Blu Girls aim for bronze in Asian Games softball

Manila Times - Oct 2, 2026

THE Philippine women’s softball team closed the preliminary round with a 9-3 victory over Hong Kong on Friday and will vie for the bronze medal against Chinese Taipei on Saturday in the 20th Asian Games at the Anjo Softball Ground in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls will have a chance to redeem themselves from a 1-10 preliminary round setback against Chinese Taipei on Sept. 27 and give the Philippines its first ever medal in Asian Games softball. The Philippines finished fourth in each of the previous three editions of the Asian Games. The women’s softball gold medal will be disputed by Japan and China. Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asa-Phil) president Jean Henri Lhuillier praised the Blu Girls for keeping their medal dreams alive and continuing to fight after the setback against China on Thursday. “This is the opportunity we have been working and fighting for,” said Lhuillier, who is also president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.  “The Blu Girls have shown tremendous resilience throughout this tournament, and now they have the chance to make history for Philippine softball.  The Philippines lost the bronze medal match against Chinese Taipei in the previous edition of the Asian Games in Hangzhou, China. “We know Chinese Taipei will...

Read full article

MORE NEWS

Asian Games 2026: Jeus Yape wins Philippines' 4th gold as taekwondo leads medal rush
Oct 2, 2026

Asian Games 2026: Jeus Yape wins Philippines' 4th gold as taekwondo leads medal rush

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 extend Kent stays as overseas all-rounder joins rivals
Oct 2, 2026

Experienced duo extend Kent stays as overseas all-rounder joins rivals

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

LOOK: San Beda def. San Sebastian (85-55)
Oct 2, 2026

LOOK: San Beda def. San Sebastian (85-55)

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

Philippines tennis star Eala says 'I get overwhelmed sometimes'
Oct 2, 2026

Philippines tennis star Eala says 'I get overwhelmed sometimes'

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."

NCAA: EJ Castillo stars as EAC marches to second win at LPU's expense
Oct 2, 2026

NCAA: EJ Castillo stars as EAC marches to second win at LPU's expense

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.

Barbosa falters in taekwondo final, settles for silver
Oct 2, 2026

Barbosa falters in taekwondo final, settles for silver

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.

Kurt Barbosa bags silver in Asian Games taekwondo
Oct 2, 2026

Kurt Barbosa bags silver in Asian Games taekwondo

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.

Mangin grabs silver in Asian Games taekwondo
Oct 2, 2026

Mangin grabs silver in Asian Games taekwondo

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.

Tachiana Mangin takes silver in Asian Games taekwondo
Oct 2, 2026

Tachiana Mangin takes silver in Asian Games taekwondo

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.

LOOK: EAC def. Lyceum (89-79)
Oct 2, 2026

LOOK: EAC def. Lyceum (89-79)

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

[WEEKENDER] Beyond the podium: Embracing true diversity in Korean sports
Oct 2, 2026

[WEEKENDER] Beyond the podium: Embracing true diversity in Korean sports

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

North Korean coach rebukes medal-winning weightlifters despite Asian Games golds
Oct 2, 2026

North Korean coach rebukes medal-winning weightlifters despite Asian Games golds

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

RECOMMENDED