NEW YORK — Shohei Ohtani and the Los Angeles Dodgers seek a third consecutive World Series title but Boston and the New York Yankees own the spotlight when Major League Baseball’s playoffs begin Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). The Dodgers seek a three-peat not achieved since the Yankees in 1998-2000 after winning 100 games over the six-month season. “It doesn’t change anything as far as our standing going forward in the post-season, but it’s still a nice feather in our cap to win 100 games,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. Six teams each qualified for the National League and American League playoffs, which start with best-of-three wildcard series play. The Yankees will host arch-rival Boston with the winner advancing to face AL top seed Tampa Bay in the best-of-five division series. Slugger Aaron Judge, recovering from a calf strain after missing 84 games earlier with a rib injury, aims to return against the Red Sox. The Yankees were 7-6 against Boston this season. “My goal is to come back as soon as I can,” outfielder Judge said. “Ask me if I’m going to be back I’ll tell you yeah.” Yankees manager Aaron Boone was more cautious, saying, “We’ll listen to the trainers and medical and see where we’re at.” Last-day qualifier Houston — the AL West winners with the worst record in playoff history, at 81-81 — will host the Chicago White Sox in the other AL series. The Astros won the regular season series 5-2. The winner meets Cleveland, which also earned a first-round bye. In the NL, San Diego will play host to the Chicago Cubs, who went 5-1 against the Padres, with the winner advancing to face NL top seed Milwaukee, which won an MLB-best 103 games this season. The other NL wildcard series sends Philadelphia, which survived four straight losses to qualify on the last day, against Atlanta, which went 9-4 against the Phillies. The winner will visit Dodger Stadium for a division series opener on Saturday. The Dodgers went 18-7 in September to enter the post-season on a hot streak. “As a group we played better baseball again and that’s what you want going into the post-season,” first baseman Freddie Freeman said. “Our pitching staff is amazing. Guys started to swing the bat better. Some of us still need to use these five days to figure it out. But a lot of good things happened over the course of the end of the season.” One concern for the Dodgers is the play of Japanese superstar Ohtani, who struggled in five games since returning from left knee and right biceps injuries. Ohtani, a four-time league Most Valuable Player, batted 5-for-21 with eight strikeouts and one walk over his closing stretch, ending the season hitting .275 with 30 home runs. “He came out of it healthy, so you just expect the ensuing days he feels even better,” Roberts said. “When you look out to Saturday, I think he’ll be in a good spot.”

