PBA: Jerom Lastimosa, KJ Buffen lead Magnolia past Blackwater

GMA Network - Oct 9, 2026

Jerom Lastimosa and import KJ Buffen powered the Magnolia Hotshots to their fourth consecutive win in the PBA Governors" Cup, escaping the Blackwater Bossing, 107-101, on Friday.

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NBA wants a homegrown Filipino player, says insider Brian Windhorst
Oct 9, 2026

NBA wants a homegrown Filipino player, says insider Brian Windhorst

ESPN host and NBA insider Brian Windhorst believes it is only a matter of time before a homegrown Filipino basketball player makes it to the world's premier basketball league.

Heavy Bombers keep Golden Stags winless in NCAA
Oct 9, 2026

Heavy Bombers keep Golden Stags winless in NCAA

MANILA, Philippines — Jose Rizal University (JRU) showed no mercy as it demolished San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 102-78, in the crossover round of the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament on Friday afternoon at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The JRU Heavy Bombers improved to a 5-1 win-loss card, tied with College of Saint Benilde on top of the Pool A rankings. The Golden Stags, on the other hand, fell to 0-7. JRU, the 2026 FilOil pre-season champion, made 37 out of its 69 field goal attempts for a 53.6 percent clip. San Sebastian could not find its rhythm and made 28 out of its 64 attempts for a 43.1 field goal percentage. Lawrence Mangubat led the scoring for the Heavy Bombers with 20 points along with eight rebounds, while Chris Hubilla made a double-double performance of 14 points and 11 rebounds. Niel Castro tried to put up the fight for San Sebastián by scoring 17 points.

Wild card Zheng Qinwen finally wins in straight sets to reach China Open semi-finals
Oct 9, 2026

Wild card Zheng Qinwen finally wins in straight sets to reach China Open semi-finals

Home-grown hero Zheng Qinwen pulled out some of her best tennis to beat Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina 6-3, 7-6 at the China Open on Friday and storm into the semi-finals. Zheng, a wild-card entry in Beijing, finally notched her first straight-sets win of this year’s tournament, having needed more than 10 hours on court to get to the quarter-final. The world No 54 sent the crowd roaring as she punched winners down the line, though the seventh-ranked Svitolina came back fighting to force a second-set...

Homebodies Portland tipped to face well-travelled Pacers in 2027 NBA China Games
Oct 9, 2026

Homebodies Portland tipped to face well-travelled Pacers in 2027 NBA China Games

Chinese basketball fans wanting to catch a glimpse of Yang Hansen in a Portland Trail Blazers uniform might get their wish next year, with the centre’s side reportedly one of the two teams tipped to play in the 2027 NBA China Games in Macau. The Trail Blazers, who opened their pre-season with a 123-118 win over the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, have Chinese centre Yang, all-star point guard Damian Lillard, and former rookie of the year Ja Morant on their roster. A well-placed source told...

UAAP: Ateneo head coach Louie Alas handed one-game suspension after three bench infractions
Oct 9, 2026

UAAP: Ateneo head coach Louie Alas handed one-game suspension after three bench infractions

Ateneo Blue Eagles head coach Louie Alas has been handed a one-game suspension by the UAAP Basketball Commissioner"s Office after accumulating three bench infractions in UAAP Season 89.

LOOK: JRU def. San Sebastian 102-78
Oct 9, 2026

LOOK: JRU def. San Sebastian 102-78

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament   JRU def. San Sebastian 102-78 Lawrence Mangubat Player of the game #NCAASeason102

