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MANILA, Philippines — Filipino gymnast Carlos Yulo is set to receive a base of P4 million from the Philippine government after winning two gold medals at the 20th Asian Games in Japan. Yulo ruled the men's artistic gymnastics floor exercise on Thursday and the vault apparatus on Friday. Under Republic Act No. 10699 or the "National Athletes and Coaches Benefits and Incentives Act," individual gold medalists will receive P2 million for each gold won. Yulo may receive more than P4 million as Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Patrick Gregorio said prior to the Asiad that President Bongbong Marcos will double the amount of money Asian Games medalists will receive. The Philippine Olympic Committee may also add to that amount. Meanwhile, individual silver medalists will receive P1 million while bronze medalists will be given P400,000. For team events, the said law stated that "the national team with less than five members receive the same cash incentives for individual medal winners as herein provided, to be divided equally among the team members actually present during the competition," This applies to the Gilas Pilipinas 3x3 women's team and the Philippine women's kata team, who each had less than five members and won silver and bronze medals, respectively. Gilas' Kaycey Dela Rosa, Maria Pasilang, Kennan Ka, and Amyah Espanol will share the P1 million as silver medalists. On the other hand, the kata team of Emmanuelle Veguillas, Ysabielle Arrogante, and Rebecca Cyril Torres will share the P400,000 incentive as bronze medalists. The Philippine women's soft tennis team of Bien Zoleta, Princess Catinding, Christy Sanosa, Hilary Paas, and Shyryn Salazar will also share P400,000 as bronze medalists.

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala was voted as the WTA Star of the Hard-Court Swing. The WTA released the poll results on Friday, showing Eala as the landslide winner with 78 percent of the votes. World No. 18 Eala, the Mubadala D.C. Open titlist, defeated US Open champion and world No. 1 Elena Rybakina as well as Canadian Open winner and world No. 9 Iga Swiatek in the poll. Rybakina took 16 percent of the votes while Swiatek claimed three percent. Eala thus went back-to-back after winning the Star of the Grass-Court Swing poll last July following her fourth-round appearance at Wimbledon.

PHILADELPHIA — LeBron James said his longstanding friendship with All-Star Tyrese Maxey and a desire to help Joel Embiid win his first NBA title played significant roles in his decision to sign a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers in July. The 41-year-old James revealed scant details about the free-agency process on his “Mind the Game” podcast with co-host Steve Nash that dropped Friday. James is scheduled to meet the press for the first time as a Sixer on Monday at the team's media day in Camden, New Jersey. Training camp opens next week. A four-time NBA champion, James wrote on social media when he signed with the Sixers that he felt he was “done” when his 23rd NBA season ended, his last with the Los Angeles Lakers. But after time away with family, and still feeling physically and mentally strong in offseason workouts, James decided he wanted to keep playing. James has won NBA championships with every team he's played for: the Lakers, Miami and Cleveland. “I think I'm more in love with the pursuit of how much more can I defy the odds," James said on the podcast. James said “Philly was not even a question” early in his decision making until the Sixers pulled the surprising deal with Boston for NBA Finals MVP and champion Jaylen Brown. James and Maxey share an agent and have been friends and workout partners since the Sixers guard broke into the league, a friendship that turned into a recruiting pitch for the NBA’s career scoring leader. “When I became a free agent and we decided to let the Lakers know that I wouldn’t be returning, he was one of the first people that was on my line, calling me,” James said of Maxey. James also was intrigued with trying to help the oft-injured Embiid win his first title. Embiid has won an NBA MVP, two scoring titles, and Olympic gold medal, but has yet to lead the Sixers out of the second round of the playoffs since Philadelphia selected him third overall in the 2014 draft. “He’s done everything in our league, and the only thing he