Soft tennis team bags PH’s 1st medal in Asiad

Manila Times - Sep 20, 2026

THE Philippines took its first 20th Asian Games medal after the national women's soft tennis team claimed a bronze medal at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center Sunday. The Filipino netters suffered an 0-2 loss to the Japanese but claimed the bronze anyway as semifinalists. Bien Zoleta, Princess Catinding, Christy Sanosa, Hilary Paas, and Shyryn Salazar thus gave the Philippines its first-ever soft tennis Asian Games medal since the sport made it debut at the 1994 edition of the meet in Hiroshima. Zoleta and Catindig fell to Rena Temma and Kiho Miyamae, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-0, 4-1, and Sanosa yielded to Ayaka Iwakura, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-2, 4-0. The Philippine team finished in top two of Group B for the semifinal entry and that guaranteed bronze medal finish. The Philippines defeated Mongolia, 3-0, and Thailand, 2-1, before taking a 0-3 loss to Taiwan in the preliminaries. "We're so happy because this is a very historic win for us in Philippine soft tennis. This is the first time we've had a podium finish since 1994. We're extremely glad that we won a medal for our country," team captain Bien Zoleta told POC Media. "This [medal] is what we dream of in soft tennis. This is our Olympics,...

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McIlroy two shots off lead at Wentworth
Sep 20, 2026

McIlroy two shots off lead at Wentworth

VIRGINIA WATER, UK — Rory McIlroy is just two strokes off the lead going into Sunday’s final day of the European Tour’s flagship PGA Championship at Wentworth after finishing his third round with a spectacular eagle. The back-to-back US Masters champion, one of just six golfers to have won all four of the sport’s men’s major titles, posted a three-under par 69 on Saturday to leave him joint-sixth, and one of five players on 11-under. McIlroy was one-over for the day after 11 holes, but the 37-year-old Northern Irishman showed his class with birdies on the 12th and 17th before a superb four-iron approach shot from 230 yards left him with a tap-in for eagle on the last at Wentworth. “I think it was a day when you really had to take advantage of the par-fives; they were your scoring opportunities,” McIlroy told DP World (European) Tour media. He added: “The wind was up and down a little bit, so it was hard to trust that the wind was going to do what you thought it was going to do, but I stayed as patient as I could, and then I feel like that patience was rewarded over those last few holes.” Spain’s Manuel Elvira and Italy’s Filippo Celli lead heading into the final day, both on 13-under, while three others — Alejandro del Rey, JJ Spaun and Johannes Veerman — are 12-under, leaving the fate of the tournament wide open on Sunday. McIlroy is trying to reel in Patrick Reed to win a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title — the competition which crowns the best player on the European Tour — and is also bidding for the second PGA Championship title of his career on a course he knows well. “Look, I’ve got a big opportunity tomorrow (Sunday) on both fronts,” McIlroy said. “I’d love to win this tournament again. It’s been 12 years and I have so many great memories of Wentworth in general. “I came here for the first time, I think, as a 10-year-old, to watch the World Matchplay all the way back in the day ... Fast-forward, I’ve won this event, I’ve played a lot here, we now have a house on the estate as well. “This place has got a lot of history for me, so hopefully I have a good day tomorrow and give myself a real chance at it again."

First Asian Games gold goes to Japan
Sep 20, 2026

First Asian Games gold goes to Japan

NAGOYA, Japan — The first gold medal of the 20th Asian Games was won on Sunday by host nation Japan as a 13-year-old swimmer from China started in blistering form on the opening day of the multisports extravaganza. Japan’s Takumi Hojo won the men’s individual triathlon in Gamagori city near Nagoya, with China’s Zhang Xirui second and Kazakhstan’s Arlan Zhanabay taking bronze. It was the first of 469 gold medals to be awarded at a two-week spectacle that has more athletes than the Olympics. Action also began in the swimming pool, where Yu Zidi, who does not turn 14 until next month, was fastest by far in the women’s 200m butterfly heats. Teenager Yu was almost 2.70 seconds quicker than compatriot Chang Mohan and will be a hot favorite to take her first major gold in Sunday evening’s final. The Games were officially declared open on Saturday by Japan’s Emperor Naruhito, but there were a large number of empty seats at the 30,000-capacity stadium in Nagoya. It sounded the starting pistol on two weeks of intense action as the continent’s finest athletes compete in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on Oct. 4. The event in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture has 2028 Olympics places up for grabs but has been dogged by a series of problems in the build-up. Accommodating more than 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials has stretched organizers to the limit after they decided not to have a traditional athletes’ village to save money. Competitors instead are staying in a combination of temporary container-style huts, hotels and the cruise ship Costa Serena. There was a record deluge last week, which flooded parts of Nagoya and a typhoon is due to skirt the area on Sunday night, threatening further disruption. Some athletes were left stranded at the airport when transport failed to turn up and several teams have complained about the quality of the huts, including the beds being too short. And Games organizers were forced to offer “deepest apologies” after North Korea’s national anthem was played on Friday for South Korea’s men’s hockey team before a preliminary match.