BOSTON — Jayson Tatum’s one constant during his development into a star with the Boston Celtics has been having Jaylen Brown as a teammate. That partnership ended this offseason when the Celtics front office decided to trade Brown — the 2024 NBA Finals MVP — to the Philadelphia 76ers in what was largely a cost-cutting move that broke up the duo most responsible for leading Boston to the 2024 NBA championship. “The business of the NBA comes and plays a part at some point. And I’ve seen it in my almost 10 years in this league,” Tatum said during the Celtics media day on Monday. “For me it’s more so being grateful for what we accomplished and what he means for this city and to this organization. Just the ups and downs in our career that we were able to grow and learn from and made us the players that we are today. So really just being thankful for those nine years.” The closeness of the Tatum and Brown’s off-court relationship — or lack thereof — was a topic of conversation throughout their time together as teammates, especially as it became clearer that having two $300 million contracts on the books would be unsustainable for the team’s salary cap health going forward. The choice was ultimately to keep Tatum, sending Brown to an interdivision rival that has suddenly vaulted to a contender in the Eastern Conference after also picking up LeBron James this offseason. It has cast a brighter spotlight on Tatum, a six-time All-star and five-time All-NBA selection, as the unequivocal leader of the Celtics as he enters his first full season after tearing his Achiles tendon during the 2025 NBA playoffs. He said he’s ready to take on the challenge of leading new-look version of the Celtics, that got back Paul George in the trade and added big man Mitchell Robinson and guard Mike Conley Jr. “Yeah, very comfortable. This is Year 10,” Tatum said. “Leadership is about a lot of different things. Awareness is the biggest one. Self-awareness, awareness of the group. And just understanding we all have roles and we’re just kind of simply in this together. So it looks different from person to person.” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said the style of the team won’t necessarily change without Brown. “I don’t think that it’s necessarily the phrase ‘without Jaylen,‘” Mazzulla said. “Every year you’re getting new players, old players, the same players that you have coming back expand their games and they look differently. So it’s not as much what it looks like without one person or the other as much as it’s what’s our roster, how can we take advantage of the strengths and talent that we have.” Tatum reached the 16-month mark since he had surgery on his Achilles tendon and he said he’s ready to go after having to miss Game 7 of Boston’s first-round playoff matchup against the Sixers last season. “I feel great having this offseason to get stronger,” he said. “Get more explosive and just work on my body in totality. So, obviously feel much better than I did this time last year and I’m excited and thankful for that.” George ready to support Tatum If anyone knows what it’s like to try to return to the court after a major injury, it’s George. He missed nearly all of the 2014-2015 NBA season while with the Indiana Pacers after sustaining a compound fracture in his right leg during a Team USA scrimmage. He reiterated that he sees his role this season as filing whatever holes there are on the court. “Obviously, JT is the guy,” George said. “I’m there to support him in all facets. I’ve always prided myself on being able to not just do one thing, kind of wearing whatever hat that I needed to while still producing at a high level. That’s kind of how I view being here.” Robinson needed apology from Mazzulla Two years ago, during Boston’s conference semifinals loss to the New York Knicks, Mazzulla employed an intentional foul strategy against Robinson, a historically bad shooter at the line. Mazzulla joked Monday that he’d miss fouling Robinson now that he was one of his players. Robinson, who said he’s worked on his career 50.8% free throw shooting this offseason, said that his history with Mazzulla required a conversation between the two. “At first, we had a little issue because I’m like, ‘You’ve got to say sorry for fouling me,’” Robinson joked. “He apologized, and now we’re on the same team, so it’s going to be great, just building together and stuff like that. ... I feel like it’s going to be epic.”

CHICAGO — Case Keenum passed for two touchdowns in his first start in almost three years, and the Chicago Bears shut down Jalen Hurts and the Philadelphia Eagles for a 27-7 victory on Monday (Tuesday in Manila). Stepping in for Caleb Williams, Keenum was 24 for 34 for 247 yards. He also scored his first rushing touchdown since 2019 on a 1-yard plunge with 7:19 left, capping a 13-play drive that took more than eight minutes off the clock. It was Keenum’s first action since he started for Houston in a 36-22 loss to Cleveland on Dec. 24, 2023. Williams was sidelined by a right hamstring injury, and Tyson Bagent backed up Keenum after he cleared the L’s concussion protocol on Sunday. Kalif Raymond had six receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown as Chicago (2-1) bounced back after an ugly 9-3 loss to Minnesota. Philadelphia (2-1) turned the ball over three times and failed to record a takeaway for the third consecutive game to begin the season. Hurts was 16 for 25 for 153 yards with an interception, and Saquon Barkley rushed for 82 yards on 15 carries. Keenum capped Chicago’s first drive with a shovel pass to Luther Burden for an 8-yard touchdown, and he connected with a wide-open Raymond on a 41-yard TD in the second half. Trailing 7-0, Hurts drove Philadelphia deep into Chicago territory in the second quarter before he absorbed a late hit by linebacker D’Marco Jackson along the sideline. Hurts was pulled off the field to be checked for a concussion, and backup Andy Dalton was intercepted by rookie Dillon Thieneman in the back of the end zone with 6:14 left. Hurts scored on a quarterback sneak as time expired in the first half, but Chicago (2-1) controlled the final two periods. Hurts was picked off by linebacker T.J. Edwards late in the third quarter. Edwards dropped a potential interception on third down on Philadelphia’s first drive of the second half. Chicago finished with 24 first downs and 128 yards rushing. The Bears had 28 first downs and 281 yards on the ground in a 24-15 win at Philadelphia last season.