has not done is win a championship. And I want to try to help him get that first one,” James said. "He has a city on his back. He’s been ‘The Process’ for 10 years, 12 years, however long he’s been there. But I think it’s time we even get you deeper into The Process. And I hope that I can be, kind of, that final little piece that can help him get over the hump.” The Sixers went 45-37 last season and were swept in the second round by the eventual NBA champion New York Knicks. James’ résumé is beyond compare in NBA history. He’s a 22-time All-Star, a 21-time All-NBA selection, a four-time Most Valuable Player, a four-time NBA Finals MVP, a three-time All-Star Game MVP, and was a member of the NBA’s 75th anniversary team. He’s also coming off a season where he averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds and 7.2 assists per game. For his career, he’s averaged 26.8 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.4 assists in more than 1,600 games. James’ eight seasons with the Lakers were the longest continuous stretch with a single team of his NBA career, and he helped the franchise win its 17th championship in 2020. He even became the first father to play alongside his son in league history, teaming up with guard Bronny James for the past two seasons. James called it “humbling” to play for the Lakers and expressed disappointment he wasn't able to enjoy a championship parade because of the 2020 pandemic. James called Los Angeles home and said it would be for “the foreseeable future.” So why not return to the Lakers? Or reunite with the Heat or Cavaliers or stay in California and sign with the Golden State Warriors? James offered no real insight to any teams he may have talked to or how close he may have been with signing with another team. He said he wanted to bring the championship blueprint to Philadelphia and lead the Sixers to their first title since 1983. And he felt great during workouts in the summer, so why stop now? “If you still have an opportunity to do what you love, then why just say I'm done? What is the reason? Do you have a real reason?,” James asked.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde bounced back at the expense of still-winless Mapua University, 82-77, in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament on Friday at the PhilSports Arena.

FAVORED to win the gold medal in the 2026 Asian Games, tennis ace Alexandra “Alex” Eala faces more pressure to deliver in Nagoya, Japan after her early exit in the Singapore Open. Eala, ranked 18th in the world, played a gruesome three-hour battle against world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova in the round of 16 of the Singapore Open and lost, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, on Thursday night. Eala fought hard in Singapore but was outplayed by Prozorova, who scored a victory against a top 40 player for the first time. With the early exit, Eala can now focus on her Asian Games campaign where she is the top seed. In Nagoya, Eala will go up against China’s Shuai Zhang (54th), Thailand’s Lanlana Tararudee (61st), China’s Xiyu Wang (82nd) and Mananchaya Sawangkaew (88th). “I think I have as big a chance [of winning the gold] as any other person on the draw,” the 21-year-old Eala said during the post-game press conference of the Singapore Open. Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino, meanwhile, made a bold statement that the nation could finish with eight gold medals in the Asian Games and included Eala on his list of gold medal finishers. “Yeah, I think once you compete and once you’re in the draw, you have a chance. So do my best of course, process the loss all on the sides on the board,” she added. Pressure, however, mounts as the 2026 Asian Games tennis tournament begins on Sept. 27 but Eala remains confident that she can deliver. “Like I said, I just need to analyze and reconvene with my team and you know, say, ‘Hey we need to work on A, B, and C.’ And so I’ll work on it, and I think that’s the beauty of sport, the beauty of tennis. It’s a constant ... I guess, evolution, always learning,” she said. Still, she said that she needs to brush off the setback in Singapore and focus on the next one. “You’re going to have days like this where you battle for three hours and it’s just doesn’t go your way, so I have to learn from it but also not try to make it bigger than it needs to be,” she added.

