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NAGOYA, Japan — The 20th Asian Games opened in Japan on Saturday with a message of unity following a troubled build-up to the multi-sport spectacular that has more athletes than the Olympics. There were however a large number of empty seats at the 30,000-capacity stadium in Nagoya, where a subdued crowd saw a colourful opening ceremony with the main stage in the shape of a giant heart. Japan's Emperor and Empress were given a respectful reception as they took their seats, with International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry also in attendance. The first gold medal will be won on Sunday morning, likely in the men's individual triathlon, as the continent's finest athletes compete in more than 40 sports before the curtain comes down on October 4. The event in Nagoya and Aichi prefecture has 2028 Olympics places up for grabs in seven sports and will be graced by global stars and fast-rising prodigies. But it has been dogged by a series of problems in the lead-up. The more than 11,000 athletes and 6,000 officials stretched organisers to the limit as they scrambled to find accommodation for everyone. To save money there is no traditional athletes' village, competitors instead staying in a combination of temporary container-style huts, hotels and cruise ship the Costa Serena. There was a record deluge last week which flooded parts of Nagoya and now a typhoon is approaching eastern Japan threatening further disruption in the coming days. Some athletes were left stranded at the airport when transport failed to turn up and several teams have complained about the quality of the huts, including the beds being too short. In the latest mishap, North Korea's national anthem was played on Friday for South Korea's men's hockey team. - Cheers, empty seats - Two-time Asian Games silver medallist Zahra Kiani was a flag-bearer for Iran and hopes to win another medal in the Chinese martial art of wushu -- by watching how it's done on YouTube. "I have been training with movies. I watch videos of Chinese athletes and I try to copy them," she said. The Olympic Council of Asia said the continent's premier sporting event, featuring 45 countries and territories, came at a vital moment. "The opening ceremony message is to show and demonstrate the unity of Asia against the conflicts around Asia (and) the political conflicts of the Middle East," OCA president Sheikh Joaan bin Hamad Al-Thani said before the show swung into action. There was no mistaking, however, the rows of empty seats, despite organisers saying all tickets had been taken. Apart from Japan's athletes, the biggest cheer was reserved for China's competitors as they filed into the arena. China will again expect to top the medals table after winning a whopping 201 golds and 383 medals on home soil in Hangzhou at the Covid-delayed Games in 2023. - Prodigies in spotlight - Basketball, football and cricket are among the sports already under way. As always at the Asian Games -- which started in 1951 -- Olympic staples such as athletics and swimming will sit side-by-side with regional favourites like sepak takraw and kabaddi. There will be eSports, breakdancing and BMX cycling. Padel and MMA will make their Asian Games debuts. Among those competing will be Philippine tennis sensation Alexandra Eala and a pair of prodigies in 15-year-old Indian cricketer Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and 13-year-old Chinese swimmer Yu Zidi. Taiwan boxer Lin Yu-ting will also be competing, two years after she won Paris Olympics gold in the middle of a major gender row that saw her eligibility questioned. North Korea will have more than 100 athletes competing across 14 sports, aiming to "bring joy to Marshal Kim Jong Un". Sooryavanshi will be part of an India cricket team looking to make a statement before the sport returns to the Olympics in Los Angeles after an absence of 128 years. India could face bitter rivals Pakistan in the final at Nagoya's new purpose-built cricket ground -- if rain does not intervene. AFP

National University broke through in the UAAP Season 102 men"s basketball tournament after routing the University of the East, 76-56, on Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

MANILA, Philippines — Team Philippines was formally seen during the parade of nations at the 2026 Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan. The national delegation wore "Malaya," a modern Barong Tagalog designed by fashion designer Francis Libiran. Leading the march for Team Philippines were Paris Olympics boxing bronze medalist Aira Villegas and weightlifter Ian Delos Santos as flag bearers. TMT

Denzil Sison-Walker is feeling right at home in the NCAA.

MANILA, Philippines — The National University (NU) Bulldogs bit the University of the East (UE) Red Warriors hard, 76-56, to recover from their season-opening loss in the UAAP Season 89 men's basketball tournament at the Araneta Coliseum Saturday. Bouncing back from its opening defeat to defending champ De La Salle, NU jumped on UE with a 15-2 start capped by a Reinhard Jumamoy trey at the 4:44 mark of the first quarter. Leading by as many as 23 points, 39-16, in the second frame, the Bulldogs repeatedly denied the Warriors' comeback attempts for the rest of the way. Mo Diassana pumped 12 points and 12 rebounds for NU as Jumamoy aided him with 12 points, four rebounds, and three assists. Olamilekan Ajani paced amassed 11 points and 10 rebounds for UE, which dropped to 0-2 this season and suffered its 21st straight loss dating back to Season 87.

UAAP Season 89 Men’s Basketball Tournament NU def. UE, 76-56 Kenshin Padrones Player of the Game #UAAPSeason89

The Philippines will seek to become the firs-evert Mobile Legends: Bang Bang gold medalist in the event"s debut at the 2026 Asian Games.