MINNEAPOLIS — Cheryl Reeve smiled as she sat in a chair on the stage with Olivia Miles to her left, as the Minnesota Lynx were presented with two major awards. Reeve’s record fifth WNBA Coach of the Year trophy, she said, would not have materialized without Miles and her performance at point guard this season that made her an unanimous selection for Rookie of the Year. “What I was reminded of with Liv is the importance of letting greatness be great,” Reeve said, “and not getting in the way.” Miles received all 74 votes for the award from a national panel of sports writers and broadcasters covering the league, after she set the WNBA rookie scoring record. The second pick in the draft out of TCU played in 40 of 44 games and averaged 19.8 points, 6.0 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals while shooting 49.2% from the field, 38.8% from 3-point range and 87% from the free-throw line. Reeve, who is in her 17th season as head coach of the Lynx and fourth as president of basketball operations, was sold on Miles and her curiosity and humility during the pre-draft interview process and was pleasantly surprised by how quickly she became comfortable on the court. The coach and the player realized they see the game through a similar lens, thanks to Reeve’s degree from La Salle in computer science and the mindset Miles shares with her father, Yakubu, a software engineer. “It was important for me to have someone who was humble,” said Reeve, who guided the Lynx to WNBA titles in 2011, 2013, 2015 and 2017. “I think a lot of players come in feeling like they know and they don’t need to be told or have others around them to guide them.” Miles became the sixth winner of the award in Lynx history, following Betty Lennox (2000), Seimone Augustus (2006), Maya Moore (2011), Napheesa Collier (2019) and Crystal Dangerfield (2020). Just like Reeve became a better coach with her on the floor, Miles found the ideal place to land in the league with a core of welcoming veterans on and off the court in Collier, Kayla McBride and Courtney Williams and an accomplished coach in Reeve with such high standards. “I truly think that her method to her madness, what she refers to it as, will lead to success if we trust in it,” Miles said. “I knew it was going to be hard. I didn’t know it was going to be this hard. I didn’t think I’d have the opportunity I’d have right away, so I kind of just took that and ran with it. She’s given me a lot of grace as well.” Reeve, who received 40 of 74 votes from media panel, previously won the award in 2011, 2016, 2020 and 2024. She became the WNBA’s all-time leader in regular-season coaching wins this year. Golden State’s Natalie Nakase, who won the award last year, finished second with 20 votes. Washington’s Sydney Johnson was third with 14 votes. Miles, a native of New Jersey who started her college career at Notre Dame, led all rookies in points, points per game, field goals made, defensive rebounds, assists, assists per game and efficiency rating. The WNBA announced the awards on Monday, before the Lynx traveled to New York for an elimination game in their best-of-three first-round playoff series on Tuesday. The top-seeded Lynx lost the opener at home 91-75 to the 2024 champion Liberty on Sunday, when Miles had just 11 points on 3-for-12 shooting with four turnovers and four fouls in her postseason debut. Even for one of the most precocious rookies to join the league lately, the playoffs are another level of competition. “I think she’s feeling it right now, but it’s what we expected and it’s not easy,” Reeve said. “She’s a smart player, and she’ll figure it out.”

EJ Obiena has won another Asian Games gold and rewritten the Games record for the second straight edition, but perhaps his biggest takeaway from it is something that cannot be measured in length.

The Philippines bagged four medals on Tuesday, its biggest single-day medal haul in the 2026 Asian Games.

Lawrence Mangubat and Jamhir Eligado powered Jose Rizal University past Lyceum of the Philippines University, 94-69, in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament on Tuesday.

Olympian and pole vaulter EJ Obiena remained the king of Asian pole vault as he ruled the event at the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, on Tuesday.

MANILA, Philippines -- Philippine bets Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera held off their Hong Kong rivals Lai Ching Laam and Liu Kallista, 6-1, 6-3, at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center Indoor Court B in Japan Tuesday evening to enter the 20th Asian Games tennis women's doubles second round. Unable to close out Lai and Liu in the eighth game of the second set, Eala and Rivera blanked the Hong Kong players the following game for the first round win. Rivera delivered the clincher at the net as the Philippines finished the match in one hour and 17 minutes. Eala and Rivera face the Chinese duo of Jiang Xinyu and Yang Zhaoxuan in the second round. Jiang and Yang received a first-round bye.

