I still think exactly the same way: there are players with status. That much is crystal clear,” he added. “But I’ll say it again: the rules are the same for everyone.” There were reports that Portuguese Prime Minister Luis Montenegro had even discussed the issue of Ronaldo’s involvement with the coach on Wednesday. Jesus said earlier in the day that against Denmark he again intended to start AC Milan striker Goncalo Ramos, who scored the winner in Norway. Regarding Ronaldo, he said: “If I need him, he’ll come on. If I don’t need him, he won’t.” Ronaldo recently announced that this would “probably (be) my last year in football.” He is Portugal’s leading goalscorer and most capped player, with 146 goals in 234 appearances. The former Sporting, Manchester United, Real and Juventus striker made his international debut aged 18 in 2003 and played in the Euro 2004 final when Portugal lost to hosts Greece.

PARIS, France — The Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) announced Thursday (Friday in Manila) that it has reduced the number of tournaments that top-ranked players are required to play in 2027. The measure comes in response to recurring criticism about tennis’ overloaded schedule. Under the current system, the world’s top 50-ranked players are obligated to play the four Grand Slam tournaments, 10 WTA 1000 events and six 500 events each year. In 2027, they will be required to play only four WTA 500 tournaments instead of six, the women’s tour announced in a statement released Thursday. In addition, they will be able to substitute points earned at a WTA 1000 tournament with those earned at a WTA 500 or WTA 250 tournament. In other words, a player who chooses not to compete in a mandatory WTA 1000 event could still include the points earned at a less prestigious tournament in her ranking — whereas she currently risks earning zero points. The WTA will assess the impact of these measures to decide whether or not to extend them into 2028. In January, the ATP announced a similar measure, reducing the number of mandatory 500-level tournaments for the world’s top 30 players from five to four, starting this season. The WTA press release issued Thursday also announced that, for the first time, the prize money for “combined” WTA 1000 tournaments will be identical to that of the corresponding men’s ATP events. While the WTA and Masters 1000 tournaments in Indian Wells, Miami and Madrid already offered equal prize money, this was not yet the case for the tournaments in Rome, Canada and Cincinnati.

The Philippines won its fourth gold medal in the 2026 Asian Games on Friday as Jeus Gabriel Derick Yape ruled the mixed individual virtual taekwondo event.

Olympic silver medalist and now Asian Games silver medalist Carlo Paalam spoke about his experience in the men"s 55kg final, which went in favor of hometown bet Rui Yamaguchi.

San Beda University bounced back in its opening game of the crossover phase of the NCAA Season 102 preliminary round as the Red Lions routed San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 85-55, on Friday.

JAPAN — Hosts Japan won their third straight Asian Games women's football gold on Friday, edging North Korea on penalties after a 2-2 draw in a dramatic final. Yuzuho Shiokoshi scored the decisive penalty as Japan, who reached the final without conceding a goal, won 5-3 in the shootout to claim the title for the fourth time. North Korea changed their goalkeeper in the final minute of extra time but it was not enough to give them their first gold since 2014. The hosts looked in full control when Mami Ueno gave them the lead in the 32nd minute in Shizuoka. But Jong Kum bundled in an equalizer two minutes into the second half that was eventually given after a VAR check, before Jon Ryong Jong put North Korea ahead in the 69th minute. Japan's Hanon Nishio equalized with four minutes left to send the game into extra time. The teams could not be separated and North Korea brought on substitute goalkeeper Chae Un Gyong to help their cause. Instead it was Japan goalkeeper Shu Ohba who was the hero, stopping Jong's penalty in the only miss of the shootout. North Korea were backed by groups of red-clad supporters among the crowd of over 6,000. Japan and North Korea went into the final having each scored 26 goals in the previous rounds. The two teams had also shared the previous six Asian Games titles, winning three each. Japan coach Michihisa Kano won his first title since replacing Greenland-born Nils Nielsen. Nielsen led Japan to the Asian Cup title in Australia in March but was fired 12 days later. North Korea were looking to extend their astonishing recent run of international success in women's football. They have won three world titles at age-group level in the last two years, and North Korean club Naegohyang Women's FC became Asian champions in May after a final tournament played in South Korea. Women's football is one of the strongest international sports for diplomatically isolated and impoverished North Korea, with their national sides regularly competing at the highest levels in Asia and globally.

Jeus Yape delivered a surprise gold medal for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games on Friday as he ruled the mixed virtual taekwondo event in Japan.

