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Port collapse as Persib strike twice late
Borzidar Bandovic began his reign as Port head coach with a defeat as his team went down to Persib Bandung 3-1 in the opening Group B game of the Asean Club Championship Shopee Cup at Thammasat Stadium on Thursday night.
A messy situation as City appeal clouds title race
The Premier League returns to action this week under a deep cloud of uncertainty and confusion following the Manchester City guilty verdict by an independent panel and the club's subsequent appeal.
Kunlavut leads Thai QF charge
Top seed Kunlavut Vitidsarn stayed on course for his second World Tour title this year after reaching the quarter-finals of the US$500,000 Arctic Open 2026 in Vantaa, Finland, on Thursday.
PVL: Inspired by sisters, Detdet Pepito embraces pressure of debut
CEBU CITY — Detdet Pepito once watched her volleyball idols and older sisters, Marge and MJ, play for San Sebastian in the Shakey’s V-League, the predecessor to the Premier Volleyball League. On Saturday, the Capital1 rookie gets her own moment in the spotlight as she begins her professional career in the league that grew from
UAAP: Ateneo coach Louie Alas gets one-game suspension
SCHEDULE: UAAP Season 89 basketball tournament – first round MANILA, Philippines—Ateneo will have to play without its coach, Louie Alas when it faces Far Eastern University in the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament on Saturday after the league handed him a one-game suspension. The league announced the penalty Friday after Alas accumulated three technical
TNT, SMB collide in titanic PBA rematch
POWERHOUSE squads San Miguel Beer (SMB) and TNT collide in a titanic matchup, highlighting the Saturday schedule of the PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. The Beermen (7-2) and the Tropang 5G (5-4) square off at 7:30 p.m. TNT managed to squeak past SMB, 93-89, in overtime in their first meeting over a month ago at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Kim Aurin came through with a game-high 22 points, hitting big shots in the extra period to bail TNT out. That game saw the Tropang 5G play with a depleted roster as veterans Roger Pogoy, Calvin Oftana, Jordan Heading, and Jayson Castro were still out due to various injuries at that time. But their second face off on Saturday will feature a TNT side that is at full strength as the four key players are back in harness. Oftana actually tossed in 31 points in leading TNT past Terrafirma, 116-92, at the resumption of the tournament last Wednesday. TNT also saw new import Nick Hornsby with a solid PBA debut of 26 points as he took the spot of Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson. San Miguel, though, is on a three-game roll just before the tournament took a temporary seven-week halt to give way to the international tournaments of Gilas Pilipinas. The Beermen piled up three straight wins prior to the break, routing the Converge FiberXers, 126-114, the Macau Giant Pandas, 131-79, and the Titan Ultra Giant Risers, 143-113. High-scoring import George King will be leading the SMB charge, along with June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Don Trollano and reigning PBA 3-point king Jerrick Ahanmisi. Meanwhile, Terrafirma fights for playoff life and needs to win against a decimated Macau side on Saturday. The Dyip suffered back-to-back blowout defeats against Converge and TNT and dropped to a 3-6 win-loss record. Macau, which enters the game without its core of Ramon Cao, Damian Chonqui, and Jenning Leung, is also fighting for its postseason hopes. The Giant Pandas are coming off humiliating 138-78 beating from the NLEX Road Warriors, marking the worst-ever defeat in league history. Macau carries an anemic 2-7 record in Group A.
