Eala gets top seed, 1st-round bye in Asian Games

Manila Times - Sep 26, 2026

ALEX Eala seized the top seed and a first-round bye in the 20th Asian Games women's singles tennis at the Nagoya City Higashiyama Park Tennis Center in Japan. The Philippine Tennis Association (Philta) revealed the tournament draw in a Facebook post on Friday. Coming off a shock second-round exit at the WTA 500 Singapore Open, the Filipino tennis ace will face the winner between Thailand's Patcharin Cheapchandej and Pakistan's Mahin Aftab Qureshi who clash in the first round. World No. 18 Eala suffered a stunning 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 loss to No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia in the round of 16 on Thursday in Singapore, where she was the No. 3 seed with a first-round bye. Eala is determined to bounce back in the Asian Games, where she's the favorite to win the gold medal in the tournament running from September 27 to October 3. Back in the 2018 edition of the tournament, then 18-year-old Eala snared two bronze medals -- one in individual and another in mixed doubles. No. 2 seed Zhang Shuai of China also received a first-round bye in this year's 32-player Asiad field. Ranked No. 55 in the WTA, 37-year-old Zhang is poised to challenge 21-year-old Eala for the title. Eala already defeated Zhang...

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China’s Zhang sweeps 7 golds in Asian Games

Sep 26, 2026

China’s Zhang sweeps 7 golds in Asian Games

NAGOYA, Japan — Chinese freestyler Zhang Zhanshuo completed his sweep of seven gold medals at the Asian Games, taking the 400-meter freestyle in 3 minutes, 41.28 seconds on the final day of swimming events. His time was just 1.30 seconds off the world record held by Lukas Martens of Germany (3:39.98). Zhang also won the 1,500, 800 and 200 free and added gold in three relays. He celebrated at poolside by sitting on the lane divider and counting the golds with his fingers. The Chinese won a record 30 gold medals — and 54 overall — during the six days of swimming at these Asian Games and surpassed the 28 gold medals they won three years ago in Hangzhou. Japan was right there in many races, winning seven gold and 37 medals overall — also better than their totals three years ago. Japan’s 17-year-old Shin Ohashi set the only world record of the games, taking the 200-meter breaststroke on Thursday in 2:04.83. Ohashi obliterated the old mark of 2:05.48 set by China’s Qin Haiyang in 2023 at the world championships in Fukuoka, Japan. China’s 13-year-old Yu Zidi was the most talked about swimmer heading into the Asian Games. She did not disappoint, winning the 200 butterfly, and the 200 and 400 individual medleys. Her time in the 200 IM was 2:06.10, just off the world mark held by Canadian Summer McIntosh (2:05.70). Yu’s times are still a bit off McIntosh’s standard in all three events. But she is a legitimate threat at next year’s world championships and the 2028 Olympics where, of course, other swim powers like Australia and United States will be present. China won gold medals in five of the seven races on Friday, just as dominant as it was all week. Zhang Yufei won the women’s 50 fly in 25.41 with teammate Wu Qingfeng taking silver. China’s Qin Haiyang took the 50 breaststroke (26.68) with Ohashi — the record-setter on Thursday — settling for bronze. Other Chinese winners were Li Bingjie in the 800 free (8:24.02), Zhang Zhanshuo in the 400 free (3:41.28), and the women’s 4x100 medley relay (3:54.55). Japan’s Kodai Nishiono won the men’s 200 backstroke (1:56.42), and Taiwan’s Wang Kuan-hung claimed the 200 fly (1:55.05).

Albert Ian Delos Santos bags Asian Games bronze; Olympians Paalam, Petecio advance to boxing QFs

Sep 26, 2026

Albert Ian Delos Santos bags Asian Games bronze; Olympians Paalam, Petecio advance to boxing QFs

Albert Ian Delos Santos captured the Philippines" 10th medal in the 2026 Asian Games after bagging the bronze medal in weightlifting on Saturday in Japan.

