UAAP: Just another game for former Tamaraw Veejay Pre as UP falls to FEU

GMA Network - Oct 5, 2026

At least in his first encounter with his former team, Veejay Pre found himself on the losing end as the University of the Philippines fell to Far Eastern University, 90-79, on Sunday.

Read full article

MORE NEWS

Ollie Wright on Gillingham’s Newport frustration and York response
Oct 5, 2026

Ollie Wright on Gillingham’s Newport frustration and York response

Goalkeeper Ollie Wright insists Gillingham responded well on Saturday after a heavy defeat at York the week before.

Skipping China Open, Eala no longer in contention for WTA Finals
Oct 5, 2026

Skipping China Open, Eala no longer in contention for WTA Finals

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala is already eliminated from the WTA Finals 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. Eala missed out on precious ranking points to play for the Philippines in the Asiad, where she made a semifinal finish for a bronze medal.

Ronaldo can return to Portugal team if he wants — Coach Jesus
Oct 5, 2026

Ronaldo can return to Portugal team if he wants — Coach Jesus

PORTO, Portugal — Portugal superstar Cristiano Ronaldo can return to the squad if he wishes, despite walking out on his team-mates, said national team coach Jorge Jesus on Sunday. Jesus said Ronaldo can come back into the fold "if he wants to" after the team beat Norway without the veteran attacker to reach the Nations League quarter-finals. The dispute began last week when Jesus left 41-year-old Ronaldo on the bench for Portugal's first win over Norway. Ronaldo subsequently walked out on the squad on Wednesday after learning he would not start against Denmark. "For me, Cris, in the next call-up, if he's playing at Al-Nassr, he'll be a player who can be called up," Jesus told reporters, referring to Ronaldo's Saudi club side. "If he wants to, he'll return to the national team." The coach said if Ronaldo wishes to speak to him before Portugal's next matches in November, that would happen. "If he wants to, as we did before this call-up, we talked before the call-up, we can talk before the next call-up," continued Jesus. "But Cris is the one who's going to decide." Former Real Madrid and Manchester United attacker Ronaldo is Portugal's all-time leading scorer and most-capped player. Jesus said he had told Ronaldo he needed him in the squad for his first games at the helm after replacing Roberto Martinez following the 2026 World Cup. "Cristiano should end his time in the national team the way he wants, he's the one who will decide how he wants it," said Jesus. "That's how we talked, the two of us -- I said, 'I need you'. In my first call-up, I said, 'I need you, I need you to be close to me, playing or not playing, I need you'. And now I'm saying the same thing." Ronaldo, who made his Portugal debut in 2003 at the age of 18, has said this will "probably" be his final year in football. The forward has been a fixture of the national team for more than two decades and has played at six World Cups. In Ronaldo's absence Portugal became the first team to secure a place in the quarter-finals, with two group games still to play. Ronaldo's long-time rival for the title of the world's best player, Lionel Messi, will play his final match for Argentina in a friendly against Benin in Buenos Aires on Tuesday.

Messi readies for final farewell in Argentina send-off
Oct 5, 2026

Messi readies for final farewell in Argentina send-off

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. Friends reunited  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. "It's going to be an unforgettable day for everyone. Everyone wants to be at this match, and now it's just about enjoying it," Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni said. Argentina's new generation has already shown what it can do without its captain, although nobody is pretending replacing a man regarded by many as the greatest footballer in history will be straightforward. "Collectively, we will try to fill the void left by Leo," said Scaloni, who is negotiating a contract extension after leaving his future unresolved following the World Cup defeat in July. Scaloni, who mastered the art of building the right supporting cast around Messi, will also say goodbye on Tuesday to 38-year-old vice-captain Nicolas Otamendi. Like Messi and Otamendi, midfielders Rodrigo De Paul and Giovani Lo Celso were called up solely for the Benin game, raising the possibility that neither will represent Argentina again. New generation  Those certain to be involved, at least from the bench, include other veterans of the 2022 World Cup who will be the standard-bearers for Argentina after Messi: defender Cristian Romero, midfielders Alexis Mac Allister and Enzo Fernandez, and forwards Julian Alvarez and Lautaro Martinez. Tenacious centre-back Romero is set to inherit the captain's armband, first worn by Messi at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez and Lautaro Martinez are next in the captaincy hierarchy. They have already begun to rally around Messi's heirs, who showed their appetite for success in Argentina's first game since the World Cup final, against Bolivia in Cordoba on Wednesday. Argentina swept the Bolivians aside 4-0, with young talents Nico Paz and Jose Manuel Lopez among the scorers. They followed that victory with a 7-0 rout of Burkina Faso at the Monumental on Saturday, with Mastantuono and Gianluca Prestianni scoring their first international goals. While Argentina's future is beginning to take shape, one small but symbolically significant question remains: who inherits Messi's number 10 shirt? "We won't give the number 10 to anyone until Leo's match takes place," Scaloni said. "After that, we'll see."

