The Philippines has collected four medals at the 2026 Asian Games as of Tuesday, September 22, highlighted by Jean Claude Saclag"s silver medal in the men"s traditional -65kg event.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Kayla Sanchez narrowly missed the podium in the Asian Games 2026 women’s 100m freestyle final on Tuesday at Tokyo Aquatics Centre. Sanchez ranked third after the first lap but finished fourth in 53.65 seconds, falling short of the bronze medal

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Andres Aldeguer scored a late penalty to give the Philippine men’s U-23 football team a 2-1 win over Kuwait on Tuesday to end its Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 campaign on a high note at Minato Soccer Field. Aldeguer came through with the

The Philippines now has four medals at the 2026 Asian Games as of Tuesday, September 22, with Jean Claude Saclag delivering the country"s first silver medal.

MANILA, Philippines–The NCAA has rescheduled the suspended San Beda-Jose Rizal University game for Saturday, September 26, in the Season 102 men’s basketball tournament. The Red Lions-Heavy Bombers clash will tip off at 3 p.m. at Filoil Arena in San Juan, the league’s management committee announced. Saturday’s game will be the only NCAA fixture that day,

MANILA, Philippines–The Philippine men’s baseball team’s bid to reach the Super Round of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games suffered a big blow after a 15-8 loss to China on Tuesday at Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Baseball Stadium. Starting pitcher Amiel de Guzman was roughed up for six runs in the second inning before the Philippines’ comeback

PHOENIX — Jimmer Fredette’s return to the court was a winning one. Fredette was named MVP of the Fiba 3×3 Phoenix Challenger on Sunday night, scoring eight points in the final to lead Team Miami to a 22-16 win over Amsterdam for the title. Team Miami went 5-0 in the two-day tournament. Fredette and USA

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Jean Claude Saclag secured the Philippines’ first silver medal in the Asian Games 2026 despite falling to Otabek Rajabov of Tajikistan in the mixed martial arts men’s traditional -65kg final on Tuesday at Nagoya City Inae Sports Center. Saclag struck

LOS ANGELES — Versatile forward Nicolas Batum is retiring following an 18-year NBA career and a long stint with the French national team. The 37-year-old Batum announced his retirement in a social media video with his son on Monday. “I decided to retire from basketball for several reasons,” Batum told 10-year-old son, Ayden, in the

SINGAPORE–In another last-minute shakeup at the Singapore Open, American World No. 11 Amanda Anisimova became the latest star to pull out of the WTA 500 event. The second-seeded Anisimova withdrew on Tuesday due to a left wrist injury. Her withdrawal came just two days after Indonesian ace Janice Tjen dropped out because of a right

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 NAGOYA–An Afghan cyclist who disguised herself as a man to pursue her sporting dreams won an Asian Games silver medal on Tuesday, hoping it inspires other women in a country where Taliban authorities have sharply curtailed their freedoms. Italy-based Fariba Hashimi powered home

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Quarterfinal-bound Gilas Pilipinas fell to fancied host Japan, 89-67, on Tuesday to place second in Group B of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 women’s 5-on-5 basketball competition. Gilas hardly had a response to Japan’s early onslaught before winding up absorbing its first

Juliana Gomez, the daughter of celebrity couple and Leyte Representative Richard Gomez and Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, saw her women"s epee campaign at the 2026 Asian Games come to an end in the Table of 16 on Tuesday in Japan.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Kacey dela Rosa powered Gilas Pilipinas to twin victories over favorite Mongolia and lowly Macau on Tuesday to start its medal bid on a bright note in the women’s 3×3 U-23 basketball competition of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. Dela Rosa scored

SINGAPORE–A laser-focused Alex Eala held nothing back in practice on Tuesday ahead of her highly anticipated main draw debut at the Singapore Open. Eala was all business even in training with hitting partner Belarusian Aliaksandra Sasnovich under the guidance of her Spanish assistant coach Sandro Viaene at practice court 2 inside the Kallang sports complex

“She's real, even though she looks like she was created by artificial intelligence (AI).” This was how Thai media outlet Thairath Sport described 20-year-old Yang Seung-hye, a member of the Korean women's national fencing team, after the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games officially kicked off the previous day. The outlet praised not only her appearance but also her exceptional skills, highlighting the attention Yang, who is nicknamed a “fencing idol” in Korea, is receiving overseas. Thairath Sport posted several photos of Yang on its official Facebook account on Sunday. The outlet introduced her as “the youngest member of the Korean women's epee national team at just 20 years old,” adding that she “has drawn the attention of sports fans with her outstanding skills and striking appearance and has been dubbed one of Korea's ‘fencing idols’ by the Korean media.” The Thai outlet also praised Yang's performance on the piste. It noted that the Korean women's epee team won the team event at the International Fencing Federation (FIE) Women's Epee World Cup in Saint-Maur, France,

