ONE Championship: Rifdean apologises after Chatri rejects Nadaka rematch

Bangkok Post - Oct 21, 2026

Malaysian fighter Rifdean Masdor has apologised over a recent social media statement, while his management has sought to clarify its role in his preparations for ONE Samurai 4.

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PVL: Feeling the pressure, Savi Davison and PLDT end early slump
Oct 24, 2026

PVL: Feeling the pressure, Savi Davison and PLDT end early slump

MANILA, Philippines — With a lot of pressure on contender team PLDT, Savi Davison rediscovered her scoring touch to restore order and barge into the win column in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series. Davison unleashed 28 points as PLDT outlasted Capital1, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, on Saturday at Filoil EcoOil Centre. “I honestly… It’s

PBA: Tim Cone, Ginebra face ‘consuelo de bobo’ duel vs San Miguel
Oct 24, 2026

PBA: Tim Cone, Ginebra face ‘consuelo de bobo’ duel vs San Miguel

ANTIPOLO—Coach Tim Cone summed up how Barangay Ginebra made the 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals the hard way, and at the cost of having to face San Miguel Beer in a best-of-five series. “It’s consuelo de bobo,” Cone said after Ginebra secured the last ticket with Friday’s 101-96 win over Blackwater at Ynares Center here.

PBA: Slumping Phoenix aims to turn things around in playoffs
Oct 24, 2026

PBA: Slumping Phoenix aims to turn things around in playoffs

ANTIPOLO—Phoenix coach Charles Tiu lamented his team’s late swoon heading into the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals, where the Fuel Masters will face the NLEX Road Warriors. The Fuel Masters finished the group stage with a 5-5 record after dropping their last two games by blowout margins, including Friday’s 133-103 loss to the Rain or Shine

PVL: Savi Davison, PLDT overcome Capital1 for first win
Oct 24, 2026

PVL: Savi Davison, PLDT overcome Capital1 for first win

MANILA, Philippines — Savi Davison came out firing with 28 points to end PLDT’s woes, outlasting Capital1, 21-25, 25-21, 25-21, 25-21, in the PVL All-Filipino Conference Siklab Series on Saturday at Filoil EcoOil Centre. After struggling in their second straight loss with five points last Tuesday against Akari, Davison unleashed 23 kills, four blocks, and

Unbeaten Cool Smashers keep Thunderbelles winless
Oct 24, 2026

Unbeaten Cool Smashers keep Thunderbelles winless

MANILA, Philippines — The defending champion Creamline notched its third straight victory after defeating the winless ZUS Coffee, 25-19, 16-25, 26-24, 25-17, in the 2026-27 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) All-Filipino Conference–Siklab Series on Saturday at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. Creamline improved to 3-0 win-loss record, tied with Nxled at the top of the standings, while ZUS Coffee dropped to 0-3 and joined Galeries Tower Highrisers at the bottom of the team standings. Bernadeth Pons led the Cool Smashers with a double-double performance of 16 points and 14 excellent receptions. Decorated playmaker Jia De Guzman orchestrated the offense with 17 excellent sets.  Middle blocker Pangs Panaga scored 15 points and Tots Carlos added 10 points for the Cool Smashers. Under the Siklab Series’ “all-to-play” rule, which requires every player listed on the statistical sheet to see at least one minute of action, head coach Sherwin Meneses admitted he is still searching for the team’s ideal combination. “Actually, we don’t know how to do it yet, since this is the first time in the Philippines that we’re following an ‘all-to-play’ format,” Meneses said, referring to the second frame where Creamline lost.  “It’s about the players, and we gave our trust to them. As a coach, this is my first time experiencing it too. We haven’t mastered the format yet, but we’re still maneuvering our players. Our advantage is that we have a lot of players; we’re still learning which ones work best together.” Creamline’s veterans also contributed as Jema Galanza added eight points for Creamline and tallied 10 excellent digs in the match, while Michele Gumabao and Bea De Leon both scored six points each. The Thunderbelles, who are still looking for their first win in the tournament, relied on Zam Nolasco's 16-point effort even as Alyanna Ong added 12 points. Creamline will next face Capital 1, while ZUS aims to finally crack through the win column when it faces PLDT on Oct. 29 at the Santiago Sports Arena in Santiago City.