Alex Eala and Shaira Rivera flexed their might to pull off a 6-1, 6-3 win over Hong Kong's Lai Ching Laam and Kallista Liu in the women's doubles first round in the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday in Japan.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament JRU def. Letran, 94-69 Jahmir Eligado Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

MANILA, Philippines -- Jamhir Eligado led the detonation as the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers bombed the Lyceum of the Philippines University Pirates, 94-69, for a rebound win in the NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena Tuesday. Eligado shot a perfect 10-of-10 from the field to finish with 22 points on top of 16 rebounds, leading JRU to a bounce back victory after falling to San Beda University last timeout. The Heavy Bombers improved to 3-1 for a share of the Group A lead with the De La Salle - College of Saint Benilde Blazers. The Pirates fell to 1-3 for a share of the bottom with the Mapua Cardinals.

EL SEGUNDO, California — Bronny James seems to realize that the wildest part of LeBron James' decision to change teams before his 24th NBA season is the fact he left his son behind to do it. Bronny is still with the Los Angeles Lakers after his 41-year-old father's departure for the Philadelphia 76ers. The younger James enters his third NBA season this week still working to win a rotation role with the team that drafted him in 2024 in the family's adopted hometown. Bronny and LeBron spent the past two seasons as the NBA's first father-son teammates, an achievement LeBron said was comparable to any of his championship rings. But the top scorer in league history decided his hunger for another title was greater than his desire to stay by Bronny's side. In his first extensive public comments on this unusual situation Monday, Bronny confirmed he isn't the least bit angry or disappointed by his dad's departure. He's already well aware that when your father is LeBron James, many things are bigger than you. “Happy for him, and excited for where their season goes,” Bronny said. “I’m excited to see him on Christmas, excited to play against him on Christmas. It’s going to be good.” The 76ers visit the Lakers on Dec. 25. While LeBron’s enthusiasm for being an engaged father to his three children is well-documented, Bronny said he didn't have extensive discussions with his father about the move. “We’re men of very little words when it comes to talking about business and what we’re going to do and how we feel about each other,” Bronny said with a smile. “It wasn’t really much, to be honest with you. He’s got his own path and I’ve got my own, so he knows that I want to make a name for myself and want to continue my career and keep growing as a player, and he knows I’ll want to focus on that, so he decided to (move).” And while LeBron meets his new teammates and settles into Philadelphia this week, his son is getting back to work with the Lakers. LeBron won't be a constant presence in the locker room and on the road to dispense guidance and leadership to his son — and he won't be around for Bronny's 22nd birthday next week, either. That's all fine for Bronny, who wasn't fazed while he went through his first Lakers media day without his father's massive presence and booming voice nearby. “Feels like he’s not here,” Bronny said at the Lakers' training complex. “I don’t really have an opinion on that. That’s my dad. I’ve spent almost 22 years with him, so just another experience that I’m going to be a part of, and I’m excited how it’s going to feel during the season. So I’m looking forward to it.” LeBron said this week that he left the Lakers to chase his fifth championship ring. The unspoken part of that declaration is James’ apparent belief he’s closer to a title in Philadelphia than in Los Angeles, where his Lakers won just one playoff round in the past three seasons. But Bronny is optimistic about the Lakers' chances to build an exciting — and pointedly younger — core around NBA scoring champion Luka Doncic and prolific guard Austin Reaves. New center Walker Kessler should be a sharp upgrade under the opponents' basket and on lob finishes, and he's just one of nine new players hoping to win roles with Los Angeles. “Everyone is young, so there’s a lot of energy flowing around, and I think we feed off each other,” Bronny said. “I don’t know yet, because we haven’t played a game, but because we’re young and we’re finding a way to get close to each other, I think we can feed off each other’s energy. There’s going to be a lot of guys that can go out and give full effort, turn up the game, and we can probably play fast because of how young we are. … We have a good chance of making it far.” LeBron ended this family partnership right when Bronny appeared to be on the verge of breaking through to a regular role. Bronny played regularly down the stretch last season and into the playoffs while Doncic and Reaves were sidelined by injury, teaming up with his father for significant minutes in the Lakers' first-round upset of the Houston Rockets. Bronny wants to continue his growth as a secondary ballhandler and a point-of-attack defender, two roles in which he excelled for long stretches last spring. His father won't be around for tips and critiques, but Bronny is ready to figure out some things on his own — and with ample help from his teammates and coaches, of course. “I think I did play my role pretty well in the Houston series, and that’s something I can grow off of,” Bronny said. “Showing up every day and playing my game and being relentless both sides of the floor and making sure I’m getting my teammates involved and disrupting on the defensive end of the floor.”