Delos Santos claims bronze in Asian Games debut

Sep 26, 2026

Delos Santos claims bronze in Asian Games debut

YOUNG blood Albert Ian Delos Santos made a grand entrance in his Asian Games debut, setting new junior World and Asian records to capture the bronze medal in the men’s 70-kilogram weightlifting event at the Nagoya City Trade and Industry Centre in Japan. As the youngest competitor in the nine-man field, the promising weightlifter lifted a total of 324 kg—154 kg in the snatch and 183 kg in the clean and jerk—to secure his spot on the podium. Serving as Team Philippines’ flag-bearer, Delos Santos eclipsed his previous junior mark of 321 kg (141 kg snatch, 180 kg clean and jerk), which he set at the Asian Youth & Junior Championships in August. While Delos Santos previously recorded a total lift of 326 kg in the 71 kg class at the IWF World Championships, the International Weightlifting Federation restructured its bodyweight categories in 2026, establishing 70 kg and 71 kg as separate divisions. Coming from a proud lineage of weightlifters—his late father Alvin was a former Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and coach, and his mother Diwa was a former national lifter—an emotional Delos Santos held up a photo of his father following his victory. North Korea’s Won Ju Ri claimed the gold medal with a total lift of 349 kg (151 kg snatch, 198 kg clean and jerk), while Japan’s Masanori Miyamoto took silver with 342 kg (154 kg snatch, 188 kg clean and jerk). Meanwhile, Japan’s 11-year-old eSports prodigy Yuki Kurihara won Asian Games gold on Saturday in style after thrashing a series of opponents up to three times his age. The bespectacled primary school student, believed to be the youngest competitor at the Games in Aichi-Nagoya, won the Puyo Puyo Champions final 10-2. He is host country Japan’s youngest athlete in Asian Games history. Puyo Puyo Champions is a puzzle game where players try to clear their screen of coloured blobs by lining them up and popping them. Look unruffled throughout, Kurihara waltzed into the gold-medal match with a series of dazzling displays. He crushed Thailand’s Tanarak Wongkitkun -- a relative veteran at 28 -- 10-1 in the semi-finals to ensure at least a silver medal.

Underdog Alas faces tough South Korea    

Sep 26, 2026

Underdog Alas faces tough South Korea    

THE Alas Pilipinas men’s national volleyball team faces a steep uphill battle as it opens its 2026 Asian Games campaign against a formidable South Korean squad on Sunday at the Park Arena Komaki in Komaki, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. The game is set at 12 noon (Manila time). Slated in Pool D alongside South Korea, China and Taiwan, Alas Pilipinas must secure at least two victories to finish among the top two in the pool and advance to the quarterfinals. Currently ranked 114th in the world, the underdog Philippine team will need Italian head coach Angiolino Frigoni to work his tactical magic against higher-ranked opponents—South Korea (25th), China (34th), and Taiwan (55th). Nevertheless, Alas aims to defy the odds by drawing confidence from its historic FIVB World Championship victory over then-World No. 21 Egypt. To mount its campaign, the national squad has retained its full FIVB World Championship roster. Heavy hitters Bryan Bagunas and Marck Espejo lead the outside hitters alongside Buds Buddin and Jude Garcia, while Leo Ordiales and John Lirck Mendoza anchor the opposite position. Middle blockers Lloyd Josafat, Peng Taguibolos, and Joshua Magalaman, together with libero Josh Ybañez, round out the defensive and net efforts. Adding a crucial boost to the lineup, star playmaker Owa Retamar arrived in Japan following a long-haul flight from Poland, where his club team, Ordu, released him from training camp to answer the national call. Retamar expressed deep gratitude for the opportunity to represent the country across the SEA Games, World Championship, and now the Asian Games, emphasizing that playing for the national team goes beyond contracts and obligations as the team unites to focus on supporting each other. “This goes beyond contracts or obligations. When the country calls, you play for something bigger than yourself. I’m grateful to Ordu for allowing me to represent the Philippines, and after the Asian Games, I will return with the same commitment to fulfill my responsibilities to the club,” Retamar said. The setter made sure to not waste any chance to represent the Philippines. “This is for the young Owa who had all of these on his bucket list—to play in the SEA Games, the World Championship, and now the Asian Games. Playing with the Philippine team will always be a mix of excitement and challenge. Let’s set aside the noise and focus on supporting each other and playing as one team.”

Study: Over 80% of upper Marikina watershed vulnerable to landslides

Sep 26, 2026

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3 top reasons Trump will face a stronger Xi Jinping at November Apec forum in China

Sep 26, 2026

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When Donald Trump arrives in Shenzhen for the November Apec summit, he will face a Chinese leader even more confident than the one who left Washington this week after a state visit heavy on pageantry but light on concrete deliverables. Experts attributed this confidence to three key factors – a newly upgraded bilateral framework seeking a “constructive relationship of strategic stability based on respect, fairness and reciprocity”, the warmer tone during Xi’s three-day visit, and – crucially –...

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