NAGOYA, Japan — Led by world No. 1 An Se-young, defending champion South Korea advanced to the semifinals of the women's badminton team event at the Asian Games on Tuesday. South Korea defeated Malaysia 3-1, after two singles and two doubles matches at Ichinomiya City Municipal Gymnasium in Ichinomiya, just northwest of the main host city, Nagoya, Japan. An, the reigning Olympic and world champion in the women's singles, led things off by beating Letshanaa Karupathevan 2-0 (21-12, 21-8). In the next doubles match, though, world No. 2 tandem of Lee So-hee and Baek Hana lost to fifth-ranked team, Pearly Tan and Thinaah Muralitharan by 2-0 (22-20, 21-17). But South Korea won the next two matches to grab its ticket to the semifinals. Kim Ga-eun took care of Wong Ling Ching 2-0 (21-12, 21-18), before Jeong Na-eun and Kim Hye-jeong beat Cheng Su Yin and Low Zi Yu 2-1 (18-21, 21-11, 24-22). An said afterward she enjoys the team event because she is surrounded by supportive teammates on the court — something she never gets to enjoy during singles matches. "It is fun to hear my teammates cheer m

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea won silver in the 10-meter air rifle mixed team event at the Asian Games on Tuesday, its first silver in the sport after grabbing two bronze medals earlier. Ban Hyo-jin and Park Ha-jun finished in second place with 502.9 points in the final at Aichi Prefectural General Shooting Gallery in Toyota, some 25 kilometers east of the main host city of Nagoya. The Chinese tandem of Wang Zifei and Sheng Lihao won the gold with a world record total of 507.1 points. Japan took bronze with 439.7 points, while India finished last in the four-team final with 376.3 points. Both South Korean shooters had won bronze medals earlier in the competition — Ban in the women's 10m air rifle individual event and Park in the men's 10m air rifle team event. In the mixed team final, each shooter took 15 shots, for a total of 30 shots per team, in Stage 1, with the perfect score being 10.9 points. After those initial 30 shots, the shooters each fired three shots for six shots per team in Stage 2, and the lowest-scoring team at that point ended in fourth place. The bronze medal was deter

NAGOYA — South Korea shut down Hong Kong 13-0 on Tuesday as its pitchers combined for a perfect game in a rout that ended after seven innings on a mercy rule. Cho Hyeong-woo smoked a grand slam, and Roh Si-hwan launched a two-run home run in South Korea's second straight Group B win at Toyohashi Municipal Baseball Stadium in Toyohashi, some 85 kilometers southeast of the main host city, Nagoya. Starter Choi Min-seok and five other pitchers combined for a perfect game and struck out 12 batters. South Korea, made up of stars from the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), is trying to win its fifth straight baseball gold medal. The quest began with a 5-0 win over Chinese Taipei on Monday, and South Korea will next face Thailand on Wednesday. The top two teams from each of the two groups will compete in the Super Round. The two best teams from the Super Round will clash in the gold medal game on Saturday in Toyohashi. Roh fired the opening salvo on Tuesday with a two-run bomb in the top of the first, and South Korea scored in each of the first three frames, with Cho's slam coming in the third

TOKONAME — South Korean fencer Song Se-ra won the gold medal in the women's epee individual event at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Tuesday, giving South Korea its first fencing gold at the Games in Japan. Song defeated Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman of Singapore 15-8 in the final at Aichi Sky Expo in Tokoname, some 35 kilometers south of the main host city of Nagoya. It is South Korea's first gold medal in fencing at the Asian Games, which officially opened Saturday. After winning silver at the previous Asian Games, Song moved up to the top of the podium three years later. Bronze medals went to Tamaki Terayama of Japan and Yang Jingwen of China. In epee fencing, fencers use a thrusting weapon that can target the entire body. In the individual event, the fencer who scores more points after three three-minute bouts wins, or the first to reach 15 points. Compared with her tight 15-14 victories in the quarterfinals and semifinals, the final duel went relatively smoothly for Song. In the first round, she gave up two points but then scored three straight to take a 3-2 lead. She extended her lead t