Eala heads to Tokyo, aims to end slump
Oct 24, 2026

Eala heads to Tokyo, aims to end slump

FILIPINO tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala will head to Japan for the WTA 500 Tokyo Open, the penultimate tournament of the 2026 season. The competition will run from Oct. 26 to Nov. 1. Eala, ranked 20th in the world, will look to end a slump in the Asian Swing of the WTA Tour, where she holds a 1-3 win-loss record. Two of those defeats were against world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova at the Singapore Open and against No. 217 Shi Han at the Wuhan Open. Eala ended her string of upset losses with a 6-3, 6-1 win over No. 34 Diane Parry in the first round of the Ningbo Open but fell to No. 13 Diana Shnaider in the second round, 5-7, 4-6, last Thursday. In Tokyo, Eala will confront another stacked field of netters including world No. 1 Elena Rybakina, No. 11 Maja Chwalinska, No. 12 Iva Jovic and No. 13 Shnaider. World No. 14 and defending champion Belinda Bencic is also listed as well as No. 15 Elise Mertens, No. 17 Sorana Cirstea and No. 19 Naomi Osaka. Also competing are No. 25 Ann Li, No. 29 Nikola Bartunkova, No. 30 Leylah Fernandez, No. 31 Maria Sakkari, No. 33 Ekaterina Alexandrova, No. 34 Parry, No. 35 Jasmine Paolini and No.42 Cristina Bucsa. The players who skipped the tournament include No. 4 Jessica Pegula, No. 6 Elina Svitolina, No. 9 Iga Swiatek and No. 23 Anna Kalinskaya. After Tokyo, Eala will wrap up her 2026 season at the 250 Hong Kong Open slated from Nov. 2 to 8.

PH ends Asian Para Games with 7 medals
Oct 24, 2026

PH ends Asian Para Games with 7 medals

THE Philippines ended its campaign in the 5th Asian Para Games in Nagoya, Japan, with only seven medals, consisting of two golds, two silvers and three bronzes, finishing 18th in the overall medal tally. It was a far cry from its haul in the previous edition in Hangzhou, China, three years ago, where the country brought home 10 gold medals as well as four silvers and five bronze. Majority of the gold medals from the previous games came from chess, which was not included in this year’s edition. This year, the gold medals came from the swimming pool courtesy of para swimmers Ernie Gawilan and Ariel Joseph Alegarbes. Gawilan, a three-time Paralympian, won the country’s first gold medal in Nagoya in the men’s 400-meter (m) freestyle S7. He also bagged the silver medal in the men’s 200-m individual medley SM7. Alegarbes, on the other hand, topped the men’s 100-m backstroke S14. Raemond Adefuin added a bronze medal for swimming after placing third in the men’s 100-m backstroke SB6. Table tennis players Lhey Manginsay and Wilfred Redulla won a silver medal in the mixed doubles table tennis class XD17 after bowing to the Chinese pair of Zhao Shuai and Xiong Guiyan in the gold medal match. In athletics, King James Reyes captured the bronze medal in the men’s 1,500-m T46, while Ma. Ravinia Carpena finished at third place in the women’s shot put F20. Cyril Ongcoy was originally announced as a bronze medal winner in the men’s 1,500-m T12/T13, but was relegated to fourth place following a jury reinstatement of the event’s eventual gold medalist who was earlier disqualified. China topped the medal count with a 207-117-111 count followed by host Japan with a 64-60-62 medal tally. The 5th Asian Para Games ran from Oct. 18 to 24 in Nagoya, following the 20th Asian Games, where the Philippines won four golds, nine silvers and 16 bronzes.

