BROTHERS Carlos and Eldrew Yulo, along with Juan Miguel Besana, are set to take part in the qualification rounds of the Men’s Artistic Gymnastics events at the FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam, Netherlands. The Yulo brothers will compete in the men’s all-around, while Besana takes the horizontal bar. The men have already started their podium training on Thursday. Besana is expected to compete on Saturday at 6:10 p.m. (Philippine time), while the Yulo brothers take the podium on Sunday at 4 p.m. Haylee Garcia is also taking part in the women’s events as an All-Arounder.  All four members of the Philippine team were fresh off their stints at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. The Yulo brothers both brought home medals from the Asiad, with Carlos bagging two gold medals in the men’s floor exercise and vault events, while Eldrew won a bronze medal in the horizontal bar. Carlos also finished 4th in the parallel bars, while Eldrew finished 7th in the floor exercise. Meanwhile, Besana competed alongside the older Yulo in the men’s vault, finishing in 5th place, while Garcia finished 6th as part of the women’s all-around team event. The FIG Artistic Gymnastics World Championships runs from Oct. 17-25.

STAKEHOLDERS will now have a direct and stronger voice in the formation of the national volleyball teams heading into major international tournaments. Philippine National Volleyball Federation (PNVF) Executive Director Atty. Miguel Carlos Pacifico Suarez announced on Friday that the federation is taking a highly collaborative approach by creating a dedicated National Team Commission. The five-man panel is designed to enable major stakeholders to air their concerns and align schedules before formally assembling the rosters for the Alas Pilipinas Men and Women squads. Suarez emphasized that the creation of the commission ensures the federation leadership moves away from the old practice of making unilateral decisions regarding national team selection, calendar management, and player availability. No less than PNVF president Frank Lao will chair the powerful body with key stakeholders like Sherwin Malonzo of the Premier Volleyball League, Dr. Ian Laurel of the Shakey’s Super League, Fr. Victor Calvo of the National Collegiate Athletic Association and Bo Perasol of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines as members. Malonzo and Laurel bring deep administrative experience from previous PNVF setups, while Calvo and Perasol oversee the nation’s top collegiate sports programs, ensuring full representation across all levels of Philippine volleyball. “The establishment of the National Team Commission is a major step in the right direction. By giving stakeholders a direct and stronger voice, we are ensuring a more inclusive, transparent, and collaborative approach to forming and supporting our national team,” Suarez said in an official statement. “With this special panel, we are removing the old practice of leadership making unilateral decisions without consulting key stakeholders on player schedules and availability. We are now giving everyone a unified voice to guarantee a far more collaborative and sustainable national team program.” Since taking the helm of the PNVF last August, Lao has prioritized integrity, transparency, and accountability. To stabilize the organization, the businessman-sportsman used his personal funds to settle outstanding financial liabilities and obligations inherited from previous administrations. Among his first major technical reforms was revamping the coaching staff of both national squads — bringing back head coach Dante Alinsunurin to lead Alas Pilipinas Men, and tapping veteran Italian strategist Angiolino Frigoni to steer Alas Pilipinas Women. Alinsunurin previously led the male spikers to a historic silver-medal finish at the 30th Southeast Asian Games in 2019, while Frigoni brings world-class pedigree, having guided the Italian women’s team to the 2000 Sydney Olympics and coached the Dutch women’s national squad. “Our president, Mr. Frank Lao, is delivering on his commitment to drive genuine reforms within the federation,” Suarez added.  “Giving the volleyball community a seat at the table is essential because we are expecting more changes to come as we move forward towards rebuilding the federation and leading it to greater heights.”

