Sandi Morris

Apr 17, 2020

Olympic pole vaulting silver medalist Sandi Morris works on vaulting pit she is building with her father in Greenville, S.C., Tuesday, April 14, 2020. Morris didn’t have a place to practice and plenty of down time due to the coronavirus pandemic. So she and her father constructed their own pole vault setup. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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NBA tests smart basketballs, wrist wearables in select preseason games
Oct 5, 2026

NBA tests smart basketballs, wrist wearables in select preseason games

NEW YORK — The NBA is experimenting with two pieces of technology in the leadup to the season, the league announced Monday. Select exhibition games will include a smart basketball that has a Bluetooth sensor in it and can collect data for future use in real-time officiating decisions. The league said the information from the Wilson-developed connected balls will be for research only and not affect calls made during those games. Officials in select games will also use wrist wearables to communicate with the replay center in designated situations, including replay reviews, scoring changes and clock malfunctions. The wearables went through what the NBA called a successful pilot program during the summer league. The technology will not extend into the regular season.

LeBron, Embiid, Maxey skip 76ers' preseason opener vs Knicks
Oct 5, 2026

LeBron, Embiid, Maxey skip 76ers' preseason opener vs Knicks

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James and Joel Embiid are among the healthy inactives for the Philadelphia 76ers in their preseason opener Monday night against the NBA champion New York Knicks. All-Star guard Tyrese Maxey also will sit out. Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe are the lone regular starters in the lineup. The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round of the playoffs by the Knicks. James signed a free-agent deal with the Sixers over the summer. He is a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP and a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. James, Embiid and the full healthy roster played in a public scrimmage on Saturday on the 76ers' home court.

Football fixtures and results
Oct 5, 2026

Football fixtures and results

Catch up with all the week’s football fixtures and results here.

Yulo, Yape set for highest Asian Games cash bonus
Oct 5, 2026

Yulo, Yape set for highest Asian Games cash bonus

GYMNAST Carlos Yulo and taekwondo jin Jeus Yape emerged as the top cash incentive earners among Filipino athletes who medaled at the just-concluded 20th Asian Games in Japan. Under Republic Act 10699 or the National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act, Asian Games gold winners will receive P2 million from the government while silver and bronze medalists will receive P1 million and P400,000, respectively. Winning two gold medals with floor exercise and vault titles, Yulo will take a total of P4 million. On the other hand, Yape will seize P2.4 million for his gold in mixed individual virtual taekwondo and bronze in the men’s individual poomsae. Yape served as the Philippine flag bearer in the Asiad closing ceremony on Sunday. Pole vaulter Ernest John "EJ" Obiena rose as the third highest earner from the Games with P2 million for securing a second straight gold in his sport. Obiena is also entitled to additional incentives after setting a new meet record with his 5.91-meter clearance. The Philippines finished in 17th place at the Asiad with four golds, nine silvers, and 16 bronzes which translate to P23.4 million in cash incentives. Meanwhile, Team Philippines coaches will also receive cash incentives amounting to half of the incentives of the athletes they coached or trained. Under Section 9 of Republic Act 10699, coaches are entitled to cash incentives “if they have personally trained and rendered service to the athletes or teams who win in international competitions at least six months prior to the international competition.” In Yulo's case, coach Aldrin Castaneda will receive P2 million.