KAYLA Sanchez was so close to ending the 28-year medal drought of the Philippines in the swimming event at the Asian Games. The two-time Olympic medalist, however, missed the podium by a hairline in the 100-meter freestyle after clocking 53.65 seconds, just 0.18 second slower than bronze medalist Cheng Yukie of China, who clocked 53.17 seconds. In her favorite 50-meter freestyle event, she was 0.29 second short of a bronze medal finish after clocking in 24.75 seconds. China’s Yujie Cheng bagged the bronze at 24.46 seconds. Sanchez bared her emotions and expressed her disappointment for not taking home a medal. “I guess I’m disappointed that I wasn’t able to bring the Philippines a medal, and I’m really sorry that I wasn’t able to do that. But I think the greater lesson here is not to be afraid to try,” said Sanchez who won two Olympic medals in Tokyo while representing Canada. The last time the Philippines won a medal at the Asian Games was in 1988 when Raymond Papa captured two bronze medals in the 100-m and 200-m backstroke events. Despite the heartaches in Nagoya, Sanchez is determined to bounce back.  “Yes, I am not done [in the Asian Games]. And I am motivated to get better results, and get better, and get faster,” she said. “I love swimming. I love representing the Philippines, and I just want to do more,” she added. Since Sanchez changed her federation from Canada to the Philippines in 2023, she said that her time has improved. Sanchez was part of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medal team in the 4x100-m freestyle relay, and the bronze medal team in the 4x100-m medley relay. The 25-year-old swimmer earned three gold medals and five silver medals in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games in Thailand. Sanchez understood that she was going against tough opponents in the Asian Games, and that motivated her to be better. “Train very hard. Work in silence and come here for the glory and compete like you never lost. And that’s still the mentality that I hold,” she said. “I have the greatest respect for my competitors. But at the same time, I want a medal for the Philippines.” Sanchez, however, posted two new national records in swimming with a time of  28.19 seconds in the 50-meter backstroke event, and 24.75 seconds in the 50-meter freestyle. “ I don’t know what’s going to happen in 5 years, but I know right now that I’m motivated to compete and give a medal for the Philippines in the next Asian Games,” she said.

Arellano University defeated the University of Perpetual Help, 88-65, to notch its third straight win in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament on Friday at the PhilSports Arena.

NAGOYA, Japan — Tomokazu Harimoto said Japan had overcome their inferiority complex after ending table tennis powerhouse China’s 32-year run as Asian Games men’s team champions in a nail-biting final. China had won gold in the event at every Games since 1994 but they were dethroned by Japan after Sora Matsushima beat Wen Ruibo in the decisive match to win 3-2. The Japan team also featured Harimoto, whose parents were both born in China and whose mother once represented the country at the world championships. “That we beat them was proof that we had lacked confidence before,” said Harimoto, whose sister Miwa plays for Japan’s women’s team. “I’m happy, but looking at the actual contest, there was nothing unusual about the way we played or the outcome. “We just managed to attain the one thing we’d been missing — confidence.” China’s team featured world number one Wang Chuqin but his teammates Lin Shidong and Wen are respectively ranked eighth and 15th in the world. Japan had two top-five players in number three Matsushima and number four Harimoto. “China used to have six or seven strong players, that’s why their era lasted 10 or 20 years,” said Harimoto. “Now with two of us in the world top five, Matsushima and I can win like this.” Harimoto could not bring himself to watch the final match from the team bench after beating Wang to level it at 2-2. “I thought it was better not to go back, a bit like a superstition,” said Harimoto. “If I was on the bench, Matsushima would see me. He probably wouldn’t mind, but I minded.” Wang won the opening match against Matsushima but lost 3-0 against Harimoto. The Chinese player said: “Psychologically, I ran into problems.” “Perhaps we panicked a little in trying to be better, and rushed some shots,” he said. China got their own back in the women’s team final, beating Japan, 3-0. But the men’s defeat left a bitter taste in the mouths of Chinese fans, who vented their anger on social media. “The men’s team, despite enjoying the best resources and treatment, suffers from lack of continuity and a talent gap,” one user wrote on Weibo. “There is no one coming through,” wrote another.

