Korea loses to Japan for 3rd straight runner-up finish at regional baseball tournament

The Korea Times - Nov 15, 2026

Korea lost to Japan 5-1 in the final of a regional baseball tournament in Tokyo on Sunday, with its offense silenced and pitchers unable to keep the ball in the park. Korea managed only five hits while serving up two home runs in the final of the Asia Professional Baseball Championship (APBC) at Tokyo Dome, as it settled for its third consecutive runner-up finish behind Japan. Japan won the two previous editions of the APBC in 2017 and 2023. The APBC is for players aged 24 years and younger or those with no more than three years of professional experience. Teams can each take up to three players who are between 24 and 29 years old. In round-robin play, Korea lost to Australia 8-7 on Thursday and fell 9-5 against Japan on Friday. Korea then held off Taiwan 6-4 on Saturday, as those two countries, plus Australia, finished with an identical record of 1-2. Korea won out in a tiebreaking formula called Team Quality Balance, which looks at teams' runs scored and runs allowed, and it set up a rematch against the undefeated Japan in Sunday's final. Japan wasted little time taking the lead, as Mis

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Nov 15, 2026

FIFA breathes new life into historic Rizal Memorial Stadium

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine football is set for a transformational leap after FIFA President Gianni Infantino signed a memorandum of agreement with the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) for the redevelopment of the historic Rizal Memorial Stadium (RMS). PSC Chairman Patrick Gregorio and PFF President John Anthony Gutierrez signed the landmark agreement with Infantino at the PSC House inside the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila on Sunday witnessed by Executive Secretary Ralph Recto. Infantino announced that the Philippines will receive US$25 million from FIFA for the major facelift of the fabled football pitch and the construction of three regional football training centers across the country at no cost to the government, following the nation’s successful hosting of the inaugural FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup in 2025. Infantino said the project reflects FIFA’s belief that football belongs to everyone, everywhere. “We don’t want emerging countries to just watch football on TV. We want every country to be part of football, to be part of top football, to be part of world football,” he said. “Today a stadium is a symbol. It’s a symbol of a country that wants to project itself into the future,” Infantino said. “To build a stadium is to give smile, to give happiness, to givehope to a whole country.” Gutierrez said the upgrade of RMS is among the most significant benefits the country has received from hosting the tournament, noting that the Philippines played an important role in FIFA's continued global growth and success. “FIFA is successful around the world, which the Philippines was a big part of because we hosted the first-ever FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup. And because of that success, this donation from FIFA will help us rebuild the Rizal Memorial Stadium,” said Gutierrez. The redevelopment will mark the first significant renovation of the iconic stadium since it opened in 1934. For Gregorio, the agreement represents a milestone not only for football but for Philippine sports infrastructure as a whole. “We are able to reap the success of the nation's hosting of the FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup,” said Gregorio. “We will now have a beautiful football stadium that we can really be proud of and can host big international competitions.” Once completed, the football venue will have a seating capacity of 25,000, feature state-of-the-art facilities and serve as the new home of the Philippine Football Federation while positioning the country to host major international football tournaments. Apart from the stadium renovation, FIFA's funding will also be used to establish three regional football training centers in Luzon, Bacolod City in the Visayas and Cagayan de Oro in Mindanao. Each center will feature three full-sized football pitches located side by side, along with dormitory facilities designed to house athletes and teams undergoing training. Gutierrez said the regional training centers will strengthen football development nationwide by making world-class facilities more accessible to aspiring players outside Metro Manila. “These regional training centers will allow young athletes to train closer to home and help develop football across the country. They can also host international youth tournaments while making it easier for parents to support and visit their children,” he said. The PFF chief emphasized that the FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup has already generated tangible and lasting benefits for Philippine football, highlighting how the investment will create opportunities for future generations of players and football stakeholders. “We are thankful to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for sharing the graces of FIFA to the Philippines so now we are able to rebuild,” Gutierrez said. “All 211 FIFA member countries benefit from FIFA's success, and today the Philippines is seeing the rewards of being an active part of the global football community.” Gregorio explained that the redevelopment of the Rizal Memorial Football Stadium forms part of a broader master plan to modernize the entire Rizal Memorial Sports Complex. The initiative includes the proposed PSC Plaza fronting SM Harrison and the development of a pedestrian walkway connecting LRT Taft Avenue to Adriatico Street through the sports complex, creating a more integrated and accessible sports district in the heart of Manila. The PFF will spearhead the stadium refurbishment and work closely with the PSC engineering team to ensure that existing jogging paths and pedestrian areas are seamlessly integrated into the new design. Gutierrez also recalled the intense competition to host the first FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup, noting that the Philippines prevailed over bids from Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Poland and Brazil. He credited the strong support of the Philippine government as a decisive factor in securing the hosting rights. “We wanted to show FIFA that we want to play our part,” said Gutierrez. “Part of the bidding process was a government guarantee for you to be able to bid, and the other countries couldn't provide that.” Backed by FIFA and driven by a strong partnership between government and football leaders, the redevelopment of the Rizal Memorial Stadium and the construction of regional training centers will accelerate the rise of Philippine football. The projects will serve as a lasting legacy of the country's successful hosting of the world's first FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup and inspire future generations of Filipino players. TMT