MANILA, Philippines — Not even the drizzle could shake and stop Ernest John "EJ" Obiena from defending his men's pole vault title at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Obiena seized the gold medal with a new meet record of 5.91m clearance at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium Tuesday evening, eclipsing the 5.90m mark he posted in the previuous edition in Hangzhou, China back in 2023. This is the third time that Obiena soared past the 5.90m height this season. Obiena thus gave the Philippines its third gold medal in the ongoing meet after gymnast Carlos Yulo's golds in floor exercise and vault. Chinese Yao Jie finished second to Obiena with a 5.70m clearance, defeating his compatriot Li Chengyang via countback.

The Philippines" EJ Obiena remained the gold standard in the continent as he ruled the men"s pole vault competition at the 2026 Asian Games on Tuesday at the rain-soaked Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan.

Sibol"s star-studded Mobile Legends: Bang Bang squad stormed through the group stage of the 2026 Asian Games, sweeping Jordan and Kazakhstan on Tuesday at the Aichi Sky Expo in Japan.

MANILA, Philippines -- Filipino runner Victoria Bossong seized a bronze medal in the 20th Asian Games women's 800m final at the Nagoya City Mizuho Park Athletic Stadium in Japan Tuesday evening. Under wet conditions due to rains, Bossong clocked 2:05.34 to claim the place in the podium behind gold winner Wu Hongjiao of China (2:04.49) and Nelly Korir of Bahrain (2:05.16). Bossong proved slower than her heats time of 2 minutes and 2.32 seconds which was the fastest on Monday. The 23-year-old Bossong gave the Philippines its second medal in athletics after John Cabang Tolentino's bronze in men's 110m hurdles.

Victoria Bossong clocked 2:05.34 to finish third and bag the bronze medal in the women"s 800m run.

Emilio Aguinaldo College notched its first win in NCAA Season 102 after defeating San Sebastian College-Recoletos, 94-87, on Tuesday at the Filoil Centre in San Juan.

After beating Korea on Monday, the Philippine women’s softball team made it two in a row after posting a 7-0 victory over Thailand on Tuesday in the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. The Cebuana Lhuillier-backed Blu Girls raised their win-loss record to 2-2 after starting the tournament with back-to-back losses to powerhouse teams Japan and Chinese-Taipei.  Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asa-Phil) president Jean Henri Lhuillier praised the team for building on the momentum in its bid to make the podium. “The way our Blu Girls have responded over these last two games speaks volumes about their character,” said Lhuillier,  who is also president and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier. “They have remained focused, continued to trust one another, and are showing the kind of fight we know they are capable of. We are proud of this team and will continue supporting them as they represent the Philippines with determination and heart.” Lhuillier also expressed confidence in the team and reiterated Cebuana Lhuillier's support for their pursuit of a historic Asian Games medal. On Tuesday, the Philippines scored two runs in the second inning, three in the third, and one each in the fourth and fifth for the shutout victory. The Blu Girls collected eight hits while playing error-free softball. Francesca Altomonte led the offense with two hits and two RBIs in three at-bats, while team captain Ma. Charlotte Sales drove in two runs and scored twice.  Ma. Angelu Gabriel and Reyae Mae Villamin each added an RBI, while Nicole Adra Hammoude, Sydney Lynn Vitangcol and Mylia Isabel Perez also crossed home plate. The Blu Girls were equally impressive on the mound, holding Thailand scoreless and limiting them to just two hits.  Mary Joy Alpitche earned the win after allowing only one hit across two innings, while Sydney Lynn Vitangcol pitched a hitless inning with one strikeout. Mary Joy Laurente completed another two scoreless innings, giving up just one hit and striking out one as the Philippine pitching staff combined to preserve the shutout. The Philippines will next face Singapore on Sept. 30 at 1:15 p.m.

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament EAC def. San Sebastian, 94-87 Wilmar Oftana Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

MANILA, Philippines -- Emilio Aguinaldo College took its first win and keep San Sebastian College - Recoletos winless with a 94-87 escape in the NCAA Season 102 men's basketball tournament at the San Juan Arena Tuesday. Harvae Raymundo split his charities in the last 10 seconds for the Generals before Jude Bagay kept the Golden Stags from pulling off the improbable with a steal. Wilmar Oftana racked up 18 points and nine rebounds for EAC, which rose to 1-3 in Group B just above the 0-4 and cellar-dwelling San Sebastian.