PVL celebrates 10th year with triple-header in Cebu
PREMIER Volleyball League (PVL) celebrates a decade of high standard volleyball action with a one of a kind triple-header to open the All-Filipino Conference at the newly opened SM Seaside Cebu Arena on Saturday. For the first time, the men’s counterpart — Spikers’ Turf — joins the PVL schedule on the same play date with a game sandwiched by two women’s matches. It is also the first time the PVL opens a season at the SM Seaside Cebu Arena and the first major professional volleyball event staged at the venue. The triple-header action features Capital 1 Solar Spikers and Choco Mucho Flying Titans at 1 p.m. followed by Spikers’ Turf teams Alpha Insurance Protectors and Savogue Aesthetics at 3:30 p.m. and the much-awaited match between Creamline and Akari at 6 p.m. The All-Filipino Conference features a new format, built on three series. The first round, referred to as Siklab, is slated from Oct. 10 to Dec. 4 and is a single round-robin with a mandatory “all-to-play” rule requiring every declared and available player in the team to see action. The top four teams will advance to the semifinals where the two best teams in the elims having the twice-to-beat advantage. The championship showdown is a best of three affair. The second round is slated from January to March with the same format but without the all-play requirement, allowing coaches to have full flexibility. And for the final round, points from the first two series determine seedings for a stepladder-style finale where the first-ever Philippine grand champion will be crowned. To kickoff the opening day, Capital 1 will be bannered by prize acquisition and national team standout Bella Belen, together with former Cignal Super Spikers stars Vanie Gandler and Erika Santos. The lethal trio aims to upscale the young franchise, which was founded in 2024. However, the Solar Spikers need to brace for the heavy favorites Choco Mucho, bannered by Sisi Rondina and setter Deanna Wong, who both have Cebu roots. Rondina, who was out from the previous season as she was serving her national team duties, returns to the court with Choco Mucho star Eya Laure. After their match, the men’s team Alpha Insurance Protectors and Savogue Aesthetics begin their campaigns. For the final game, Creamline begins its quest for a record-stretching 12th championship after a fourth-place finish in the 2026 Invitational Conference. The Cool Smashers will be bannered by stars Alyssa Valdez, Jia de Guzman, Bernadeth Pons, Michele Gumabao, and Jema Galanza. Creamline, which historically dominated Akari, needs to brace for the fortified team powered by captain Justine Jazareno and setter Mars Alba. The Chargers achieved rare victories over Creamline in the Reinforced and All-Filipino Conferences, and aim to pull another upset.
Bacolod ready for Batang Pinoy
BACOLOD CITY — Bacolod City is preparing to welcome young athletes from all over the country with more than 200 cities and municipalities confirming participation in the 2026 Batang Pinoy National Championships, Mayor Greg Gasataya said. The mayor said preparations have been underway for some time now, with the grand opening ceremonies scheduled for Dec. 12. “Our team continues to coordinate closely with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to ensure everything runs smoothly,” the mayor said. From athlete accommodations and transportation to finalizing both the opening and closing programs, all essential arrangements are being put in place. The PSC is also providing key sports equipment to support the competitions. This year’s opening will be truly special as it coincides with the Parade of Stars, bringing the Metro Manila Film Festival roadshow directly to Bacolod City, Gasataya said. ”It will be a spectacular day that blends the pride of national youth sports with the excitement of a beloved Filipino tradition,” the mayor said. ”Bacolod City is ready. Our hundreds of young athletes, coaches, and visitors are also ready and the City of Smiles is ready to shine.”