Nov 15, 2026

Ciryl Gane sweeps Josh Hokit on the scorecards to retain heavyweight title at UFC 334 at MSG

NEW YORK — Josh Hokit wore an American flag bandana and sunglasses as he extended his hand toward Ciryl Gane and briefly dropped his outrageous “Incredible Hok” persona. “You're tougher than I thought,” Hokit said. Gane was tough. And he's still the champ. Gane successfully defended his heavyweight championship, sweeping the scorecards over the five-round fight to win a unanimous decision and beat Hokit in the main event as UFC 334 bled into early Sunday at Madison Square Garden. Gane won 48-47 on all three scorecards as the pro-Hokit crowd howled in disbelief. Gane (15-2) defeated Alex Pereira at the White House card in June and claimed the interim heavyweight title before he was promoted to undisputed champion in Tom Aspinall's absence November. Gane and Hokit (10-1) engaged in a slugfest that left both fighters bloodied — Hokit above the left eye, Gane from the mouth — but neither one landed any sustained offense which forced this outcome to the judges. Hokit smirked as the decision was announced. “I will rejoice in my suffering, suffering builds endurance, endurance builds character, and character builds hope," Hokit said. “I will never lose hope. I will be champion one day.” Hokit flipped off Gane once, ducked a right, and extended a middle finger for a second time to close the third round. The New York crowd ate it all up. Hokit remained as crude in the cage as he is uncouth outside the octagon in hyping his fights. Yet it was the 36-year-old Gane, who had lost to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones in previous attempts to win the heavyweight championship, who walked out still champion. Harrison retains 135-pound belt over Nunes Kayla Harrison retained her 135-pound championship when she choked out Amanda Nunes in the fourth round and spoiled the comeback bid of the woman widely recognized as the greatest female fighter in the co-main event. Harrison (20-1) had plenty to prove in not only her first title defense as Nunes ended her three-year retirement for this title match, but in her first fight since June 2025. Harrison had spinal fusion surgery in January for a neck injury that delayed this anticipated fight until Saturday night at the Garden. Nunes (23-6) tried to wrestle with the two-time Olympic gold medal judo champion in Harrison and ended the first two rounds flat on her back. Harrison landed a series of short punches and elbows to the head that seemed to tire her out — she admitted the difficulty in cutting weight to 135 pounds — as much they did any damage to Nunes. Harrison — who walked out to “Eye of the Tiger” while the fighter better known as the “Lioness” stretched and bounced on her tiptoes ahead of Bruce Buffer’s introductions —wasted no time in the fourth round. Harrison grabbed Nunes by her right leg and tripped her to the canvas. Harrison pounced on Nunes’ back and applied the rear naked choke hold. Nunes quickly tapped to astonishment of the packed MSG crowd. “I think I'm still in shock,” Harrison said. Nunes may be considered the best in the sport. Harrison staked her claim as the best of right now. Nunes walked out of the octagon on her own while a victorious, yet weakened, Harrison needed help back to the locker room. Gold firmly around her waist. “I’ve got a lot of decisions to make when I get home,” Harrison said. "Every time I make weight, I say never again, so we’ll see.” A UFC Hall of Famer, Nunes held championships in two weight classes, lost only once in 12 previous UFC championship bouts and defeated the once-indomitable Ronda Rousey. She retired in 2023, citing burnout and a desire to spend more time with her wife as they raised their two young daughters. She could head back into retirement, her legacy on the short list of the best to do it still secured.