TOKYO — Japanese volleyball player Rui Takahashi came out as gay on Tuesday, saying he wanted to help others struggling with their sexuality in a country where openly LGBTQ athletes are extremely rare. The 26-year-old Takahashi, who plays in the top division of Japan's professional volleyball league, posted a statement on social media accompanied by a black-and-white photo of himself. In it, he said he had been "afraid to face a certain side of myself" since he was young. "I struggled with it and ended up denying who I was," he wrote. "That is the fact that I am gay and that I am one of the sexual minorities." Takahashi said his brother Ran, who is a hugely popular star with Japan's national volleyball team, helped him come to terms with his sexuality. "Talking with Ran became the trigger that finally allowed me to accept myself for the first time," he wrote. "By putting my feelings into words, I was able to sort out my thoughts, and little by little I started to feel that it was OK to be just the way I am." Takahashi becomes one of a very small group of openly LGBTQ professional athletes in Japan. Women's football player Shiho Shimoyamada was the first to come out as gay in 2019. Kumi Yokoyama, who played for Japan at the Women's World Cup, later came out as a transgender man. In June 2021, the Japanese Olympic Committee appointed transgender former fencer Fumino Suhiyama to its board of directors, just weeks before the Tokyo Olympics. Takahashi said he hoped him coming out would help others in a similar situation. "I would be happy if my decision to face myself and speak in my own words could, even in a small way, become a catalyst for them," he wrote. AFP

Stephen Curry's contract is settled and his knee feels healthy as the Golden State Warriors prepare to decamp for Hawaii to kick off training camp.

After the briefest of summer vacations, the New York Knicks are back to work, now with "NBA champions" attached to their name.

Former China table tennis player Cheng Jingqi has warned that toxic online scrutiny is affecting Wang Chuqin and damaging the team, with the world No 1 admitting he is “losing the feeling of loving the court”. Wang lost 4-0 to 21-year-old compatriot Lin Shidong in the men’s singles table tennis final at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games on Monday, with news of the defeat attracting over 6,000 comments and 18,000 likes on Chinese social media within two minutes. The comment section of the post...