MEDINAH, Illinois — Best of friends in golf, winless as partners in team play, Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns looked like that dubious drought might continue Thursday (Friday in Manila) in the Presidents Cup. Min Woo Lee and Sungjae Im had the advantage on four straight holes along the back nine and finally converted for a 1-up lead. And then the Americans took over at just the right time. Burns hit an 8-iron to 2 feet on the 14th. Scheffler closed out the International side with a superb bunker shot on the 18th to secure par for a 1-up victory. The lead fourballs match was the swing match as the Americans took a 3-2 lead. “We certainly haven’t had the results that we’ve hoped for,” Burns said. “I feel like at times in the past we’ve played pretty well and just gotten beat. So it probably just was a little bit of a sigh of relief to finally get a point and just kind of let that out.” It was the ninth time in the last 10 Presidents Cup the Americans won the opening session in a competition they have turned into an exhibition with 10 straight victories and only one loss since these matches began in 1994. The Internationals showed plenty of fighting spirit, right down to the last hole in the lead match. Both captains came away pleased. “A session win is a session win. We’re going to take it any way we can get it,” Snedeker said. “We would have loved to have won the session,” International captain Geoff Ogilvy said. “But 2-3, we had a chat when we got back to the room, and I’m proud of the boys and I’m proud of how they played today. They’re all pretty excited to get out there tomorrow.” Five matches of foursomes are scheduled for Friday at Medinah Country Club. Burns and Scheffler are out first against Canadians Corey Conners and Nick Taylor. Jackson Koivun also wasted little time getting a point on the board. The 21-year-old Koivun, who turned pro just over three months ago, teamed with Justin Thomas in a 4-and-3 victory over Conners and Nico Echavarria, who managed only three birdies in the easier better-ball format. Burns already delivered one big moment by making an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 ninth with Lee in tight for a sure birdie. But his 8-iron from 172 yards on the 14th swung momentum so much that Scheffler called it the “shot of the match.” “I was basically out of the hole after my second shot. Sam was essentially was playing two-on-one there,” Scheffler said. “So for him to step up there and hit a really nice shot, I think you can definitely feel the momentum. He was put in a tough spot there, and he responded the way he knows how.” The Internationals picked up two wins behind Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Hisatsune — the first time for two Japanese players in the Presidents Cup since 1998 — and Tom Kim and Si Woo Kim in the anchor match. “It’s been a long time. I’ve been waiting for another guy from Japan to come play with me, and I was really happy today,” Matsuyama said. The Americans got their other win behind Wyndham Clark and Collin Morikawa, who never trailed against Adam Scott and Ryan Fox in a 3-and-2 win. For so much of a cloudy afternoon at Medinah, two wins apiece looked certain for the Americans and the Internationals. Up for grabs was the opening match, which was tight the entire way. Scheffler and Burns, 0-3-1 as partners in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, birdied the opening four holes. The Internationals ran off four straight birdies of their own to square the match through five holes. It was clear for so much of the day this would decide who had the lead. Im and Lee, whose putting hurt them along the back nine, each missed par putts on the 17th to fall behind. Lee went long of the green, and Im gassed his 40-foot birdie putt some 15 feet by the hole. They couldn’t catch up on the closing hole. Koivun is the first player to win a Walker Cup point and a Presidents Cup point just over a year apart. He was part of Auburn’s NCAA title team in June. He won his first PGA Tour title in the 3M Open in his third start. And now he’s part of a dominant American team. He said he told Thomas that “once I get my first tee shot out of the way, I’m going to be good.” His second tee shot went out-of-bounds, though Thomas saved it with a beautiful bunker shot to halve the hole. Koivun’s wedge to 7 feet for birdie on the par-5 sixth gave them a 3-up lead, and the Internationals never seriously threatened the rest of the way. Thomas improved to 7-0 in fourballs at the Presidents Cup. “First two holes, definitely a little shaky,” Koivun said. “But after that kind of found a groove. Me and J.T., we played really well out there. He picked me up when I didn’t play too hot, so thankful for that, but we had a fun time.”