Eala out of WTA Finals contention   
Oct 5, 2026

Eala out of WTA Finals contention   

FILIPINO tennis ace Alex Eala is already eliminated from WTA Finals contention after skipping the WTA 1000 China Open for the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Currently at No. 17, an “X” is already placed next to Eala’s name in the WTA live race Monday, signifying that she’s no longer in contention for the season-ending event. The WTA Finals is slated from Nov. 8 to 15 in Indian Wells. World No. 18 Eala missed out on precious China Open ranking points to play for the Philippines in the Asiad, where she made a semifinal finish for a bronze medal. The decision to skip China Open ensured that Eala won’t reach the top eight in the cutoff deadline on Nov. 1. Sporting 2,181 points this season, Eala is 2,173 behind current No. 8 Linda Noskova who holds 4,354 as of posting time. Even if Eala joined the China Open, it would have been improbable for her to overtake Noskova. Overtaking the Czech netter meant that the Filipino player would need to go deep in the tournament while the former would need to make a quick exit. Then, that scenario would have needed to repeat at the Wuhan Open — the last 1000 event of the year — for Eala to truly close the gap and give herself a fighting chance to take the No. 8 spot. A quick exit in China would have quickly eliminated Eala from the WTA Finals contention anyway. Even world No. 14 Diana Shnaider got booted out after reaching the third round in Beijing, giving her a total of 2,408 only which is even 227 higher than Eala’s total points. Taking this to account, Eala’s decision to skip China for the Asiad proved sound albeit she will suffer fines and likely be disqualified for season-ending bonuses. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina (7,492) and No. 2 Aryna Sabalenaka (6,485) are so far the only players who have qualified for the WTA Finals, which has a 5,915-point qualification cut. World No. 3 Jessica Pegula (5,825), No. 4 Mirra Andreeva (5,722), and No. 5 Coco Gauff (5,654) are closing in on the threshold. World No. 6 Elina Svitonlina (4,809), No. 7 Karolina Muchova (4,400), No. 8 Noskova (4,234), No. 9 Marta Kostyuk (3,910), and No. 10 Iga Swiatek (3,584) are within striking distance.

PBA adjusts schedule for Gilas’ FIBA bid
Oct 5, 2026

PBA adjusts schedule for Gilas’ FIBA bid

THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) continues to demonstrate its unwavering commitment to the national cause, adjusting its calendar to support Gilas Pilipinas in their quest to secure a berth in the 2027 FIBA World Cup in Doha, Qatar. Currently in the final leg of a two-month conference break, the pro league suspended action to allow national team players to compete in two major international tournaments: the fourth window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers and the Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Season 50 Governors’ Cup is set to resume on Wednesday, Oct. 7, to complete the elimination round and quarterfinal phase. However, the PBA will take another scheduled hiatus shortly after to give Gilas ample time to prepare for the fifth window of the Asian Qualifiers in late November, where the Philippines will face Syria and Iran in Seremban, Malaysia. These calendar sacrifices come on the heels of momentum-building home victories against Jordan and Iran during the August window at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Playing without injured naturalized star Justin Brownlee, Gilas leaned heavily on the return of 7-foot-3 center Kai Sotto, who anchored the team with solid averages of 15.5 points, 15.0 rebounds, and 3.0 assists. The Philippines currently holds a 4-4 record in Group E, trailing leaders Australia (8-0), New Zealand (6-2), as well as Iran and Jordan (both 5-3). With only the top three teams per group and the best fourth-placed team qualifying for the World Cup, every remaining window is critical. To accommodate these international commitments while keeping its three-conference format intact, the league is looking at tighter timelines for next season. PBA Commissioner Willy Marcial revealed that Season 51 is targeted to open in February 2026, following the Rookie Draft on Jan. 17, but side events like out-of-town games and the annual All-Star Weekend may be sidelined to fit the calendar before December 2027. All proposed schedule adjustments remain subject to final approval by the PBA Board of Governors.

Chourio lifts Brewers over Padres
Oct 5, 2026

Chourio lifts Brewers over Padres

LOS ANGELES —Jackson Chourio smacked a walk-off two-run single to give the Milwaukee Brewers a 4-3 victory over the San Diego Padres on Sunday (Monday in Manila) and a commanding 2-0 lead in their Major League Baseball playoff series. For the second straight day the Brewers rallied from 2-0 down to beat the Padres, who are now in survival mode as the best-of-five National League division series shifts to San Diego for Game 3 on Tuesday. “I don’t have words for this,” Venezuela’s Chourio — who hit a two-run homer to spark the Brewers’ Game 1 rally — told Fox Sports after belting a two-out, bases-loaded fastball from dominant Padres closer Mason Miller up the middle for the winning runs. “I was just looking for a good pitch to hit there and, you know, thankfully he threw me one that I could do something with,” Chourio said. With three errors the Brewers looked far from the team that won an MLB best 103 regular-season games. San Diego seized a 1-0 lead in the first inning and capitalized on Brewers errors to push the advantage to 2-0 in the fifth. Milwaukee had stayed in range with a run in the bottom of the fifth, finally breaking through against Padres starting pitcher Michael King with a double from Christian Yelich, who scored on a base hit by Sal Frelick. The Padres pushed their lead back to two in the seventh, but the Brewers pulled within 3-2 in the bottom of the inning when an error from Padres second baseman Jake Cronenworth allowed a run to score. “We’re a team that never backs down,” Chourio said. “We’re never going to back down from a challenge, and we like these moments. We’re going to keep going, and we’re going to battle for every opportunity that we get.” The winners of the series will take on either the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers or the Atlanta Braves for a place in the World Series. The Dodgers, trying to become the first team since the New York Yankees in 1998, 1999 and 2000 to win three straight World Series titles, took a 1-0 series lead into game two of their NL division series against the Braves later Sunday in Los Angeles.