TNT, Magnolia begin quarterfinal duel
Oct 24, 2026

TNT, Magnolia begin quarterfinal duel

DEFENDING champion TNT will be shooting for a strong start against Magnolia as both squads begin their PBA Season 50 Governors Cup best-of-five quarterfinal series on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City. The Tropang 5G managed to reach the playoffs after overcoming an injury-riddled roster early in the conference en route to clinching the fourth seed in Group A with a 7-5 record. The Hotshots, on the other hand, sealed the top seed in Group A after ending the elimination round with a 7-3 card. Both teams collide in their series-opening game at 7:30 p.m. Import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Jayson Castro, Poy Erram and Calvin Oftana are all back since missing a big part of the elimination round with separate injuries. Hollis-Jefferson, who spent the last 10 months recovering from an Achilles injury he sustained last December in his stint with Meralco in the East Asia Super League, is back and hungry to lead TNT to another PBA title. He came in to take the spot of Nick Hornsby, who played just one game as temporary import. RHJ had a good workout during his first game back with TNT, firing 22 points, six rebounds, five assists and two blocks in 22 minutes in a 142-87 demolition of the Macao Giant Pandas. For the Hotshots, the latest of their playoff meeting with the Tropang 5G gives them a chance to try to exorcize the ghost of their past postseason failures. Magnolia has lost to TNT in their last two quarterfinal duels, thus giving coach LA Tenorio a chance for redemption. The Hotshots last won a PBA championship in the 2018 Governors’ Cup when they were still being handled by coach Chito Victolero. Meanwhile, the 5:15 p.m. match features Group A top seed NLEX going up against Phoenix. NLEX closed the elimination round with a 9-3 record, the same slate as San Miguel Beer. But the charges of new coach Jimmy Alapag got the No.1 ranking due to superior quotient. The Road Warriors tangle with the Fuel Masters, who got bludgeoned by the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, 133-103, at the close of elimination round last Friday. “I think Rain or Shine just ran us out of the building, so a bit of a disappointing performance heading into the playoffs. But sana it’s a wake-up call for us that we have to be much better,” said Fuel Masters coach Charles Tiu after that game. RICHARD DY

Tatum delivers as Celtics down winless Knicks
Oct 24, 2026

Tatum delivers as Celtics down winless Knicks

LOS ANGELES, California — Jayson Tatum scored 36 points as the Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks, 107-103, to leave the NBA champions waiting for their first win of the season on Friday (Saturday in Manila). Tatum, back at full fitness after missing most of last season with a ruptured Achilles, delivered a mesmerizing performance at the TD Garden to give Boston their first win of the campaign after an opening-day loss to Detroit. The six-time NBA All-Star shot 14-of-26 from the field, including three three-pointers, with nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. Nine of Tatum’s points came in the fourth quarter as the Knicks, who had trailed by as many as 12 points early in the final frame, closed to within one point. Tatum’s superb all-round display earned words of admiration from Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. “That was a really well-balanced game from JT on both ends, and you were able to kind of see his greatness,” Mazzulla said after the home opener. Tatum received scoring support from new signing Paul George and Neemius Queta, who both finished with 15 points apiece. The Knicks were led by 22 points from Karl-Anthony Towns, with OG Anunoby and Miles McBride scoring 20 each. Knicks talisman Jalen Brunson chipped in with 19. In other games on Friday, the Minnesota Timberwolves stayed unbeaten with a 115-93 defeat of the Orlando Magic on the road. Minnesota’s new-look offense, with Anthony Edwards and LaMelo Ball working in tandem, produced a balanced scoring display that saw seven players finish in double figures. Edwards and Jaden McDaniels each netted 15 points to top the scoring. Orlando fell to 0-2 with the loss. Elsewhere, the Atlanta Hawks moved to 2-0 with a 128-81 drubbing of the Charlotte Hornets, with Jalen Johnson and Aaron Wiggins scoring 19 points each. The Toronto Raptors are also unbeaten, thanks to a 112-102 defeat of the Washington Wizards on the road. Scottie Barnes scored 28 points for Toronto with RJ Barrett adding 23 and Kawhi Leonard 16. Kyrie Irving’s 24-point haul helped the Dallas Mavericks to a 121-105 defeat of the Indiana Pacers while the Milwaukee Bucks were left waiting for their first win of the campaign after falling 132-125 to the Chicago Bulls at home.