Alex Eala takes act to Wuhan
Oct 4, 2026

Alex Eala takes act to Wuhan

LOOKING to shake off the pain of absorbing upset losses, Filipino tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala will take her act to the WTA 1000 Wuhan slated from Oct. 12 to 18 in China. Favored to win the gold medal at the 20th Asian Games in Japan, world No. 18 Eala settled for bronze after falling to No. 85 and eventual champ Wang Xiyu in the semifinals, 6-3, 3-6, 2-6. The defeat came just a week after Eala also lost to a much lower-ranked player, No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova at the 500 Singapore Open round of 16, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6. That is a rough start to the Asian Swing for Eala — one she looks to put behind as she returns to the Tour after skipping the China Open for the Asiad. As a top 32 player, Eala will have a first-round bye anew in the star-studded tournament. The current top 10 in the rankings are competing in the meet. World No. 1 Elena Rybakina, No. 2 Aryna Sabalenka, No. 3 Jessica Pegula, No. 4 Coco Gauff, No. 5 Mirra Andreeva, No. 6 Linda Noskova, No. 7 Elina Svitolina, No. 8 Karolina Muchova, No. 9 Iga Swiatek, and No. 10 Marta Kostyuk will be there to stand in Eala’s way. Other high-profile players including world No. 12 Belinda Bencic, No. 13 Iva Jovic, No. 14 Diana Shnaider, No. 16 Sorana Cirstea, No. 17 Naomi Osaka, No. 19 Elise Mertens, No. 20 Jasmine Paolini, and No. 21 Maja Chwalinksa are also set to compete. The other listed players are world No. 22 Anna Kalinskaya, No. 26 Leylah Fernandez, No. 27 Marie Bouzkova, world No. 28 Ekaterina Alexandrova, No. 29 Sara Bejlek, No. 30 Ann Li, No. 32 Jelena Ostapeko, No. 34 Nikola Bartunkova, No. 35 Cristina Bucsa, No. 43 Barbora Krejcikova, No. 47 Oleksandra Oliynykova, No. 50 Anhelina Kalinina, and No. 53 Tamara Korpatsch. The Wuhan Open will be Eala’s first 1000 tournament since the Cincinnati Open last August. Eala reached the third round in Cincinnati where she fell to world No. 11 Amanda Anisimova, 6-4, 4-6, 2-6.

La Salle downs UE in bounce-back win
Oct 4, 2026

La Salle downs UE in bounce-back win

DE La Salle University overwhelmed the University of the East, 70-55, to secure its first win in the UAAP Season 89 women’s basketball tournament on Sunday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. After dropping their opening game against Far Eastern University last Wednesday, the Lady Archers improved to 1-1, while the Lady Warriors fell to 0-2 and suffered their 26th consecutive loss dating back to Season 87. “It’s a good character win for us that we came back from a loss, especially our first game. I’m not sure if it was the same team in the first game that I was coaching,” said DLSU head coach Cholo Villanueva. “It was just a far different team from that last game, and this is how we looked in the preseason. Because of the UAAP jitters, it’s a different environment so everybody is adjusting to the game, to the arenas, and the environment.” The Lady Archers came out firing, cruising to an 11-2 start before UE responded with a 5-0 run capped by Kristine Dalguntas’ triple to trim the deficit to six, 22-16, at the end of the opening frame. UE refused to let La Salle pull away in the second quarter, with Roshelle Lumibao’s midrange jumper giving the Lady Warriors their first lead of the game at 29-28. However, the momentum did not last long, as the Lady Archers answered with an 11-1 closing run to reclaim a 39-30 advantage at halftime. La Salle weathered every attempt from UE to claw its way back, maintaining a double-digit cushion throughout the third quarter before Bukky Ojo’s layup stretched the Lady Archers’ lead to 17, 55-38, heading into the final frame. DLSU continued to hound the Lady Warriors in the fourth quarter, limiting UE to just 15 points as the Lady Archers cruised to a 15-point victory. Kyla Go paced the Lady Archers with 18 points, three rebounds, and six steals, while 6-foot-3 Nigerian center Favour Ojo added 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. For UE, Rachel Lacayanga and Sy Onate led the team with 10 points apiece, while Lumibao chipped in seven points and three rebounds.