NEW ORLEANS — Bob Pettit, an imposing scorer and rebounder for the St. Louis Hawks and winner of the NBA’s first Most Valuable Player award in 1956, has died. He was 93. Pettit’s alma mater, LSU, announced Thursday (Friday in Manila) that he died a day earlier. The university did not provide a cause of death. Pettit was an All-American at LSU before going on to the NBA, where he was an All-Star for each of his 11 seasons, all with the Hawks. He led them to the 1958 championship over the mighty Boston Celtics, the Hawks’ lone title. He was also the NBA MVP in 1959 and was the MVP of the All-Star game four times, an achievement matched only by Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant. Pettit was a force at a time when the NBA featured the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, Bill Russell, Oscar Robertson and Elgin Baylor. But it was also before a time when the NBA was widely seen on television, and Pettit — playing in a smaller market — was denied a larger audience. At 6-foot-9 and 205 pounds and with a deeply receding hairline, Pettit was a physical presence at power forward, before such a position became part of basketball’s vocabulary. He rarely missed a game. He also played center and was one of the first big men who did not play solely with his back to the basket. Pettit was the Rookie of the Year in 1955, the last year the Hawks played in Milwaukee before moving to St. Louis. He captured the MVP the next season, leading the league in scoring at 25.7 points a game. He also was the NBA’s scoring leader in 1959 at 29.2 points. He retired after the 1964-65 season with career averages of 26.4 points and 16.2 rebounds. At that time, he was the NBA’s career leader in points (20,880) and second in rebounds (12,849). He was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1970. “Lean, graceful, and always well-conditioned, Bob Pettit’s physical build made him one of the first big men to play facing the basket,” reads Pettit’s biographical profile at the Hall of Fame. “But Pettit’s resolve set him apart from his peers; he simply would not be outworked.” Robert Lee Pettit Jr. was born on Dec. 12, 1932, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. His father worked in law enforcement and served as East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff. Pettit was a late bloomer in basketball, not making the Baton Rouge High School varsity until his junior season. As a senior, he led Baton Rouge to a state championship and wound up with more than a dozen college offers. He chose to stay home and starred at LSU as a sophomore, an era when players could not join the varsity until then. He led the Southeastern Conference in scoring all three of his seasons, with averages of 25.5 points as a sophomore, 24.9 as a junior and 31.4 as a senior. Pettit is one of only three LSU players — Pete Maravich and Shaquille O’Neal the others — to earn a place in the Hall of Fame. Bronze statues of Pettit and O’Neal stand outside LSU’s home arena, the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. His No. 50 is retired by LSU, his No. 9 by the Atlanta Hawks. “We are grateful for his contributions to our franchise and to basketball history,” the Hawks said in a statement. “His retired No. 9 jersey continues to hang proudly at State Farm Arena as a lasting reminder of the impact he made on our organization. We extend our deepest condolences to Bob’s family, friends and loved ones during this difficult time. We also join those across the basketball world in celebrating a remarkable life and legacy that will never be forgotten.” Pettit’s misfortune was that most of his career coincided with a run of Celtics championships that remains one of the most dominant runs in American pro sports history. Pettit was two victories short of being a three-time NBA champion. Pettit’s Hawks advanced to the finals four times, all against Boston, twice losing in seven games. The first meeting, won by Boston in 1957, came down to double overtime of Game 7. The second ended with a championship for the Hawks, interrupting Boston’s run of nine titles in 10 seasons. The Hawks also dropped NBA Finals matchups with the Celtics in 1960 (in seven games) and 1961 (in five). Pettit retired to his native Baton Rouge after leaving basketball and worked in banking and financial consulting. He was a regular at LSU and New Orleans Pelicans games in recent years.

