Taiwan’s gender-row boxer wins gold 

Manila Times - Oct 2, 2026

NAGOYA, Japan — Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting, the Olympic champion who found herself embroiled in a major gender row at Paris 2024, won gold at the Asian Games on Wednesday. Lin beat China’s Yang Chengyu 5-0 in the women’s 60-kg final in Nagoya, giving her a second Asian Games gold after winning in the 57-kg class in Hangzhou three years ago. The 30-year-old was backed by a small pocket of vocal Taiwanese supporters in the cosy Nishio Gymnasium. Towering over her opponent, Lin used her superior reach to take control of the bout and had a clear advantage heading into the third and final round. She held off a late assault from Yang to take gold, celebrating with the minimum of fuss. Lin told AFP before the Games that she had considered retiring after the Paris Olympics but wanted to carry on fighting in part to defy those who questioned her eligibility. Lin and Imane Khelif of Algeria were disqualified from the 2023 world championships by the International Boxing Association (IBA) after the organization said they failed unspecified gender eligibility tests. However, the IOC allowed them to compete in Paris, saying they were victims of “a sudden and arbitrary decision” by the widely discredited IBA. Both went...

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Philippines tennis star Eala says 'I get overwhelmed sometimes'
Oct 2, 2026

Philippines tennis star Eala says 'I get overwhelmed sometimes'

NAGOYA, Japan — Alexandra Eala admitted on Friday that she gets "overwhelmed sometimes" by the huge weight of expectation placed on her as a trailblazer for tennis in the Philippines. The 21-year-old leaves the Asian Games having fallen short of her ambition to win gold for her country, instead settling for bronze. Eala is followed everywhere by adoring fans eager for a piece of the world number 18, who in August became the first player from the Philippines to win a title on the women's WTA Tour. "I definitely do get overwhelmed sometimes," said Eala. "But I understand that it's such a privilege to be in the position that I'm in and to be able to live out the dreams that I've always had as a kid. "So it's something I've had to accept that it comes with the job, and this is how things are. "I'm ready for the challenge." Eala, who skipped the prestigious China Open in Beijing to play for her country at the Asian Games, said she would take away good memories despite exiting in the semi-finals in a three-set defeat to China's lower-ranked Wang Xinyu. Wang went on to beat compatriot Zhang Shuai to win gold on Friday. "It does come with pressure, but I'm really happy that I was able to compete here," said Eala, who was the top seed. "To be able to share it with the Filipino people is really important," she added. "No regrets. I left everything on the court," said Eala. With Games gold comes direct qualification for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics. Eala said it was still her "dream" to play in LA. "There are other ways of qualifying for the Olympics, so I guess it's also an extra motivation," she said. "Competing in the Olympics is definitely a dream of mine. So, if anything, I leave here more motivated."