Smotherman wins first PGA Tour title
Oct 5, 2026

Smotherman wins first PGA Tour title

LOS ANGELES — Journeyman golfer Austin Smotherman claimed the first PGA Tour victory of his career on Sunday (Monday in Manila), sealing a two-stroke triumph at the Bank of Utah Championship. Smotherman, 32, carded a closing three-under-par 68 at the Black Desert Resort in Ivins to finish on 25 under. That was good enough for the world number 121 to hold off Doug Ghim in second place, who shot a final-round 69 for a 24 under total. David Ford’s seven-under-par 64 left him tied for third with Trace Crowe, three shots off the lead, with Kevin Streelman and Ben James a shot further back. The round of the day came from Luke Clanton, who reeled off seven birdies and an eagle in a nine-under-par 62 that left him tied for seventh with Steven Fisk on 21 under. The Bank of Utah Championship is part of the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Fall series, with elite players usually opting to skip the event after playing in the season-ending playoffs.

Messi readies for final farewell
Oct 5, 2026

Messi readies for final farewell

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Lionel Messi will bring the curtain down on his glittering Argentina career on Tuesday with a farewell friendly against Benin that marks the dawn of a new era for the South American champions. After more than two decades of service to his country, the 39-year-old superstar will hand over the captain’s armband for good as he makes his final appearance in the Albiceleste jersey at the Estadio Monumental in Buenos Aires. Messi will be joined for his international swansong by 85,000 spectators and several of the teammates with whom he reached the pinnacle of football at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, alongside members of Argentina’s emerging generation. The friendly marks a symbolic passing of the torch for a player whose international legacy includes a World Cup title, two Copa America crowns and the Finalissima. Messi also bows out as Argentina’s record appearance-maker and leading scorer, with 125 goals in 207 games, as well as a record 68 assists. His farewell comes two and a half months after Argentina’s ill-tempered World Cup final defeat to Spain in New Jersey, where Messi exited in tears after making little impression. “I gave it my all; I have nothing left to give, and besides, there are great young players coming up who deserve their chance,” Messi wrote when announcing his international retirement in August. Messi remains under contract with Inter Miami until 2028, although following the death of his father, Jorge, two months ago, he revealed he may hang up his boots for good sooner than anticipated. Members of Argentina’s 2022 World Cup-winning squad — the players who delivered the country’s third star — and their families will join Messi for Tuesday’s farewell against Benin, ranked 93rd in the world. Veterans of that Doha triumph such as Angel Di María, who retired from international football in 2024, will be there to witness the passing of the torch to a new generation charged with extending the Albiceleste’s golden era. Several of the newcomers, including Franco Mastantuono and Leonel Flores, were not even born when “La Pulga” (“The Flea”) made his Argentina debut in 2005 for a team whose history had for so long been dominated by Diego Maradona.

Yam Concepcion powers Mapua to back-to-back wins, earns NCAA Player of the Week honors
Oct 5, 2026

Yam Concepcion powers Mapua to back-to-back wins, earns NCAA Player of the Week honors

Yam Concepcion has been at the forefront of Mapúa University"s rekindled fire in NCAA Season 102.

FEU's Kirby Mongcopa, NU's Cielo Pagdulagan earn UAAP Player of the Week honors
Oct 5, 2026

FEU's Kirby Mongcopa, NU's Cielo Pagdulagan earn UAAP Player of the Week honors

Far Eastern University"s Kirby Mongcopa and National University"s Cielo Pagdulagan were named UAAP Season 89 Players of the Week after leading their respective teams to unbeaten records from September 26 to October 4, 2026.

Brian Windhorst on the Lakers, LeBron, the Knicks, and Wemby
Oct 5, 2026

Brian Windhorst on the Lakers, LeBron, the Knicks, and Wemby

With the NBA training camp just weeks away, ESPN's NBA insider Brian Windhorst spoke about Filipino basketball fans, the NBA's year-round news cycle, LeBron James and the Lakers, the Knicks, and Victor Wembanyama.

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