Marcos will attend F1 Grand Prix in Singapore, Palace confirms
Oct 9, 2026

Marcos will attend F1 Grand Prix in Singapore, Palace confirms

Malacanang confirmed on Friday that President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will attend the Singapore Grand Prix this weekend. During a press briefing in Singapore, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said while Marcos will be present, his attendance will be mainly for work. “Transactions are better at face-to-face meetings through such events,” said Castro in Filipino, reiterating her earlier statement that it is important for government officials to meet outside of conferences. “They won't just be watching. There will be a lot more discussion,” she added. Castro earlier said that if Marcos attends, “it should be okay if it were held on a Sunday.” The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) earlier confirmed that Marcos was invited by Singaporean Prime Minister Lawrence Wong to attend the Formula 1 event for “informal engagements” with government officials and business leaders. During his talk at the 24th Forbes Global CEO Conference on Thursday, Marcos described his scheduled attendance at the Grand Prix as a “happy coincidence.” “All of these, the Forbes CEO, all of these meetings that I'm having happened... Because what's happened with the Singapore F1, it's become such an event that all these other events are scheduled around it because so many people come,” said Marcos. He also said that prior to becoming president, he came to watch F1 racing and met former Prime Minister of Singapore Lee Kuan Yew. "I came to the conclusion: you come to the Singapore F1, you can meet anybody, everyone that you want. Even some of the businessmen from the Philippines; I had meetings with them because they were there for the F1,” he said. When Castro was asked if Marcos was aware of the criticisms of his attendance at the racing match, she said all appearances of the president get criticism. “Regardless of the event—whether personal or public, or related to the economy and the welfare of our fellow citizens—President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. never ceases to be the president, not even for a single minute or second. In every move he makes, his mindset is focused on uplifting the Philippines and our people,” she said. In 2022, Marcos received flak for attending the Grand Prix despite some parts of the country being flooded by then-super typhoon ‘Karding.’

NBA: LeBron James scores 10 points in 76ers preseason debut
Oct 9, 2026

NBA: LeBron James scores 10 points in 76ers preseason debut

LeBron James showcased his passing ability in his first action wearing a Philadelphia uniform, taking just one official shot but compiling five assists on Thursday in his first preseason game with the 76ers.

Bill proposed to end blanket military service exemption for Asian Games champions
Oct 9, 2026

Bill proposed to end blanket military service exemption for Asian Games champions

A bill has been proposed in the National Assembly to end the automatic military service exemption for Asian Games gold medalists, following controversy sparked by Korean participants in the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Games. The bill, submitted by Rep. Joo Ho-young and nine other lawmakers of the main opposition People Power Party, seeks to remove Asian Games gold medals as a standalone qualification for alternative military service under the arts and sports personnel program. The program, under the Military Service Act, allows eligible athletes to fulfill their military obligations by continuing their sporting careers rather than serving on active duty. Olympic medalists and Asian Games gold medalists currently qualify. The bill would retain eligibility for Olympic medalists. It would also create a route for people recognized as having significantly enhanced the country’s international standing through achievements in arts or sports to qualify with Cabinet approval. “In some Asian Games sports, the composition of teams and standards of competition vary considerably. Yet gold medalists uniform

Back to part-time jobs: Athletes in less popular sports face harsh realities
Oct 9, 2026

Back to part-time jobs: Athletes in less popular sports face harsh realities

For athletes in less popular sports, life after the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games can be harsh. Once the competition is over, they must return to demanding jobs to make a living. Kim Geon-myeong, 32, a member of Korea’s kabaddi team, worked as a sanitation worker while preparing for the Asian Games, squeezing in training sessions before and after work even after making the national team. He took up kabaddi at the suggestion of Lee Jang-gun, 34, a senior from his university and one of the country’s leading players. After failing to make the national team for the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta and Palembang, Kim considered his career options before taking a job as a sanitation worker for the Geumjeong District Office in Busan. There are no professional kabaddi teams in Korea. National team members hold different jobs, making it difficult even to coordinate team training sessions. Korean kabaddi gained public attention after winning silver at the 2018 Asian Games and Lee, its most recognizable player, appeared on television variety shows. However, the sport’s infrastructure remains und

UAAP: Ateneo head coach Louie Alas suspended one game over infractions
Oct 9, 2026