Eumir Marcial to skip Asian Games
Sep 20, 2026

Eumir Marcial to skip Asian Games

FILIPINO Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial will sit out the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, despite coming off a dominant third-round knockout victory against American Omar Huerta in San Diego, California. Following a joint decision with the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP), Marcial agreed to forgo his Asiad campaign to avoid a grueling travel schedule and rapid transition back to amateur competition. ABAP president Marcus Jarwin Manalo explained that the tight timeline posed significant health risks for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist. "I spoke to Eumir right after winning his professional fight earlier. After carefully considering the situation, Eumir and I agreed that it would be better to skip the Asian Games," said Manalo. "It would be very hard for him to immediately transition from a professional fight in the US, into long-distance travel to Nagoya with a 16-hour time difference, and then into another high-level boxing competition with such a short recovery period." "Boxing is a physically demanding and inherently risky sport, and adequate time to rest and recover is extremely important. We do not want to compromise Eumir’s health and safety because of the tight timeline," Manalo added, noting that Marcial will instead focus on representing the Philippines at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (Aimag) in December. The decision came shortly after Marcial’s impressive middleweight performance at the Pechanga Arena. The undefeated Filipino pugilist unleashed a sharp right counter hook at the 1:54 mark of the third round, sending Huerta to the canvas. Huerta failed to beat the referee's 10-second count, handing Marcial his fifth knockout and improving his professional record to 8-0. Huerta dropped to 15-2-1 following his second consecutive loss. "We sincerely hope for understanding that this decision was made with Eumir’s best interests in mind. His commitment to Philippine boxing and to representing the country has never been in question," Manalo stressed.

Altas seek 2nd win vs winless Stags
Sep 20, 2026

Altas seek 2nd win vs winless Stags

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System-Dalta eyes back-to-back victories as it takes on win-seeking San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The Altas (1-1) and the Stags (0-2) face off at 5:00 PM, right after the 3:00 PM matchup between winless squads Lyceum of the Philippines University (0-1) and Mapua University (0-1). After dropping their season opener to Letran, 84-77, Perpetual rebounded with a convincing 83-72 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College. Head coach Olsen Racela noted a clear shift in his team's mindset following their bounce-back win. “In the first game against Letran, the team lost composure, but this time we played more solid. We built enough of a cushion to put EAC away,” Racela said in Filipino. Sophomore guard Mark Gojo Cruz stepped up to anchor the Altas in their first win, embracing his expanded role on the squad. “I am embracing the bigger role they gave me this year. After that first game loss, all I wanted was to bounce back and make it up to my teammates because I felt bad about how I played,” Gojo Cruz shared. San Sebastián, on the other hand, is desperate to halt a two-game skid following consecutive blowout losses — a 98-72 defeat to Arellano and a 99-62 beating from Letran. To enter the win column, the Stags will need to protect the ball after coughing up a total of 61 turnovers across their first two outings. In the opening game, Mapua and Lyceum both aim to score their first win of the season. Mapua dropped its opener to Jose Rizal University, while Lyceum stumbled against College of St. Benilde.

Pistons, Thompson agree to $155 million extension
Sep 20, 2026

Pistons, Thompson agree to $155 million extension

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McIlroy two shots off lead at Wentworth
Sep 20, 2026

McIlroy two shots off lead at Wentworth

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Soft tennis team bags PH’s 1st medal in Asiad
Sep 20, 2026