TOKYO — South Korea grabbed bronze in the men's 4x100-meter medley relay swimming race at the Asian Games on Tuesday with a new national record, as its anchor Kim Young-beom collected his third medal in three days in Tokyo. The quartet of Lee Ju-ho, Choi Dong-yeol, Yang Jae-hoon and Kim clocked 3:31.97 in the final at Tokyo Aquatics Centre, as South Korea placed third behind China (3:27.89) and Japan (3:28.70). The previous national record was 3:32.05, set when South Korea won silver at the 2023 Asiad. Lee, Choi, Kim and Hwang Sun-woo raced in the final then. This was an entirely different lineup than the one that swam in the heats, when Yoon Ji-hwan, Cho Sung-jae, Kim Ji-hun and Hwang represented South Korea. These four also received bronze medals. It was also Hwang's third medal of the competition, after he won bronze in the 100m freestyle on Sunday and another bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay on Monday. In the medley relay, swimmers each covered 100m in the following order of styles: backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly and freestyle. Lee covered his backstroke leg in 53.92 s

TOKYO — The injured South Korean swimmer Kim Woo-min finished last among eight finalists in the men's 1,500-meter freestyle event at the Asian Games on Tuesday, a shocking result for the 2023 silver medalist. Kim touched the pad in 15:16.52 to finish in eighth place at Tokyo Aquatics Centre in the Japanese capital. He was more than 34 seconds slower than the champion, Zhang Zhanshuo of China. Kim was in third place through the first 600m but started falling behind at the next 50m split. He dropped to last place at the 800m mark and never recovered the rest of the way. Kim revealed after the race that he had been dealing with a partially torn labrum and rotator cuff in his left shoulder for the past couple of months. On Monday, Kim helped South Korea to bronze in the men's 4x200m freestyle relay. Kim was slated to compete in four more races -- 200m freestyle on Wednesday, 800m freestyle and 4x100m freestyle relay on Thursday, and 400m freestyle on Friday, the last day of swimming. However, moments after Kim's 1,500m race, national team officials said Kim will not enter the 200m freestyle

NAGOYA — South Korea beat Saudi Arabia 2-0 to win their group in the Asian Games men's football tournament on Tuesday. Shin Min-ha and Kim Myeong-jun each scored in the second half of the teams' final Group D match at Nagoya City Mizuho Park Rugby Field in Nagoya, central Japan. Coached by Lee Min-sung, the under-23 Taegeuk Warriors are going for the country's fourth straight gold medal. Both teams had already punched their tickets to the quarterfinals before this match, by virtue of each winning their openers. Group D is the only group to have three teams, while three other groups have four nations each. With the top two teams from each group advancing to the quarters, South Korea and Saudi Arabia secured the top two spots last Friday when Saudi Arabia beat Qatar 2-0 to hand them their second straight loss -- ensuring Qatar would finish last. South Korea did not record their first shot until the 22nd minute and knocked on the Saudi Arabian door a few more times in the final moments of the first half. Then in the 67th minute, Shin headed home the opening goal, with Eom Ji-sung -- who sco

MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon Huskers subdued the Rizal XentroMall Golden Coolers, 90-74, to top the elimination phase of the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season South Division at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium in Malolos. Quezon improved its record to  21-4, the same as Binan Tatak Gel, but emerged as the No. 1 qualifier to the quarterfinal playoffs because of its 66-59 victory in their April 21 encounter. Although the Huskers led throughout, the reigning back-to-back South champions experienced anxious moments as the Golden Coolers crept to within 55-58 after three quarters. Cholo Anonuevo, however, hit his stride in the fourth quarter with 8 points and Christian Pagaran added 6, pushing the Huskers out of danger and pulling down the Golden Coolers to 16-9. MPBL All-Star co-MVP Judel Fuentes led Quezon with 14 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals; followed by Jason Opiso, with 14 points and 6 rebounds; Anonuevo, with 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists; and Pagaran, with 11 points and 8 rebounds. Rizal, which remained the No. 6 qualifier, drew 20 points and 8 rebounds from JP Maguliano; 12 points and 5 assists from Philip Manalang; and 10 points and 5 assists from Jolo Mendoza. Gensan trounces Bulacan The Gensan Warriors started hot and never cooled to beat the Bulacan Kuyas, 102-82, in the nightcap and catch up with the Cebu Greats and the Batangas City Tanduay Athletics at 19-6. After the tiebreaker, Cebu finished third, and Batangas City fourth, owing to its 76-73 victory over Gensan on Sept. 18. RJ Minerva paced Gensan with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists, followed by Hesed Gabo, with 14 points, 7 assists, 3 steals and 2 rebounds; and Kris Porter with 10 points. Joshua Fontanilla, Samboy De Leon and JM Versoza supported them with 9 points each. Bulacan, which ended its campaign at 6-19, got 17 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals from Andre Acop; 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals from Jeremy Cruz; and 11 points and 2 assists from Benedict Benedictos. Imus grabs last play-in ticket The Imus Yangkee bested the Sarangani 10ACT Marlins, 89-84, in the opener to grab the last ticket to the play-in stage. Imus finished at 4-21, good for the 10th spot in the South Division, and will tangle with ninth-ranked Zamboanga Sikat in the play-in involving teams ranked seventh to 10th after the round-robin elimination phase of the two-division, 26-team tournament. The winner between Imus and Zamboanga will then dispute the eighth and last playoff slot with the loser of the other play-in game between seventh-ranked Mindoro and No. 8 Basilan. The winner of the Mindoro-Zamboanga tussle advances outright to the quarterfinal playoffs. Sarangani closed its campaign this year with a 3-22 record. Joseph Marquez, a 6-foot-3 forward out of Our Lady of Fatima University, posted 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for Imus and was named the SportsPlus best player. Other Yangkees who delivered were Ian Pardo, with 16 points, including three game-clinching free throws in the last 8.7 seconds; homegrown Paul Christian Ferrer, with 13 points and 8 rebounds; and homegrown Patrick Dale Beltran, with 12 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Sarangani drew 21 points, 13 rebounds and 5 assists from Carl Bryan Lacap; 13 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists from John Cantimbuhan; 10 points, 7 assists, 4 rebounds and 2 steals from Alex Desoyo; and 8 points, 15 rebounds and 3 assists from Ken Brillantes. The tournament returns to the Pasay Astrodome on Tuesday, featuring games between Caloocan and Zamboanga at 3 p.m., Pasay City and Pasig City at 5 p.m., and Valenzuela City and Quezon City at 7 p.m. TMT

