Letran, Benilde seek strong finish in crossover round

Manila Times - Oct 19, 2026

COLEGIO de San Juan de Letran and the College of Saint Benilde are gearing up to finish the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament crossover round with a statement victory on Tuesday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. The action kicks off at 3 p.m. with the Letran Knights (5-3) locking horns with the Benilde Blazers (6-2). Following that matchup at 6 p.m., the University of Perpetual Help System-Dalta (2-6) will face off against the Jose Rizal University (JRU) Heavy Bombers (6-2). Letran heads into the game fresh off a hard-fought 70-66 win against JRU, powered by Chad Gammad’s 21 points and four rebounds, with Denzil Walker chipping in 11 markers. The Knights achieved the victory despite playing without their star guard, Titing Manalili, who continues to recover from a right knee injury sustained against the Lyceum of the Philippines University. “Despite Jonathan (Titing) not playing, I can see them step up, the other guards. I know the boys are working really hard and they worked as a team, they found their rhythm and we managed to handle the pressure,” head coach Allen Ricardo said during the post-game press conference. However, overcoming a vengeful Benilde squad will be no easy task. The...

Read full article

MORE NEWS

Badminton star An Se-young sets record for most int'l women's singles titles
Oct 19, 2026

Badminton star An Se-young sets record for most int'l women's singles titles

With her latest victory in Denmark over the weekend, Korean badminton star An Se-young set the record for the most international titles in the women's singles, the sport's international governing body said Monday. The Badminton World Federation (BWF) announced on its social media that An's title at the Denmark Open on Sunday was her 47th international championship, one more than the former Indonesian star Susi Susanti. The BWF noted that titles in regional games are excluded and these records have been kept since 1989. An has been the world No. 1 for 105 consecutive weeks. She won a single-season record 11 titles in 2025 and is closing in on that mark this year with nine victories under her belt. In the Denmark Open final, An defeated Akane Yamaguchi of Japan 2-1 (21-23, 21-14, 21-18) despite trailing in every game and dealing with an apparent right ankle injury. Not counting team competitions, An has collected six titles on the BWF World Tour and also won gold medals at the Asian Championships, the BWF World Championships and the Asian Games in 2026. An has lost just one match all season

Veteran hitter released by KBO club
Oct 19, 2026

Veteran hitter released by KBO club

Son Ah-seop, third on the career hits list in Korean baseball, was released by his club Monday. The Doosan Bears of the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) announced Son was among 11 players that they had chosen not to bring back next season. The 38-year-old outfielder has now reached the crossroads after spending 20 seasons in the KBO, during which he has collected 2,655 hits. Son currently sits behind Choi Hyoung-woo of the Samsung Lions, who has 2,734 hits, and Kim Hyun-soo of the KT Wiz, who owns 2,691 hits, on the all-time list. Former LG Twins player Park Yong-taik previously owned the hits record with 2,504, and Son became the first player to surpass that mark in June 2024. Son remained the career leader in hits entering this season, but Choi passed him in May and Kim did the same in August. While Choi and Kim have remained productive in their early 40s and late 30s, respectively, Son has been on the downslope for the past couple of years after winning his first batting title in 2023. Son played for the Lotte Giants from 2007 to 2021, and then joined the NC Dinos as a free agent before

KBO's ERA, strikeout champion wins top Korean pitching award
Oct 19, 2026

KBO's ERA, strikeout champion wins top Korean pitching award

Doosan Bears starter Gwak Been, who led the Korean baseball league in ERA and strikeouts this year, was named the recipient of the country's top pitching award Monday. Gwak was chosen as the winner of the 2026 Choi Dong-won Award. Named after the late former pitcher in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO), the award has been recognizing the top hurler in the KBO since 2014. The award selection committee said Gwak received first-place votes from six of its seven members. Gwak went 11-7 in 27 starts, covering 161 innings, and topped the KBO with a 2.24 ERA and 197 strikeouts. He was the only starter this season to post an ERA of under 3.00. Gwak also pitched Korea to the gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games in September, allowing just one run in 12 1/3 innings and striking out 19 in his two starts, including one against Japan in the gold medal game. Candidates for the award must meet the following criteria: at least 25 starts, 180 innings pitched, 12 wins, 150 strikeouts, 15 quality starts, a sub-3.00 ERA and 35 saves for relievers. Although Gwak fell short of thresholds in the wins a

Tigers outfielder competing in KBO postseason through wisdom tooth pain
Oct 19, 2026