Soft tennis team bags PH’s 1st medal in Asiad

THE Philippines took its first 20th Asian Games medal after the national women’s soft tennis team claimed a bronze medal at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center Sunday. The Filipino netters suffered an 0-2 loss to the Japanese but claimed the bronze anyway as semifinalists. Bien Zoleta, Princess Catinding, Christy Sanosa, Hilary Paas, and Shyryn Salazar thus gave the Philippines its first-ever soft tennis Asian Games medal since the sport made it debut at the 1994 edition of the meet in Hiroshima. Zoleta and Catindig fell to Rena Temma and Kiho Miyamae, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-0, 4-1, and Sanosa yielded to Ayaka Iwakura, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-2, 4-0. The Philippine team finished in top two of Group B for the semifinal entry and that guaranteed bronze medal finish. The Philippines defeated Mongolia, 3-0, and Thailand, 2-1, before taking a 0-3 loss to Taiwan in the preliminaries. “We’re so happy because this is a very historic win for us in Philippine soft tennis. This is the first time we’ve had a podium finish since 1994. We’re extremely glad that we won a medal for our country,” team captain Bien Zoleta told POC Media. “This [medal] is what we dream of in soft tennis. This is our Olympics, so winning a medal here is a huge deal for us,” she added. Zoleta could not help but get emotional reflecting on their achievement as a team. “This isn’t just for us, it’s for the Philippines — especially since we turned out to be the first to bring home a medal. So I hope this boosts the morale of the other national athletes competing today, tomorrow, and in the coming days, because you all know how hard we worked to win this, especially at the Asian Games,” she shared. Here is the English translation for this section: Despite the loss, the home crowd applauded the Philippine team for their effort against the defending champions. For Zoleta, a longtime soft tennis national athlete, she believes the Asiad bronze will pave the way for more players from the Philippines. “I know that because of the bronze medal produced by the entire Philippine soft tennis team, many doors will open for us. And not just for us, but for the soft tennis community — plus even more people will appreciate it and build soft tennis programs in the Philippines,” Zoleta said. Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio personally watched the match and congratulated the team. “Long live! This is our first-ever medal in the Asian Games. I really made sure to watch you. I know you can still win more medals. Let’s just stay focused. It’s really exciting to see this sport,” he told POC Media. “This is a sport we can truly develop. It’s great that we are here at the Asian Games; let’s prepare so we can win more medals ... This is a real opportunity to promote the sport,” Gregorio added.

First Asian Games gold goes to Japan
Sep 20, 2026

First Asian Games gold goes to Japan

NAGOYA, Japan — The first gold medal of the 20th Asian Games was won on Sunday by host nation Japan as a 13-year-old swimmer from China started in blistering form on the opening day of the multisports extravaganza. Japan's Takumi Hojo won the men's individual triathlon in Gamagori city near Nagoya, with China's Zhang Xirui second and Kazakhstan's Arlan Zhanabay taking bronze. It was the first of 469 gold medals to be awarded at a two-week spectacle that has more athletes than the Olympics. Action also began in the swimming pool, where Yu Zidi, who does not turn 14 until next month, was fastest by far in the women's 200m butterfly heats. Teenager Yu was almost 2.70 seconds quicker than compatriot Chang Mohan and will be a hot favorite to take her first major gold in Sunday evening's final. The Games were officially declared open on Saturday by Japan's Emperor Naruhito, but there were a large number of empty seats at the 30,000-capacity stadium in Nagoya. It sounded the starting pistol on two weeks of intense action as the continent's finest athletes compete in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on Oct. 4. The event in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture has 2028 Olympics places up for grabs but has been dogged by a series of problems in the build-up. Accommodating more than 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials has stretched organizers to the limit after they decided not to have a traditional athletes' village to save money. Competitors instead are staying in a combination of temporary container-style huts, hotels and the cruise ship Costa Serena. There was a record deluge last week, which flooded parts of Nagoya and a typhoon is due to skirt the area on Sunday night, threatening further disruption. Some athletes were left stranded at the airport when transport failed to turn up and several teams have complained about the quality of the huts, including the beds being too short. And Games organizers were forced to offer "deepest apologies" after North Korea's national anthem was played on Friday for South Korea's men's hockey team before a preliminary match.