Experienced duo Matt Milnes and Sam Northeast have extended their Kent contracts for a further year.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament San Beda def. San Sebastian, 85-55 Aldous Torculas Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

NAGOYA, Japan — Alexandra Eala admitted on Friday that she gets "overwhelmed sometimes" by the huge weight of expectation placed on her as a trailblazer for tennis in the Philippines. The 21-year-old leaves the Asian Games having fallen short of her ambition to win gold for her country, instead settling for bronze. Eala is followed everywhere by adoring fans eager for a piece of the world number 18, who in August became the first player from the Philippines to win a title on the women's WTA Tour. "I definitely do get overwhelmed sometimes," said Eala. "But I understand that it's such a privilege to be in the position that I'm in and to be able to live out the dreams that I've always had as a kid. "So it's something I've had to accept that it comes with the job, and this is how things are. "I'm ready for the challenge." Eala, who skipped the prestigious China Open in Beijing to play for her country at the Asian Games, said she would take away good memories despite exiting in the semi-finals in a three-set defeat to China's lower-ranked Wang Xinyu. Wang went on to beat compatriot Zhang Shuai to win gold on Friday. "It does come with pressure, but I'm really happy that I was able to compete here," said Eala, who was the top seed. "To be able to share it with the Filipino people is really important," she added. "No regrets. I left everything on the court," said Eala. With Games gold comes direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Eala said it was still her "dream" to play in LA. "There are other ways of qualifying for the Olympics, so I guess it's also an extra motivation," she said. "Competing in the Olympics is definitely a dream of mine. So, if anything, I leave here more motivated."

EJ Castillo dropped 23 points as Emilio Aguinaldo College notched its second straight win at the expense of Lyceum of the Philippines University, 89-79, in the NCAA Season 102 on Friday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

MANILA, Philippines — Olympian Kurt Bryan Barbosa bowed to Kazakhstan’s Tamirlan Tleules, 2-0, and settled for the silver medal in men’s under-58kg taekwondo at the 2026 Asian Games at the Toyohashi City General Gymnasium in Aichi, Japan. After a tight first round, the 27-year-old Barbosa was completely dominated by the 20-year-old Tleules in the match as the Kazakh did not allow the Filipino to score in the second round.

Tokyo Olympian and taekwondo jin Kurt Barbosa captured another silver medal for the Philippines in the 2026 Asian Games after falling short against Kazakhstan"s Tamirlan Tlueles in the men"s 58kg final on Friday in Japan.

MANILA, Philippines — Teenager Tachiana Mangin faltered in the gold medal match against world taekwondo champion Jingyue Ma of China in the women’s under-49 kilogram (kg), 2-0, to cop a silver medal in her Asian Games debut on Friday night. The 18-year-old Mangin was outplayed by the 25-year-old Ma, who showed more precise kicks over the Filipina.

Taekwondo jin Tachiana Mangin of the Philippines settled for silver in the 2026 Asian Games after falling short against China"s Ma Jingyue in the women"s 49kg final on Friday in Japan.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   EAC def. Lyceum, 89-79  EJ Castillo Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

NAGOYA, Japan — When the Korean men’s 3x3 basketball team secured a historic Asian Games gold medal here last week, the celebrations back home were muted. That same quiet greeted the nation’s canoe sprint athletes as they paddled their way to the podium. There was only one Asian Games event for that time slot that made it to viewers through the major broadcast television networks in Seoul: early-round baseball. The Asian Games, promoted with grand “Imagine One Asia” banners, are designed to project unity. But for Korea, the competition has exposed a strict, deeply unequal domestic sports culture — one that divides far more than it unites, valuing TV ratings and outdated labels over athletic skill. The broadcast blackout was not a deliberate affront, but a reflection of a TV industry tied to profit. Just months ago, major broadcast networks championing the “public’s right to watch” criticized cable channel JTBC for securing exclusive rights to show the World Cup and the Winter Olympics. However, when faced with the cold reality of television ratings, those same network

Members of the North Korean national weightlifting team, who swept 10 medals, including seven golds, at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, were publicly reprimanded inside the venue by a top-ranking delegation official and submitted apparent written self-criticisms. Some athletes stood at attention and wept. Experts presumed the incident to be an ideological review session examining the athletes' ideology and conduct, noting that the North Korean delegation's control methods, on display even at an international sporting event, amount to a human rights violation. According to information gathered by The Hankook Ilbo, about 10 athletes from the North Korean national weightlifting team were sternly reprimanded by a female official around 12:20 p.m. Monday in a secluded area inside the Nagoya Small and Medium Enterprise Promotion Center in Nagoya, Japan. Afterward, the athletes submitted apparent self-criticisms. The group included gold medalists Ri Song-gum, Song Kuk-hyang and Kang Hyon-gyong. Some athletes wept openly while standing at attention. The official was identified as Kim Chun-hui