Brewers edge Rays to win World Series opener
Oct 24, 2026

Brewers edge Rays to win World Series opener

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin — Milwaukee captain Christian Yelich tripled in one run and scored another to lead the Brewers over Tampa Bay, 3-2, in Friday’s opening game of the 122nd World Series. Yelich did his damage in the first inning and strong pitching from Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski and relievers frustrated the Rays, who put the tying run on third base in the ninth before Milwaukee secured the victory. “It feels great. The guys settled in right away and did a great job,” Yelich said. “We’ve still got a ways to go but nice to get that first one.” A sellout crowd for the first World Series game at Milwaukee in 44 years cheered on the Brewers, who host Game 2 on Saturday before the best-of-seven Major League Baseball (MLB) finale shifts to Florida. “It was amazing. Just to have the city behind me, it means the world,” Misiorowski said. “We couldn’t ask for anything better.” The 24-year-old American right-hander became the youngest pitcher since 1997 to win a World Series opener. “Not perfect but good enough to get a win,” Misiorowski said of his performance. Each club seek its first World Series title. The Brewers’ only other appearance was in 1982 while the Rays are in their third World Series after 2008 and 2020. It’s only the second World Series in more than a century featuring two teams that have never captured the crown, the other in 1980 when Philadelphia beat Kansas City. Misiorowski, known for his fiery fastball, hurled the fastest World Series pitch ever recorded at 103.5 miles per hour (mph), or 166.5 kilometers per hour, to begin the game. Misiorowski, who went 16-5 with an MLB-best 252 strikeouts and an MLB-best 1.80 earned-run average this season, broke the old mark of 103.2 mph set by Aroldis Chapman of the Chicago Cubs in 2016, eight years after pitch speeds were first recorded. He struck out three and scattered four hits over five innings while allowing only one run to earn the victory. Brewers outfielder Jackson Chourio hit the first offering from Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez for a leadoff single in the first inning. Chourio scored when designated hitter Yelich smashed a triple off the glove of diving Rays outfielder Jonny DeLuca. “He prepares, he’s a leader, and he has helped us a bunch all year,” Brewers manager Pat Murphy said of Yelich. William Contreras followed with a single to drive in Yelich for a 2-0 Brewers lead. Tampa Bay’s Jonathan Aranda walked to open the fourth inning, reached third on Junior Caminero’s double to the centerfield wall and scored on an infield ground out by Liam Hicks to cut the lead in half. Milwaukee added what proved to be the deciding run in the seventh after Cooper Pratt walked, advanced on a ground out and scored on Chourio’s single to right field. Scary finish Brewers relief pitchers dominated down the stretch with Abner Uribe and Aaron Ashby combining for five strikeouts while allowing only one hit over three innings. But in the ninth, Milwaukee closer Trevor Megill allowed back-to-back singles to Aranda and Chandler Simpson, then pinch-runner Jorge Mateo and Simpson executed a double steal to reach second and third bases. Caminero walked to load the bases and Hicks appeared to ground into a game-ending double play. Video replay showed an errant throw pulled the fielder’s foot off the bag at second and Mateo scored with Rays runners on second and third. With the game on the line, Megill struck out DeLuca to secure the victory. “A big range of emotions,” Yelich said. “Big credit to Trev for locking back in right there, making some huge pitches after you have that emotional dump. “Everybody had faith in Trev. It’s the World Series. You’ve got to do what you’ve got to do. He did a great job.”