UAAP: Ateneo head coach Louie Alas suspended one game over infractions

MANILA, Philippines — Ateneo de Manila University head coach Louie Alas has been handed a one-game suspension following the accumulation of three infractions during the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament. Alas will sit out the Blue Eagles' upcoming matchup against the Far Eastern University Tamaraws on Saturday, October 10, at the SMART Araneta Coliseum. According to the UAAP Commissioner’s Office, two of the infractions stemmed from Ateneo’s heated rivalry game against De La Salle University on Wednesday. At the 3:42 mark of the fourth quarter, assistant coach Kerby Raymundo was seen verbally taunting La Salle’s Vhoris Marasigan from the bench. Consequently, Coach Alas was assessed a bench technical foul. At the same mark in the fourth quarter, a video review by the Commissioner’s Office revealed physical misconduct by Alas involving opposing players. The head coach forcefully attempted to pull a DLSU player to his feet and subsequently nudged another opposing player with his elbow. Although the sequence went uncalled by on-court game officials, post-game review deemed the conduct a disqualifying foul under UAAP House Rules and FIBA regulations. Alas’ first recorded infraction occurred on September 19 against the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, where a technical foul assessed to Raymundo for improper bench decorum was charged to Alas as head coach. Ateneo de Manila University retains the right to appeal the suspension before Saturday’s contest. TMT

FEU sweeps SSC-R, takes solo lead in SSL Unity Cup
Oct 9, 2026

FEU sweeps SSC-R, takes solo lead in SSL Unity Cup

MANILA, Philippines — Far Eastern University barely broke a sweat to claim its second straight win at the expense of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 25-14, 25-16, 25-21, in the 2026 Shakey’s Super League (SSL) Unity Cup on Friday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.  Lovely Lopez scored nine of her 13 points in the third set, punching in crucial hits to help the Lady Tamaraws repel the Lady Stags’ desperate fightback as FEU took the solo top spot in Pool C. “Pinag-igihan lang naming yung serve-pass namin, yun ang wino-workout namin. And yung kung papaano kami mag-spike, kung paano namin lalagyan ng option yung spike na gagawin namin,” said Lopez, who had 11 kills, one ace and one kill block while adding three digs. Mitzi Panangin and Alyzza Devosora added six markers each while Kyle Pendon chipped in five markers in the Lady Tamaraws’ 75-minute domination of SSC-R in the league’s centerpiece competition, backed by Shakey’s Pizza Parlor, Peri-Peri Charcoal Chicken, Potato Corner and R&B Milk Tea. FEU took advantage of the Lady Stags’ 23 errors, including a service fault to end the showdown, and outgunned SSC-R, 41-24, in attacks. The Lady Stags showed signs of resistance in the third set, threatening the Lady Tamaraws with repeated rallies. FEU saw its 12-5 lead trimmed to just three, 12-9, after SSC-R scored four straight points aided by Lopez’s three consecutive errors. Lopez stopped the Lady Tamaraws’ bleeding with a down the line kill. Audrey Santos, daughter of FEU basketball legend Arwin Santos, pushed the Lady Tamaraws at match point, 24-19. The Lady Stags saved two match points before committing a miscue from the service line. SSC-R failed to replicate its come-from-behind five-set win over Emilio Aguinaldo College in the opener to slide at second spot with a 1-1 card in the tournament, supported by Smart, PusoP.com DICT, Executive Optical, Milo and Summit Natural Drinking Water. Juna Gonzales had 13 points on 12 attacks and one ace to pace the Lady Stags but had little help with Liana Fabella contributing only six markers. Action in the competition, which has Philippine Sports Commission, the Commission on Higher Education, Mikasa, Asics, Rigour Technology, Jersey Haven, Solar Sports and 12 Beyond Production as technical partners, continues on Saturday with five-peat-seeking National University taking on Arellano University at 1 p.m. University of Santo Tomas battles Mapua University at 3 p.m. while clashing in the 5 p.m. final match of the triple-header playdate are University of the Philippines and Adamson University. All games are available live and on demand via PusoP.com and Solar Sports. TMT

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