LOS ANGELES — Garrett Mitchell hit a go-ahead homer off reliever Tanner Scott in the sixth inning, Milwaukee’s bullpen slammed the door late and the Brewers rallied past the Los Angeles Dodgers, 6-4, on Thursday (Friday in Manila) in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series to earn their first trip to the World Series since 1982. No. 9 hitter David Hamilton’s two-out solo shot off Edwin Díaz gave the Brewers a two-run cushion in the ninth. Hamilton had just four homers in the regular season. Shohei Ohtani’s first home run of the postseason helped put the Dodgers ahead 4-0 early before the Brewers came back to complete a four-game sweep of the two-time defending World Series champions a year after getting swept by the Dodgers in the NLCS. The Brewers lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games in their only other World Series appearance, when Milwaukee played in the American League. With the score tied 4-all, Mitchell fell behind 0-2 before Scott threw three straight balls for a full count. Mitchell’s 409-foot leadoff drive to center field — the first homer of his career on an 0-2 count — put the Brewers ahead for the first time. Mitchell also homered in their 6-2 victory Wednesday. The Brewers’ bullpen coolly turned away multiple threats when the Dodgers had the potential tying run on base. JoJo Romero struck out Max Muncy with Kyle Tucker at third to end the sixth. Aaron Ashby, who worked the final three innings for a save, struck out Ohtani swinging and Mookie Betts grounded out with Andy Pages at third to end the seventh. Will Smith doubled to right and was safe at third when the ball got away from Sal Frelick for an error in the eighth before Ashby got Tucker to fly out and Teoscar Hernández to strike out. The Brewers tied it in the fifth, when the Dodgers bullpen issued four walks and Milwaukee stole two bases. Hamilton’s single chased starter Tyler Glasnow and scored Frelick, who walked and stole second, to pull Milwaukee to 4-3. Alex Vesia came in and promptly walked Brice Turang and William Contreras to load the bases. Vesia then walked Jake Bauers with two outs to force in Hamilton with the tying run. Glasnow retired his first 10 batters — six on strikeouts — before the Brewers got to him in the fourth. Turang walked, Contreras hit a ground-rule double and Bauers followed with another ground-rule double that closed Milwaukee to 4-2. Ohtani broke out of his postseason slump with a three-run homer after Pages’ RBI single in the second. The four-time MVP released weeks of pent-up frustration by raising his arms and yelling and the crowd of 49,104 joined him in celebration.

WUHAN, China — Iga Swiatek hit a new milestone on Thursday night as she stormed into a second consecutive Wuhan Open quarterfinal with a 6-1, 6-4 win over American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger. The six-time Grand Slam champion recorded the 150th WTA 1000 victory of her career to continue her march towards a 13th title at this level. Since the Tier I/WTA 1000 format’s introduction in 1990, Swiatek is just the third player to claim 150 wins from her first 50 main-draw appearances in such events, after Martina Hingis (162) and Serena Williams (153). “I just wanted to focus on adjusting and being brave and, at the end, I’m happy that I was,” said the seventh-seeded Swiatek, who needs a title this week to strengthen her chances of qualifying for next month’s WTA Finals in Indian Wells. “For sure I feel like I am playing better than at the beginning of the season, so I’m ready to push and I’m happy to be in the quarters for sure.” The 25-year-old Pole, who awaits Ann Li or Janice Tjen in the quarterfinals, is one of just two top-10 seeds still standing in a draw that has witnessed a slew of high-profile exits. A day after the shocking departures of the top two seeds, Aryna Sabalenka and Jessica Pegula, sixth-seeded Karolina Muchova and 10th-seeded Iva Jovic also bid Wuhan farewell. Maja Chwalinska, a finalist at the French Open this year, enjoyed a 6-4, 6-1 triumph over American world No. 11 Jovic to set up a quarterfinal with Greece’s Maria Sakkari. Diana Shnaider’s 7-5, 6-3 victory against Muchova was the Russian’s fourth career triumph over a top-10 opponent. The 22-year-old will next take on Jelena Ostapenko for a place in the final four. British world number 170 Sonay Kartal sent another seed packing after knocking out ninth-seeded Belinda Bencic in the second round.

WUHAN–Iga Swiatek hit a new milestone on Thursday as she stormed into a second consecutive Wuhan Open quarter-final with a 6-1, 6-4 win over American lucky loser Ashlyn Krueger. The six-time Grand Slam champion recorded the 150th WTA 1000 victory of her career to continue her march towards a 13th title at this level. Since

NEW YORK — Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs were predicted to win the 2027 title with the French superstar taking Most Valuable Player honors in an NBA team general managers survey released on Thursday (Friday in Manila). In the 25th annual survey, general managers answered 48 questions and could not vote for their own team or personnel. The Spurs, who lost to New York in last June’s NBA Finals, were ranked the top choice as champion for the upcoming campaign by 50 percent of the 30 executives with Oklahoma City second on 43 percent and New York and Philadelphia, the new club of LeBron James, also receiving votes. Last year, Oklahoma City won the poll with 80 percent of GMs picking the Thunder to win the title. The Spurs edged the Thunder as top pick in the Western Conference with New York the first choice in the East followed by Philadelphia. Wembanyama, the top overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft and 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, topped the survey in eight different questions regarding players. The 7-foot-4 (2.24-m) center who took the Defensive Player of the Year award last season, was predicted to be the next MVP by 77 percent of general managers, a record level of support in the survey. Denver’s Nikola Jokic, a Serbian center and three-time NBA MVP, was second choice at 10 percent. Wembanyama won as player the GMs would want to start a franchise at a record 93 percent. The 22-year-old was also named the top pick as the NBA’s best defender and most versatile player, among other categories. Spurs guard Dylan Harper was named the player most likely to have a breakout 2026-27 campaign.

