PH routs Singapore in Asian Games women's softball to boost medal bid

Manila Times - Sep 30, 2026

The Philippine Blu Girls continued their impressive run at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with a dominant 10-0 victory over Singapore in women's siftball on Sept.30 at the Anjo Softball Ground. This is the third consecutive win for the Philippines, which opened the tournament with back-to-back losses against Japan and Chinese Taipei. The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls rebounded with convincing wins over Korea, Thailand and Singapore to raise their win-loss record to 3-2. The winning streak keeps the Philippines in contention for a podium finish as the preliminary round enters its crucial final stretch. Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asa-Phil) president Jean Henri Lhuillier hailed the team's sustained response after its challenging start inthe tournament. “Three straight wins show the character and determination of this team. What is encouraging is that we are seeing contributions from across the lineup, backed by strong pitching and defense," said Lhillier, who is also predident and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier. "The Blu Girls understand what is at stake, and we are proud to see them continue fighting for every opportunity to bring honor to the Philippines. We remain behind them all the way as they pursue our goal of a historic Asian Games medal." Ahead of the Asian Games,...

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Alex Eala eyes LA Olympics if she takes tennis gold at the Asian Games
Sep 30, 2026

Alex Eala eyes LA Olympics if she takes tennis gold at the Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan — Alex Eala is closing in on two goals. The tennis gold medalist at the Asian Games gets an automatic berth into the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. A two-for-one deal. The Philippines' Eala reached the semifinals on Wednesday after defeating Joanna Garland of Taiwan 7-5, 6-0. Eala will next face Wang Xiyu of China on Thursday. The winner advances to Friday’s final. “The Olympics is a dream for me to be able to compete there, to represent my country," Eala said. "So, yeah, let’s see how it goes.” She took bronze medals in singles and mixed doubles with Francis Alcantara at the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, and is a favorite for gold this time. In order to compete in the Asian Games, Eala had to withdraw from the China Open in Beijing — a mandatory WTA 1000 event. She could be fined $10,000. She said she's not aware of any official notice from the WTA. “I want to say that it’s easy for people to relate to wanting to represent their country and wanting to play these types of Olympic Games,” Eala said. She indicated other players have recognized the conflict and supported her. One seems to be Zhang Shuai of China, No. 57 on the WTA rankings. Eala is No. 18. “It is incredible that the two competitions are in the same weeks," Zhang said. “Some of the previous competitions have been like this. Last week, the Billie Jean King Cup was in the same week as the Singapore and Seoul competitions. “That’s life," Zhang added. "If two things are very important to you, or if they’re both very important tournaments, you can choose one of them." Eala has made her choice.