Alas men seek long-term system overhaul
Oct 4, 2026

Alas men seek long-term system overhaul

THE Alas Pilipinas Men concluded their campaign at the 20th Asian Games Aichi-Nagoya 2026 in 13th place out of 16 nations. While returning home with just two victories, the squad leaves with invaluable international experience and a clear roadmap for the program’s future. Alas secured its first on-court win on Friday with a four-set victory over Uzbekistan (25-19, 25-15, 23-25, 25-17), followed by a victory by default against Kyrgyzstan on Saturday, Oct. 3. Despite a short preparation window, the team showed flashes of strong play throughout the tournament, holding their own in the preliminary round against powerhouse China and putting up spirited fights against Taiwan and Indonesia. Alas team manager Ronwald Dimaculangan highlighted limited practice time as the main obstacle to stronger results. “Preparation — specifically dedicated training camps — is essential for better results, but we’re still glad to secure a win at the Asian Games,” said Dimaculangan, who also serves as the head coach for the University of the East in the UAAP. To bridge the gap with the region’s top programs, Dimaculangan emphasized the need for a comprehensive development pipeline. “We need to identify talent early and bring in coaches who have proven experience at the international level,” Dimaculangan noted. “The goal is to instill a mindset of representing the country, so our athletes set their standards beyond just local competition.” He added that building a competitive national program will require sustained collaboration and strong support across all volleyball stakeholders.

Rybakina ousted by world No. 118 in China Open
Oct 4, 2026

Rybakina ousted by world No. 118 in China Open

BEIJING — World No.1 Elena Rybakina could not regroup and fell to 118th-ranked Alina Charaeva in the second round of the China Open on Saturday night in Beijing. The 27-year-old from Kazakhstan was playing her first match since seizing the top ranking on her US Open win in New York, but Armenia’s Charaeva triumphed, 3-6, 6-4, 6-3, in a clinical comeback. “I don’t have words,” said Charaeva, who is making her Beijing debut. “This is incredible,” the 24-year-old said. “She’s [an] amazing player, and for me it’s kind of just dream come true,” she said of Rybakina. “I will be really happy to stay some more days in Beijing,” she added. “Never stop believing, I guess.” Rybakina got off to a solid start, but seven double-faults ushered the momentum into the hands of her opponent. Wind rattled the closed-roof stadium, with both players serving as thunderous claps echoed over the court. A supportive crowd tried to rally Rybakina back into contention, but Charaeva held serve to win the match in two hours and 11 minutes. Charaeva faces Briton Sonay Kartal in the third round. Meanwhile, big-serving Alexander Zverev trounced home hopeful Shang Juncheng, 6-0, 6-3, to set up a quarterfinal clash with Novak Djokovic. The German top seed needed just 55 minutes to brush aside the Chinese wild card, ranked 250th, firing nine aces along the way. “Happy with the win,” the world’s second-ranked player said, adding that his 21-year-old opponent had been “dangerous” and had “nothing to lose.” “Looking forward to the next couple of weeks,” Zverev said ahead of his tie with Djokovic — who has never lost a match in Beijing — on Sunday. Zverev’s cruise into the next round comes as he trains his sights on the No. 1 spot currently held by Jannik Sinner. The Italian won in Beijing last year but is not there this time around. He said on Saturday that he would not play at next week’s Shanghai Masters either. “I think it’s no secret that it’s a goal, for sure,” Zverev told reporters when asked about the battle for No. 1. “I know what I’m playing for. I know I’m very, very motivated to play at the moment. But again, I have a tough challenge tomorrow, and that’s my focus,” he said. Also in the men’s draw, third seed Daniil Medvedev eased into the quarterfinals with a 6-4, 6-3 win over Germany’s Jan-Lennard Struff to play Argentina’s Francisco Cerundolo. Alex de Minaur, seeded fifth, and Andrey Rublev both needed three sets to advance and will play each other in the last eight. AFP