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Filipino pole vault star EJ Obiena will defend his Asian Games title and pursue another record as he leads the Philippines’ 24-member athletics team in Aichi-Nagoya. Obiena enters the competition as the defending men’s pole vault champion after clearing an Asian Games-record

MANILA, Philippines — Aguilas UMAK FC has taken another major step to its long-term project with South Korean head coach Jang Min Seok assuming the chairmanship of the club as well. Jang, an AFC Pro License holder, came to the Philippines with a clear ambition: build Aguilas UMAK FC into a competitive and sustainable professional football club capable of challenging for the Philippines Football League title and eventually competing on the AFC stage. His role will now extend beyond coaching the first team. As chairman and head coach, Jang will take part in shaping the club’s overall football direction, including player development, youth programs, club infrastructure, international partnerships and the long-term professionalization of Aguilas UMAK FC. “I did not come to the Philippines simply to coach a team. I came here to build something that can last,” said said. “Our goal is to win, but winning alone is not enough. I want to help build a strong club, develop young Filipino players and create opportunities for them to compete internationally.” Jang believes that combining Korean football experience with the potential of Filipino players can help Aguilas UMAK FC establish a stronger identity both domestically and internationally. “Aguilas UMAK FC is not just a team for one season. We are building for the future,” he said. “My dream is to make this club a champion and take Aguilas UMAK FC onto the Asian stage.” With Jang now serving as both chairman and head coach, Aguilas UMAK FC is signaling its intention to pursue not only immediate results on the pitch, but also a long-term vision for the club’s growth. He attended Hongik University and was highly regarded as a top prospect in the class of 1995, known for his movement on the pitch and clinical finishing. This led to him being selected as the first overall pick in the 1999 K-League draft by Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors FC. Throughout his playing career, he also represented the South Korean national team at both the youth and senior men's levels. Following his playing career, he transitioned into coaching and has since earned an AFC/KFA P-License. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas blanked Hong Kong, 25-21, 25-9, 30-28, to finish ninth in the 20th Asian Games women's volleyball at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium in Japan on Tuesday. Bella Belen poured 18 points including an off-the-block push and a kill for the Philippines, which totaled three wins in classification after defeating Qatar and Mongolia. Alas' quarterfinal bid ended after losses to China and Kazakhstan in Pool B.

BEIJING–Zheng Qinwen returns to the Billie Jean King Cup for the first time since 2024 looking to inspire host China to an upset over two-time defending champions Italy this week in Shenzhen. Fresh off an impressive run at the US Open, where she reached the last eight as a qualifier, Zheng will lead the Chinese

Former Gillingham manager Peter Taylor has taken on another international coaching role at the age of 73.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Olympic boxer Aira Villegas ended her Asian Games 2026 campaign in the first round, losing to India’s Sakshi by unanimous decision in the women’s 51kg boxing on Tuesday at Nishio Gymnasium. Villegas couldn’t stop the Indian’s aggression over three rounds,