MANILA, Philippines – Jhonnel Ababa kept his cool under a scorching sun and swirling winds, producing the only bogey-free round of the day to seize solo control of the ICTSI Iloilo Golf Challenge here on Wednesday. In one of the most tightly packed opening rounds in Philippine Golf Tour history, Ababa fired a three-under 67 at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club to emerge a stroke clear of a six-way logjam at second, where erstwhile leader Clyde Mondilla found himself after a late stumble. The leaderboard resembled a traffic jam for much of the day, with positions changing almost as quickly as the wind shifted direction. Five more players were bunched at 69, while six others stood just another shot back at 70 in the P2.5 million championship organized by Pilipinas Golf Tournaments, Inc. The heat was relentless, but it was the wind that proved the more persistent adversary, particularly on the back nine. On the short but tight layout, narrow fairways and thick rough left little margin for error, while the gusts made club selection and approach shots even more demanding. Ababa handled the conditions with characteristic composure. The Davaoeño ace birdied Nos. 6, 11 and 14, then relied on crisp iron play, steady putting and three key par saves to protect his lead down the stretch. He nearly made it four birdies when he reached the 18th but missed a three-foot putt that would have given him a four-under card and a two-shot cushion. Still, the bogey-free 67 gave him the distinction of being the only player in the field to go around without dropping a shot. “My driving and iron play were solid, and my putting clicked. You really have to hit straight here because the fairways are narrow – if you miss, the rough is quite deep,” said Ababa in Filipino. He also credited a timely break or two for helping him navigate the demanding conditions. “The course was extremely tough, especially when the wind picked up on the back nine. I focused on hitting greens in regulation, and whenever a birdie opportunity came up, I made the putt. I got a bit lucky today,” he said. Ababa, seeking redemption after contending for three days in Negros Occidental last week before fading in the final round and settling for third, showed none of that late-round slide this time. Instead, he leaned on the steadiness that has become his trademark, refusing to give away shots as the leaderboard repeatedly shuffled behind him. Mondilla appeared headed for the outright lead himself after reaching four-under with four holes to play. But the multi-titled campaigner missed the greens on Nos. 6 and 8, leaving himself lengthy par putts and eventually dropping both shots. “I missed the greens on holes 6 and 8, and my par putts were from a long distance,” rued Mondilla in Filipino, who had also shown encouraging form in Negros last week, finishing joint eighth after making five birdies against one bogey through 14 holes. His 68 nevertheless kept him firmly in contention, joining Paul Echavez, Reymon Jaraula, Miki Ryoma and Rupert Zaragosa in a five-way tie for second. Jeffren Lumbo, runner-up to Art Arbole in Negros last week, led the group at 69, alongside Randy Garalde, James Ryan Lam, Gerald Rosales, Guido van der Valk and Paul Vesinica. The volatility of the opening round was underscored by Arbole's own roller-coaster finish. Two-over after 15 holes, the reigning Negros champion suddenly found his footing with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 16 and 17, salvaging an even-par 70 and keeping himself within three strokes of Ababa. “It's a good thing I managed to bounce back. The layouts of Iloilo and Negros are quite similar. For me, the main difference was that the rough here is thicker and the greens are slower, but it was manageable,” said Arbole in Filipino. Arbole was tied for 13th with Taewon Ha, Tony Lascuña, Francis Morilla, Edmar Salvador Jr. and Lee Song. Also within striking distance at 71 were Ira Alido, Kristoffer Arevalo, Jerson Balasabas, Russell Bautista, Michael Bibat, Rico Depilo, Francis Mendez, Ryan Monsalvae and amateur Bobe Salahog. Reigning Order of Merit champion and two-leg winner Angelo Que, meanwhile, settled for a 74 and a share of 28th with Jay Bayron, Elee Bisera, Carlos Packing, Enrico Gallardo and Justin Quiban. With only three shots separating Ababa from a large group of pursuers, little was settled in the opening round. If Tuesday was any indication, the Iloilo challenge is likely to be decided not by one spectacular charge but by who can withstand the heat, tame the wind and avoid the costly lapse when the pressure mounts. For one day, at least, Ababa proved the field's steadiest hand. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Tokyo Olympic silver medalist Carlo Paalam carries the country's hopes on his shoulders as the sole remaining boxer for the Philippines at the 2026 Asian Games, aiming to break a 16-year gold medal drought. The Philippines has not captured Asian Games boxing gold since Rey Saludar stood atop the podium in Guangzhou in 2010. Following years of bronze finishes and near-misses across Incheon, Jakarta-Palembang, and Hangzhou, Paalam now stands just two wins away from ending the dry spell. Paalam secured his spot in the medal round at the Nishio Gymnasium after outpointing China's Jiamao Zhang in the quarterfinals. The victory guarantees him at least a bronze medal, but standing between him and a spot in the gold medal match is Kazakhstan's Makhmud Sabyrkhan. The upcoming semifinal is a high-stakes rematch four years in the making. The two fighters last met in the bantamweight final of the 2022 ASBC Asian Elite Boxing Championships in Amman, Jordan, where Paalam edged out Sabyrkhan via a 4-1 split decision to take gold. However, Sabyrkhan enters the ring as a vastly matured competitor. Since their last encounter, the Kazakh star has established himself as a two-time world champion—securing silver at the 2021 AIBA World Championships and gold at the 2023 IBA World Championships. After competing at 57kg in the 2024 Paris Olympics, Sabyrkhan returned to his natural 55kg weight class to dominate the 2025 WB World Boxing Championships, earning him World Boxing's Best Boxer of 2025 honors. While Sabyrkhan seeks redemption, Paalam fights to secure a guaranteed silver and keep the nation's quest for Asian Games gold alive. TMT

MANILA, Philippines -- Alas Pilipinas fell to Taiwan, 25-21, 20-25, 17-25, 27-29, at the Park Arena Komaki in Japan Tuesday to end the 20th Asian Games men's volleyball preliminaries winless. Alas could not sustain the momentum after its first set win as it entered the classification phase. Bryan Bagunas and Peng Taguibolos hammered 17 points apiece to lead the Filipinos, who also lost to China and South Korea to bid goodbye to their uarterifnal bid.