NEW DELHI, India — Rory McIlroy and defending champion Tommy Fleetwood finished four shots off the clubhouse lead on a rain-hit opening day at the DP World India Championship on Thursday. Denmark’s Niklas Norgaard carded six birdies and an eagle against two bogeys to emerge as the sole leader after a six-under-par 66 at Delhi Golf Club. Northern Ireland’s Tom McKibbin, Belgian Thomas Detry and Spaniard Eugenio Chacarra were tied for second, one shot back, on a challenging day due to heavy rain and nearly five hours of stoppages. The six-time major winner McIlroy shot a two-under-par 70 for a tie of 13th, carding birdies on holes two, 13, 15 and 18. He also had two bogeys and called his opening round “solid.” “The leaders haven’t gotten away and 54 holes to go, so a lot of golf left still. “Solid start, not an amazing one, but at least satisfactory.” Fleetwood was four-under for most of his round but suffered a double bogey on the last hole to join McIlroy. The weather played spoilsport after a sunny start to the day as many players headed back to their hotel rooms after rain stopped play in the middle of the round. The round remains unfinished for some including US star Patrick Reed, who was two over through four holes. Nestled in the heart of Delhi, the DGC course is a par-72 layout that is short by modern standards at less than 7,000 yards. It is studded with the ruins of ancient tombs dating back to the Mughal Empire. Its narrow fairways are bordered by treacherous dense vegetation on a course that is a throwback to a bygone golfing era, rewarding accuracy rather than distance. Chacarra carded seven birdies against two bogeys and is in contention for the Race to Dubai, placed between leader Reed and third-placed McIlroy. “It’s a goal that I have on my team now, you know, try to make a push in the last four events to try to win it,” said the Spaniard. “Obviously I got two guys, one behind, one in front, they’re world-class players and the best players in the world. “So it’s not going to be easy. I need to play my A-game and see where that takes me.”

LOS ANGELES — After 44 years, the Milwaukee Brewers are finally going back to the World Series. Propelled by a lockdown bullpen and repeated comebacks, the young and fearless Brewers swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers out of the playoffs Thursday with a 6-4 victory in Game 4 of the National League Championship

MANILA, Philippines — New import Marcellus Earlington overcome a foul-plagued PBA debut, delivering 14 of his 20 points in the final period to lift Phoenix Super LPG to a pulse-pounding 105-101 comeback win against Meralco to boost its Season 50 Governors’ Cup playoffs bid on Friday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. The 26-year-old Earlington, taking the spot of BJ Johnson, who left the team during the conference break, made all six of his attempts from the field in the final period, along with seven rebounds to make up for a poor 3-of-12 shooting during the first three quarters. The Fuel Masters trailed by 13 points in the first half, stymied visibly by the Bolts’ defense. But big men Ken Tuffin and Kai Ballingay along with Ricci Rivero stepped up on offense at a time Earlington was struggling, before the American came alive when the game was on the line in the final quarter. Phoenix moved up to solo second spot at 5-3, half a game behind Group B leader Magnolia’s 6-3 slate. Rain or Shine is at solo third with its 4-3 record, while Meralco fell to 4-6. The Bolts’ loss gave Barangay Ginebra and Blackwater, both toting 3-5 cards, a new lease on playoff life. Rivero led Phoenix with 26 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Ballungay 17, while Tuffin had a double-double of 16 and 10. Jordon Varnado led Meralco with 36 points, but went just 11-of-30 from the floor. CJ Cansino and Bong Quinto added 18 and 14 for the Bolts. Meanwhile, Converge registered a 162-108 demolition of Macau in the first game. Cameron Clark dumped 32 points in just three quarters of play and while Juan Gomez de Liano became the first rookie ever to notch back-to-back triple-doubles after scoring 13 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and 12 assists as the FiberXers won for the fourth straight time to improve to 7-4 in Group A. TNT and Converge clash this Sunday with the winner expected to get a better playoff seeding. Macau closed its forgettable PBA stint with a 2-10 record.

As part of the Topas Vietnam Trail Series, the race has long attracted a rich, international field, including top regional and domestic talent.