LOS ANGELES, United States — Star running back Bijan Robinson rushed for an explosive 194 yards and two touchdowns as the Atlanta Falcons thrashed the Green Bay Packers, 35-14, on Thursday. Robinson’s destructive performance gave Atlanta its first win of the NFL season, while a shell-shocked Lambeau Field booed as the Packers slipped to 1-2 with their first loss in a home opener since 2012. Prior to Thursday, the Falcons had only managed 16 points across two defeats in which they did not have a single snap in the red zone. But they were boosted by the return from injury of quarterback Michael Penix Jr., who brushed off an early interception to complete 256 passing yards and a touchdown. “I’ve been fighting and scratching for a long time to get back to where I’m at today,” said Penix, who underwent surgery last November for a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Penix hailed Robinson’s “unreal” performance, calling it “a blessing to be able to have somebody like that on your team.” By contrast Packers quarterback Jordan Love managed 312 passing yards, but was let down by a lack of running options. Atlanta’s Robinson, selected eighth overall in the 2023 NFL draft, signed a new three-year, $75 million contract with the Falcons in August that briefly made him the top-paid running back in NFL history. The 24-year-old proved his worth on Thursday night, comfortably out-rushing the entire Packers team, who ran for a paltry 17 yards total. After the Packers scored first via a Love touchdown pass to Christian Watson, Robinson made a superb, weaving 55-yard run to the red zone, before rushing for a touchdown on the next play. He was again at the heart of the next Falcons touchdown, with four rushes in a drive that ended with Penix’s touchdown pass to tight end Austin Hooper. In the second half, Bijan Robinson made another stunning, 31-yard run down the right flank, before the Falcons’ other Robinson — running back Brian Robinson Jr. — took the ball into the end zone for a 20-point lead. The Packers attempted a comeback in the fourth quarter with Love’s 15-yard touchdown pass to Matthew Golden. But it was Bijan Robinson again who put the game to bed, bursting through the Packers’ defense for a touchdown before a successful two-point conversion made it 35-14. “I always say it’s God-given ability, but for me, I just read the first, second, third level ... I know where the free hitter is every play,” said Robinson. “I’m pretty much playing peekaboo with the guys. I’m getting them out their gaps.” The Falcons managed two field goals, while the Packers missed their only attempt.

PARIS, France — MotoGP has added two new circuits in Argentina and Australia for the 22-race 2027 calendar, announced on Friday. The season is scheduled to open in Buriram, Thailand, on March 7 and to end in Valencia, in Spain on November 28. The first new track will be in Buenos Aires in April, the second leg of a three-race American swing that starts with Goiania in Brazil, which staged its first race this season, and finishes in Austin, Texas. The second addition is a street circuit in Adelaide, on November 14 at the end of a five-race late-season swing down through Asia to Australia. The Autodromo Oscar y Juan Galvez in Buenos Aires replaces Termas de Hondo, more than 1,100 kilometers inland from the capital. That circuit was on and off the MotoGP calendar between 2014 and its last appearance in 2025. Buenos Aires last hosted races in 1999. In Australia, Phillip Island near Melbourne has hosted races since 1989, but its contract expires after this season and the Victoria State Government rejected a plan by MotoGP to move the race to the track used by Formula One in Albert Park in the heart of the city. The race in Adelaide, which will require laying track in parklands, has met with local opposition. Hungary has been dropped from the schedule after just two years. The race was poorly attended and the Balaton Park circuit was reportedly unpopular with riders. 2027 MotoGP calendar: March 7: Thai Grand Prix in Buriram March 14: Qatar Grand Prix at Lusail April 4: Brazilian Grand Prix at Goiania April 11: Argentine Grand Prix at Buenos Aires April 25: United States Grand Prix at Austin May 9: Spanish Grand Prix at Jerez de la Frontera May 16: French Grand Prix at Le Mans May 30: Italian Grand Prix at Mugello June 13: Catalan Grand Prix in Barcelona June 27: Dutch Grand Prix in Assen July 11: German Grand Prix at the Sachsenring July 18: Czech Republic Grand Prix in Brno August 15: British Grand Prix at Silverstone August 29: Austrian Grand Prix in Spielberg September 12: San Marino Grand Prix in Misano, Italy September 19: Aragon Grand Prix at MotorLand, Spain October 3: Portuguese Grand Prix at Portimao October 17: Japanese Grand Prix at Motegi October 24: Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang October 31: Indonesian Grand Prix at Mandalika November 14: Australian Grand Prix at Adelaide November 28: Valencia Grand Prix at Cheste, Spain