RHJ’s unfinished business
THREE-TIME PBA champion and three-time Best Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is back in town and he is ready to complete unfinished business with the TNT Tropang 5G this season. TNT team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed to The Manila Times that the American reinforcement arrived on Tuesday. While the team is not in a hurry to dip its reliable resident import into the water, its main priority is to bring the former NBA star in game shape before the tournament reaches the tough grind. TNT paraded Nicholas Julian Hornsby at the restart of the Governors’ Cup action last Wednesday and the new import replaced Holiis-Jefferson’s brother, Rahlir. Rahlir and Rondae went back to the United States a few weeks ago to attend to family matters. Hornsby is the third reinforcement of the Tropang 5G this conference after Darius Days and Rahlir Hoillis-Jefferson. In his debut game, he finished with 26 points in his team’s 116-92 triumph over Terrafirma. TNT is hoping that Hornsby can hold the fort until RHJ can get the green signal to play after a ruptured Achilles injury he suffered late last year while on loan to play for the Meralco Bolts in the East Asia Super League. The Tropang 5G is not in the safest position. They carry an even 4-4 win-loss slate and will need as many wins as possible in the next few weeks. Only the top four teams per group will advance to the quarterfinal round after the double-round elimination group stage format. In the quarterfinal round, it will be a crossover playoffs where the top teams from each group will face the No.4 seeds of the opposite group. The second-seeded squads of the two groups will meet their counterparts in the opposite group. Every game is crucial now and the Tropang 5G will be pinning their hopes for now on Hornsby, the well-travelled reinforcement, who last saw action in the Canadian Elite Basketball League while playing for Edmonton Stingers. Once RHJ returns to action, he will restore his role as the gold standard among imports playing in the PBA. With Justin Brownlee still doubtful to play after Barangay Ginebra coach Tim Cone disclosed during the Senate hearing that he has a heart condition and high blood pressure that forced him to miss the recent Asian Games campaign and the previous window event of Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, much will be expected on Hollis-Jefferson as his stiffest competition is likely to miss the tournament. But whether Hollis-Jefferson will still play with the same overall impact like he did three times when he led TNT to the promised land or will he become a few steps slower remains to be seen, but knowing that the Tropang 5G will have their old reliable back in harness is very encouraging. The Philippines has been home for Hollis-Jefferson the past four years. He was regarded as the only import who was able to beat Brownlee in a finals confrontation. Three times when they met in the championship showdown, the TNT reinforcement was able to get the better end of his match up with the beloved Barangay Ginebra import. Except when he lost to Brownlee in the Asian Games in China three years ago when Gilas Pilipinas defeated Jordan in the gold medal game, Hollis-Jefferson had been lording it over against his old nemesis and his import counterparts in the PBA. TNT is not panicking. It has Hollis-Jefferson at its disposal and it will only be a matter of time before the Tropang 5G will rediscover their old, deadly championship form. They believe they can never go wrong with RHJ, who has some unfinished business to fulfill.
Guardians rally to stay alive in MLB playoffs
LOS ANGELES — The Cleveland Guardians exploded for six runs in the sixth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox, 9-5, on Thursday (Friday in Manila) and force a deciding Game 5 in their Major League Baseball (MLB) playoff series. Jose Ramirez belted a two-run home run in fifth inning and delivered a run-scoring single in the Guardians’ big sixth to help Cleveland win a second straight game in Chicago after dropping the first two games of the best-of-five American League division series at home. Having denied the White Sox’s bid to clinch a playoff series at home for the first time since 1906, the Guardians will host game five on Saturday. Ten teams have come back from an 0-2 deficit to win a best-of-five playoff series, the most recent the New York Yankees in 2017 — against Cleveland. “It’s going to be a crazy energy,” said Ramirez, who followed pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey’s solo homer in the fifth by belting a 99.9 mph fastball from White Sox relief pitcher Jordan Hicks into the bullpen for a two-run home run that put the Guardians up, 3-2. The White Sox edged back in front with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fifth. But Cleveland poured it on in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate. Angel Martinez was hit by a pitch to take first and stole second. He scored on Travis Bazzana’s double. Bailey, Ramirez, Chase De Lauter and Jo Adell added run-scoring hits. The White Sox, trying to extend a fairytale year that has seen them bounce back from three straight 100-loss seasons to improbably reach the playoffs, scored their first four runs on a walk, a hit-by-pitch and a pair of sacrifice flys. Miguel Vargas led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo home run off Guardians relief pitcher Cade Smith to briefly energize the Chicago crowd. But after Munetaka Murakami walked, Cleveland sent their ace starting pitcher Gavin Williams to the mound. He gave up a single to Sam Antonacci before retiring the next three batters to seal the win. Williams was the eighth pitcher to take the mound for the Guardians. The White Sox used seven, with starter Hagen Smith exiting in the first inning after recording two outs but walking the bases loaded to get the hook after 27 pitches. Chicago reliever Grant Taylor, who pitched 5 1/2 scoreless innings in the first two games of the series, gave up four runs on four hits without recording an out in the sixth inning. The winner of the series will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League championship series, with a World Series berth on the line. The Rays, the top seeds in the American League, polished off a three-game sweep of the New York Yankees on Wednesday.