On the eve of the Asian Games men's football gold medal match against the host country Japan, South Korea head coach Lee Min-sung said Friday he will try to keep the team's focus on the task at hand without getting sidetracked by other issues. South Korea will try to win their fourth straight gold medal when they face Japan at 7:30 p.m. Saturday at Toyota Stadium in Toyota, some 40 kilometers east of the main host city, Nagoya. "We have been working together for about a year and a half for this one match," Lee said at his prematch press conference at the venue for the final. "I will do my best to bring all the players together and win the gold medal that we have set out to win." Lee's team has had to deal with a number of operational issues since the start of the tournament. Lee had his pretournament press conference delayed last month when an official vehicle did not show up at the team hotel. For South Korea's opening group stage match against Qatar, the shuttle drivers for both teams took them to a nearby baseball stadium, instead of the football venue in Nagoya, and the players made

For the third successive time, South Korea will face Japan in the final of the Asian Games on Saturday, and fans at home will be hoping that the young Taeguk Warriors will take gold for the fourth successive tournament. This could be the toughest one yet. Japan has lost the last two finals, and this time the game is on home ground. There should be a big crowd in the Toyota Stadium, but the pressure is on Korea too. Gold equals exemption from the 18-21 months of military service that all able-bodied males have to undertake. For the majority of the roster — this is primarily a U-23 tournament — this can remove a major obstacle to a big move to Europe. For others already in Europe, such as two of the three overage players allowed, Eom Ji-sung and Yang Hyun-jun, there will be no need to return home by the time they are 28 to report and play for Gimcheon Sangmu in the K League. It is not a surprise that Korea has made it this far. Some teams treat the tournament as a chance to develop young players — like Japan, for example. All the players are 21 or under and there are no overage star

Nam Ji-sung and Park Ui-sung earned silver in the men's doubles in tennis at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, South Korea's only medal from the sport at this competition. Nam and Park lost to Yusuke Kusuhara and Shunsuke Nakagawa of Japan by 2-0 (6-3, 7-6 (7-4)) in the gold medal match at Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Nagoya, central Japan. This is South Korea's second straight men's doubles medal, following bronze by Kwon Soon-woo and Hong Seong-chan in 2023. South Korea has not won an Asiad gold in tennis since Chung Hyeon and Lim Yong-kyu won the men's doubles crown in 2014.

South Korea won the mixed team bronze medal in recurve archery at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, unable to take gold in its second straight archery event here. Kang Chae-young and Kim Je-deok defeated Nanami Asakuno and Junya Nakanishi of Japan by the set score of 5-1 in the bronze medal match at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. The mixed team event in recurve made its Asian Games debut in 2018. South Korea won gold in 2023, but Kang and Kim failed to make it two in a row after losing to Zhu Jingyi and Liu Mengqi of China 6-0 in the semifinals earlier Friday. In mixed team matches, each archer takes two arrows per set for four arrows and a maximum score of 40 points. A set win is worth two points, and teams each get one point for a tie. The first team to five points is the winner. Kang and Kim barely put up a fight against Zhu and Liu in the semifinals. With his six arrows across three sets, Kim hit two 7s and one 8. Kang had four 8s. Then in the bronze medal match, the South Korean team scored 39 p

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea's Ha Jee-min won his fourth Asian Games medal in men's sailing Friday. Ha finished first in the men's dinghy event at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbor in Gamagori, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city of Nagoya. It is his fourth Asian Games gold medal in the event, following one each at the 2010, 2014 and 2018 events. He won silver at the 2022 edition. It is also South Korea's first sailing gold at the ongoing competition. Halliday Nicholas Bezy of Hong Kong won silver, and Khairulnizam Mohd Afendy of Malaysia took bronze. In dinghy, sailors receive points equal to their finishing positions in each race of the opening series. After nine races, the 10 sailors with the lowest scores advance to the two-race final, with their worst race score allowed to be excluded. Ha topped the leaderboard after the opening series and advanced to the final. He finished third in the first final race and sixth in the second, scoring nine points without penalty points, while Halliday finished first and third in the final races, scoring 11 points,