Eumir Marcial to skip Asian Games
Sep 20, 2026

Eumir Marcial to skip Asian Games

FILIPINO Olympic boxer Eumir Marcial will sit out the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan, despite coming off a dominant third-round knockout victory against American Omar Huerta in San Diego, California. Following a joint decision with the Association of Boxing Alliances of the Philippines (ABAP), Marcial agreed to forgo his Asiad campaign to avoid a grueling travel schedule and rapid transition back to amateur competition. ABAP president Marcus Jarwin Manalo explained that the tight timeline posed significant health risks for the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games silver medalist. “I spoke to Eumir right after winning his professional fight earlier. After carefully considering the situation, Eumir and I agreed that it would be better to skip the Asian Games,” said Manalo. “It would be very hard for him to immediately transition from a professional fight in the US, into long-distance travel to Nagoya with a 16-hour time difference, and then into another high-level boxing competition with such a short recovery period.” “Boxing is a physically demanding and inherently risky sport, and adequate time to rest and recover is extremely important. We do not want to compromise Eumir’s health and safety because of the tight timeline,” Manalo added, noting that Marcial will instead focus on representing the Philippines at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (Aimag) in December. The decision came shortly after Marcial’s impressive middleweight performance at the Pechanga Arena. The undefeated Filipino pugilist unleashed a sharp right counter hook at the 1:54 mark of the third round, sending Huerta to the canvas. Huerta failed to beat the referee’s 10-second count, handing Marcial his fifth knockout and improving his professional record to 8-0. Huerta dropped to 15-2-1 following his second consecutive loss. “We sincerely hope for understanding that this decision was made with Eumir’s best interests in mind. His commitment to Philippine boxing and to representing the country has never been in question,” Manalo stressed.

Pistons, Thompson agree to $155 million extension
Sep 20, 2026

Pistons, Thompson agree to $155 million extension

THE Detroit Pistons and Ausar Thompson have reached an agreement on a five-year, $155 million contract extension, according to a person familiar with the situation. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Saturday (Sunday in Manila) because the deal had not been announced. ESPN first reported the agreement. With a little more than a week left before training camp begins, the Pistons have not re-signed restricted free agent Jalen Duren. Detroit drafted Thompson out of the Overtime Elite developmental program in 2023 with the No. 5 pick and he has developed into one of the NBA's best defensive players. Houston selected his twin brother, Amen Thompson, with the No. 4 pick and they became the first set of twins to be selected in the top 10 in the same draft. Ausar Thompson was on the NBA All-Defensive team last season and finished third in Defensive Player of the Year voting after averaging a league-high two steals per game. He is limited offensively, mostly to dunks and layups, and averaged 9.9 points a game last season and 9.6 points a game over his three-year career. Duren was selected No. 13 overall out of Memphis in 2022 by Charlotte, and the Pistons acquired him in a draft-night trade. Duren became a first-time All-Star last season and the 6-foot-10 center earned a spot on the All-NBA third team, averaging nearly 20 points and more than 10 rebounds a game. His offensive production in the playoffs dipped dramatically to 10.2 points per game. The Pistons won an Eastern Conference-high 60 games last season, finishing first in the Central Division and advancing in the playoffs for the first time since 2008. They were routed by Cleveland in Game 7 of their second-round series. While some teams in the East made major moves this offseason, Detroit did not add much to its young team and lost two key players. The Pistons acquired Isaiah Joe in a trade with Oklahoma City to add a desperately needed 3-point shooter and signed veteran forward John Collins to a three-year, $51 million contract. They lost third-leading scorer Tobias Harris in free agency to San Antonio and traded Isaiah Stewart to Memphis.

Altas seek 2nd win vs winless
Sep 20, 2026

Altas seek 2nd win vs winless

UNIVERSITY of Perpetual Help System-Dalta eyes back-to-back victories as it takes on win-seeking San Sebastian College-Recoletos in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. The Altas (1-1) and the Stags (0-2) face off at 5:00 PM, right after the 3:00 PM matchup between winless squads Lyceum of the Philippines University (0-1) and Mapua University (0-1). After dropping their season opener to Letran, 84-77, Perpetual rebounded with a convincing 83-72 victory over Emilio Aguinaldo College. Head coach Olsen Racela noted a clear shift in his team’s mindset following their bounce-back win. “In the first game against Letran, the team lost composure, but this time we played more solid. We built enough of a cushion to put EAC away,” Racela said in Filipino. Sophomore guard Mark Gojo Cruz stepped up to anchor the Altas in their first win, embracing his expanded role on the squad. “I am embracing the bigger role they gave me this year. After that first game loss, all I wanted was to bounce back and make it up to my teammates because I felt bad about how I played,” Gojo Cruz shared. San Sebastián, on the other hand, is desperate to halt a two-game skid following consecutive blowout losses — a 98-72 defeat to Arellano and a 99-62 beating from Letran. To enter the win column, the Stags will need to protect the ball after coughing up a total of 61 turnovers across their first two outings. In the opening game, Mapua and Lyceum both aim to score their first win of the season. Mapua dropped its opener to Jose Rizal University, while Lyceum stumbled against College of St. Benilde.

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