LeBron kicks off new era in Philadelphia
Oct 4, 2026

LeBron kicks off new era in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA — The 76ers' public address announcer ended a brief retirement over the summer in large part to get behind the mic and do what he did for the first time ahead of the team's annual scrimmage. Matt Cord introduced LeBron James in the Sixers' starting lineup. "At 6-9, from St. Vincent-St. Mary’s, No. 23, LeBron James! James!' Close to 10,000 fans who plunked down $10 a ticket on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) to essentially witness a glorified practice at the Sixers’ home arena went wild for James' debut. No, James didn't wear No. 23. He historically wore No. 6 over his career in practice gear but with that number retired in Philadelphia because of Julius Erving, James went with No. 9. No, the dunks and 3s and assists didn't count in any official capacity. And no, James wasn't even introduced last. That honor remained reserved for Joel Embiid. What the new 41-year-old on the block did do was give — along with Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe — a sneak preview that maybe, just maybe, the long underperforming Sixers might finally rise to the moment this season and meet their championship expectations. “It was a great first step in a direction we're trying to go,” James said. “It was great to hear some cheers from our fans.” Sixers fans that crammed aisles and stairways trying to catch a first glimpse or a snapshot of James were shooed back to their seats. Vendors hawked James merchandise outside the arena and told fans they could own the first pieces of his merchandise. Sixers fans that inched near the court screamed and outright begged James to stop and turnaround and pose for pictures. They also crammed into team stores buying No. 23 jerseys. The Sixers started the scrimmage early with what they hope is a familiar sight: Maxey in transition hit James for an alley-oop dunk. James hung and swung on the rim for a few seconds. James made a nifty behind-the-back pass to Edgecombe (who missed a corner 3) and even squared up and buried a long 3 from about Caitlin Clark range.

South African Jarvis eyes Alfred Dunhill title
Oct 4, 2026

South African Jarvis eyes Alfred Dunhill title

LONDON — Casey Jarvis on Saturday moved a step closer to winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship after building a two-stroke lead heading into the final round. Jarvis’s round of seven-under par on the Old Course at St Andrews maintained his fine form at the links event. The tournament is played over three courses — Carnoustie, Kingsbarns and St Andrews — with the latter also hosting the last round on Sunday. Jarvis, who held a one-shot advantage overnight, opened with a superb eagle on his approach from 103 yards before picking up three birdies ahead of the turn despite the windy conditions. Two more on the back nine, at three and five, saw him sign for a 65, to sit at 18 under, ahead of Englishman Matthew Jordan and Poland’s Adrian Meronk, who shot the joint-best round of the day with a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns. “I just felt like I was in control of my game today,” said Jarvis, who is aiming to seal a third DP World Tour win this season. “Every golfer dreams of taking a lead, playing the Old Course on Sunday. I got goosebumps right now just standing here. “I just can’t wait for tomorrow. Even if I don’t win, to be taking the lead, I am just going to enjoy it as much as I can.” Chasing his first DP World Tour win in his 183rd tournament, Jordan carded a bogey-free 66 during his third round at Kingsbarns. Belgian Thomas Detry is at 15-under after his seven-under at St Andrews, while Denmark’s Jacob Skov Olesen, who made a nine-under 63 at Kingsbarns, is four shots off the lead.

China swimmers Yu Zidi, Zhang Zhanshuo among Asian Games stars who could light up LA Games
Oct 4, 2026

China swimmers Yu Zidi, Zhang Zhanshuo among Asian Games stars who could light up LA Games

The Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya close on Sunday, bringing the curtain down on a fortnight of competition featuring some record-breaking performances. Among the best performers were the two athletes named Asian Games MVPs: 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi and Thai track and field sprinter Boonson Puripol. Yu, who won all three of her individual events with ease, said “I’m no prodigy” after being named the women’s MVP on Sunday. The schoolgirl, who looks poised to take the Los Angeles 2028...

South Korean Asian Games footballers’ joy over national service exemptions raises ire
Oct 4, 2026

South Korean Asian Games footballers’ joy over national service exemptions raises ire

What was meant to be a few glorious moments could spark policy reform in South Korea after post-match comments from a couple of gold-medal-winning footballers triggered heated debate. South Korea beat hosts Japan 1-0 at the Toyota Stadium to win their fourth straight – and seventh overall – men’s football title at the Asian Games, leading to 20 of the 23-strong squad earning exemptions from military service. While the exemption was not an exclusive perk for the country’s footballers but for all...

RECOMMENDED