Tigers outfielder competing in KBO postseason through wisdom tooth pain

Athletes are often willing to play through all sorts of pain in important games, be it a creaky back or wonky knees. Kia Tigers outfielder Park Jung-woo, though, is dealing with an unusual type of pain with his team in the thick of the Korean baseball postseason — with his wisdom tooth on the right side. "I wanted to get rid of it right away but apparently, it is not a simple procedure," Park told reporters before the Tigers hosted the LG Twins in Game 2 of their best-of-five series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason. "So I have decided to take it out after the end of our postseason." Park missed the first game of this series Saturday because he was under the weather. A flu bug went around the Tigers clubhouse and several players dealt with high fever in the days leading up to the postseason series. Park said his fever might have made his wisdom tooth pain even worse, and he had difficulty eating food. With the Tigers leading the Twins 2-0 in the series and needing just one more win to advance to the next round, Park's team appears to be several days away from the end o

KBO regular-season champions Wiz reward manager with record contract
Oct 19, 2026

KBO regular-season champions Wiz reward manager with record contract

The Korean baseball regular-season champions KT Wiz rewarded their manager, Lee Kang-chul, with a record contract Monday. The Wiz said they signed Lee to a new three-year deal worth 3.4 billion won ($2.6 million), making him the highest-paid manager in Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) history. Lee will make 800 million won in annual salary and received a signing bonus of 1 billion won. Lee's deal surpasses the three-year, 3 billion-won contract signed by the LG Twins skipper Youm Kyoung-youb last November. Lee's previous three-year contract, which paid him 2.4 billion won, was set to expire after this season. Lee has been at the Wiz's helm since 2019. He led the Wiz to their first postseason in 2020 and then to their first-ever Korean Series title in 2021. This year, the Wiz won a franchise-record 90 games to finish first in the regular season and advance directly to the Korean Series, which will begin Nov. 2. The Wiz made the postseason in six of Lee's eight seasons in charge. The 60-year-old has recorded 618 wins, 501 losses and 29 ties in 1,148 regular-season games with the Wiz. Lee tha

NCAA: Mapua routs San Sebastian to complete crossover phase sweep
Oct 19, 2026

NCAA: Mapua routs San Sebastian to complete crossover phase sweep

Mapua University completed a sweep of the NCAA Season 102 crossover phase after routing San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 71-43, on Monday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

NBA: Kings’ Ben Simmons tears Achilles tendon in practice
Oct 19, 2026

NBA: Kings’ Ben Simmons tears Achilles tendon in practice

Ben Simmons tore his right Achilles tendon in practice on Sunday, ending his comeback attempt this season with the Sacramento Kings before the season even started. The Kings said Simmons hurt himself during a live drill and will need to undergo surgery three days before the season opener on Wednesday night on the road against

Steph Curry ‘fine’ after tweaking ankle in practice, says Kerr
Oct 19, 2026

Steph Curry ‘fine’ after tweaking ankle in practice, says Kerr

SAN FRANCISCO — Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry limped off the court after tweaking his right ankle in a noncontact play during an open practice for fans Sunday. “He said he’s fine,” coach Steve Kerr said after the event at Chase Center. The Warriors open the season Wednesday on the road against the Los

Raemond Adefuin bags bronze, gives PH second medal in 2026 Asian Para Games
Oct 19, 2026

Raemond Adefuin bags bronze, gives PH second medal in 2026 Asian Para Games

The Philippine para swimming team added another medal to the country"s haul at the 2026 Asian Para Games as Raemond Adefuin captured bronze in the men"s 100-meter breaststroke on Monday in Japan.

Svitolina to split with fellow tennis star Monfils
Oct 19, 2026

Svitolina to split with fellow tennis star Monfils

PARIS — Elina Svitolina announced on Monday she is divorcing fellow tennis star Gael Monfils after five years of marriage. Ukraine's Svitolina, the world number six, married French player Monfils in July 2021 and they have a four-year-old daughter together. "I need to find my way back to myself and I cannot do that within our marriage," the 32-year-old Svitolina said in a social media post. "It is the hardest truth I have ever had to face and the hardest thing I have ever had to tell the person I love." Monfils, 40, retired from tennis earlier this month, despite having been expected to make farewell appearances in Lyon and at the Paris Masters later this month. He had been given a wildcard for this week's ATP 250 tournament in Lyon, but organizers said he had withdrawn for personal reasons.

Maja Chwalinska wins maiden WTA title at Wuhan Open
Oct 19, 2026

Maja Chwalinska wins maiden WTA title at Wuhan Open

Maja Chwalinska battled from a set and a break down to capture her first WTA Tour title at the Wuhan Open on Sunday in China.

LIVE UPDATES: Alex Eala vs Diane Parry at the Ningbo Open Round of 32
Oct 19, 2026

LIVE UPDATES: Alex Eala vs Diane Parry at the Ningbo Open Round of 32

Alexandra Eala is set to begin her campaign at the Ningbo Open against France"s Diane Parry in the first round of the WTA 500 tournament.

RECOMMENDED