Blakely bags all-around world title
Oct 24, 2026

Blakely bags all-around world title

ROTTERDAM, Netherlands — American Skye Blakely kept her nerve on her closing routine on Friday (Saturday in Manila) to take her first solo gold in the individual all-around competition at the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships in Rotterdam. The 21-year Texan finished ahead of teenagers Liudmila Roshchina and Qinqin Ke. Blakely had previously collected two team golds, the second in 2023 in a quartet led by star gymnast Simone Biles, who is absent from Rotterdam and has left the future of her career in doubt. Blakely has often been hampered by injuries. In 2021, a torn ligament in her elbow forced her to withdraw from the Tokyo Games. History repeated itself in June 2024: during the United States Olympic trials, just as she had cemented her place among the favorites for Paris, another injury — this time to her Achilles tendon — ruled her out of the Olympics. Having topped the qualifying round on Monday, Algeria’s Kaylia Nemour had to settle for fourth after almost missing the springboard in her opening event, the vault. She managed to complete her leap but by sacrificing difficulty and, despite strong showings in the three remaining events, finished fourth. As the second-best qualifier, Blakely went second last, ahead of Nemour. After 18-year-old Russian Roshchina scored 13,400 and Chinese 16-year-old Ke 13,266, the American started her routine knowing a safe routine would win. She scored 12.933 for an aggregate of 55.733 with Roshchina totaling 55.199. Ke finished with 55.032 to edge Nemour by 0.034 of a point.

Olympic marathon champ suspended    
Oct 24, 2026

Olympic marathon champ suspended    

OLYMPIC and world marathon champion Peres Jepchirchir has been provisionally suspended over a positive drug test for the banned substance EPO, the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) said on Friday. Jepchirchir won women’s marathon gold at the Tokyo Olympics in 2021 and the world title last year. The 33-year-old Kenyan runner is also a former world record holder in the half marathon. The AIU, which investigates doping in track and field on behalf of the sport’s governing body World Athletics, posted on X that “an out-of-competition sample, collected in Kenya prior to her recent Sydney Marathon victory, returned an adverse analytical finding for EPO.” Jepchirchir won the Sydney Marathon in August. Her representative Gianni Demadonna declined to comment when contacted by the Associated Press (AP). In most doping cases in international sports, athletes are provisionally suspended from competing until the case is either resolved with a verdict or dropped. Jepchirchir’s win in Sydney was another award in a glittering career which includes victories in the 2021 New York Marathon, the 2022 Boston Marathon and 2024 London Marathon. She is ranked fifth in the world for the women’s marathon. Jepchirchir also made history when she broke the half-marathon world record in 2017 while in the early stages of pregnancy, according to governing body World Athletics. She gave birth to a daughter eight months after that. Sydney Marathon organizers said in a statement on Friday they were “extremely disappointed” to hear of Jepchirchir’s suspension. “Jepchirchir is entitled to due process, and we will make no further comment on the case until that process has concluded,” the statement said. “Our commitment to clean sport is unwavering. Every athlete who lines up in Sydney deserves to race on a level playing field, and every participant and spectator deserves to trust the result they see at the finish line.” It’s the latest in a long series of doping cases involving distance runners from Kenya, which was awarded the 2029 world track championships last month. It will be the first African country to host the event, but Kenya has long-faced scrutiny over performance-enhancing drug use by its world-leading runners. Women’s marathon world record holder Ruth Chepng’etich, who is also from Kenya, was banned for three years in 2025 after admitting a charge related to a positive test for a banned diuretic. Former New York Marathon winner Albert Korir was given a five-year ban in March. World Anti-Doping Agency president Witold Banka said this month Kenya needs a “more determined approach” to retain its credibility in sports. “Kenya proudly calls itself the home of champions. But for that home to remain respected and credible, it must also be clean,” Banka said during a visit to the East African nation. “That is why Kenya needs a strong culture of clean sport, zero tolerance for doping, and a more determined approach to preventing and fighting doping.” The suspension of Jepchirchir was announced a day after the AIU said it issued a six-year ban to Ruti Aga, a top marathon runner from Ethiopia. The AIU said Aga tested positive for a banned substance and then submitted a fake prescription for the substance from a clinic which turned out not to exist.

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