South Korea came up short in its bid for an eighth straight Asian Games gold medal in the women's team event in recurve archery on Friday, settling for silver after a narrow loss to India. The trio of Lee Yun-ji, Kang Chae-young and Oh Ye-jin lost to India by the set score of 5-3 in the women's team final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. South Korea had won every women's team gold in recurve since 1998 but India's Ankita Bhakat, Kirti, Kumkum Anil Mohod ended that streak. In recurve team events, each of the three archers per team takes two arrows per set, for a total of six arrows and a maximum score of 60 points per set for each team. Teams earn two points for a set win and one point for a tie. The goal is to reach five points first. South Korea and India put up the identical scores in each of the first two sets. With the set score knotted at 2-2, India won the third set 55-51 to grab a 4-2 lead. Then in the fourth set, after Mohdo's final arrow hit a 10, judges took a clo

South Korea collected four medals, including two silvers, in jiu-jitsu at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday. Park Sung-hu won the silver medal after losing by submission to Omar Tariq N Nada of Saudi Arabia in the men's -94-kilogram final at Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall in Nagoya, Japan. After falling two points behind right after the final started, Park tapped the mat to signal immediate surrender as his opponent executed a joint lock. It was Park's first medal in an international competition. Later in the day, Im Eon-ju lost 4-0 to defending champion Asma Alhosani of the United Arab Emirates in the women's -52-kg jiu-jitsu final and took the silver medal. Im earned two advantages but conceded two two-point techniques to her opponent. Kim Hee-dong added a bronze medal in the men's -94kg event, and Park Jae-won also won bronze in an all-Korean bronze-medal match in the men's -77kg event. Before this year's Asiad, South Korea had won two gold, two silver and four bronze medals in jiu-jitsu at the Asian Games.

South Korea captured its second straight Asian Games gold medal in the men's team event in recurve archery Friday. The trio of Lee Woo-seok, Kim Je-deok and Kim Woo-jin defeated India by the set score of 5-1 in the men's team final of the Aichi-Nagoya Asiad at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Multipurpose Square in Okazaki, some 50 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. Lee and Kim Je-deok had also won the 2023 team gold medal with a different third member, Oh Jin-hyek. Kim Woo-jin won the team gold in 2010 and silver with Lee and Oh in 2018. The men's gold was also South Korea's third archery medal on Friday, following the women's team silver and the mixed team bronze.

South Korea won its second consecutive gold medal in the League of Legends (LoL) esports competition at the 2025 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Friday, with LoL superstar Lee Sang-hyeok bagging his second Asiad gold. In the LoL final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, just south of Nagoya, the team of Lee, Choi Woo-je, Kim Geon-woo, Ryu Min-seok, Kim Gun-boo and Lee Min-hyung beat Chinese Taipei 3-0 to claim the Asian Games crown for the second event in a row. South Korea won the inaugural LoL title at the previous Hangzhou Asian Games, where the popular multiplayer online battle arena video game was first contested.

The four-time PGA Tour winner Kim Joo-hyung is taking a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Asian Games men's golf tournament in Japan. Kim shot a five-under 65 with five birdies, one eagle and two bogeys on Friday in the third round of the competition at Kasugai Country Club East Course in Kasugai, just northeast of the main host city of Nagoya. At 12-under 198 overall, Kim leads Wang Wei-Hsuan of Chinese Taipei and Kazuki Higa of Japan by one shot. A second member of the South Korean team, Mun Do-yeob of LIV Golf, is tied for eighth at eight-under after shooting a 69. Kim Seong-hyeon, who rounds out the trio, is tied for 14th at two-under following his own round of 69. South Korea is also leading the team standings, where the two best scores for each team are added after every round, at 20-under. Japan is right behind at 19-under, with China and Chinese Taipei at 18-under. Kim Joo-hyung, 24, and Kim Seong-hyeon, 28, will receive military service exemption either with a team gold or an individual gold, which would set them up for uninterrupted touring careers overseas. Mun, 34, ha

Wasting no time in showcasing his budding potential in the seniors division, reigning UAAP high school season and finals Most Valuable Player Cabs Cabonilas is already staking his claim as one of the main protagonists for a stacked Far Eastern University squad.

Kaila Napolis scored a bronze medal in the 2026 Asian Games after defeating Mongolia"s Tsagaanbileg Altangerel in the women"s 52kg bronze medal match on Friday in Japan.