MANILA, Philippines — As the 2026 Asian Games officially open today in Nagoya, Japan, Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Patrick Gregorio called on the nation to unite behind the Filipino athletes representing the country. In a message to the national delegation, Gregorio reminded the athletes of the immense hard work and sacrifices that brought them to the prestigious regional meet, urging them to stay focused on their mission. "Focus your mind and remember your purpose—para sa sarili, para sa pamilya, para sa bayan. Sa bawat laban, ipakita ninyo ang puso ng atletang Pilipino," Gregorio urged. With over 11,000 athletes competing across various disciplines, Team Philippines enters the Games ready to showcase grit, talent, and patriotism on the Asian stage. Gregorio assured the team that the entire nation is cheering them on as they strive for glory. TMT

Bien Zoleta has seen the lows of Philippine soft tennis, and for the first time at the Asian Games, she is experiencing the highs.

MANILA, Philippines —Agatha Chrystenzen Wong steps onto the carpet on Sunday carrying both the weight of expectation and the quiet confidence of a seasoned champion. As the nation’s top bet in wushu at the 20th Asian Games, the six-time Southeast Asian Games gold medalist is determined to deliver a medal for Team Philippines in the women’s taijiquan and taijijian events at the Aichi Prefectural Martial Arts Hall. The path, however, is steep in these games where Team Philippines’ participation is supported by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Philippine Sports Commission. Standing in her way is defending Asian Games champion Tong Xin of China, the sport’s gold standard in the discipline. Wong must also contend with Basma Lachkar of Brunei, the Hangzhou Asian silver medalist, and Japan’s Shiho Saito, who will be buoyed by the home crowd. “My goal is simple. I just want to stand on that podium again,” said Wong. “I’ve worked for years to refine every movement, every transition. This is the moment I’ve been preparing for.” The field is further stacked with elite contenders from Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Nepal, Malaysia, Thailand, and Pakistan, hands down Asia’s finest Taolu specialists. Yet Wong arrives in Nagoya with a resume that proves she belongs in this company. The 28-year-old medicine student from UERM won a bronze medal at the 2018 Asian Games in Jakarta-Palembang, a performance that followed her third-place finish at the 2016 World Cup in Fuzhou. She has since built a formidable international record after pocketing a silver medal at the 2023 World Championships in Fort Worth, Texas, and a bronze medal at the 2025 World Championships in Brasilia, Brazil. “There were days I felt overwhelmed, juggling classes and training,” said Wong. “But those difficult days also reminded me why I love this sport. They pushed me to stay focused and fight for this chance.” Wong’s performance will come after fellow Filipinos Sandrex Gainsan and Mark Anthony Polo compete in the men’s changquan final, both also aiming to secure medals for the country. Later in the afternoon, Jenifer Kilapio battles Indonesia’s Tharisa Dea Florentina in the women’s sanda 52kg quarterfinals. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — The Batangas City Tanduay Athletics quelled the Gensan Warriors' final assault and prevailed, 76-73, to clinch the No. 4 playoff spot in the South Division of the SportsPlus MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) 2026 Season at the Batangas City Coliseum. Batangas City finished the round-robin elimination phase with a 19-6 record, tying Cebu. The Greats, however, took third place due to their 84-83 shocker over the Athletics on April 22. Gensan slid to 18-6 and needs to beat also-ran Bulacan in its last assignment on Sept. 21 to forge a triple-tie. Even then, however, the Warriors would have to settle for the fifth spot due to their loss to the Athletics. Ahead 60-49 early in the fourth quarter, Batangas City felt pressure as Gensan closed in at 71-75, with  41.3 seconds left, through Marwin Dionisio and RJ Minerva. Batangas' worries grew after Ced Ablaza missed two free throws with 12.5 seconds left and Gensan's Joshua Fontanilla canned a one-hander to put the count at 73-75, with  6.6 seconds to go. In the ensuing play, Fontanilla was forced to foul Ino Comboy, who missed the first but converted his second charity for the final tally. Ablaza tallied 17 points, 7 rebounds and 2 assists; Rhinwil Yambing carded 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 steals; Comboy notched 11 points and 2 rebounds; Abdul Sawat contributed 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists; and Jeckster Apinan compiled 4 points, 11 rebounds and 2 assists. Gensan drew 16 points and 7 rebounds from Minerva; 13 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists from Fontanilla, and 11 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists from Dionisio. Bulacan edges Marikina The Bulacan Kuyas bested the Marikina Shoemasters, 84-77, in the first game to raise their record to 6-18. The Kuyas drew 20 points and 5 rebounds from Andrei Acop, 18 points, 13 rebounds and 2 assists from Mico Dizon, 14 points and 2 rebounds from Benedict Benedictos, and 12 points, 8 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals from Joshua Moralejo. Marikina, which ended its campaign with a 17-8 slate,  got 19 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals from homegrown Jomel Landayan, 15 points and 2 rebounds from RR Casajeros, and 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists from JR Alabanza. The 2026 SportsPlus MPBL All-Star game between the North division standouts and the South division stalwarts will push through at 8:30 p.m. on Saturday at the Ynares Center Montalban in Rizal province. TMT

MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas aims to capture its first win and target a ninth-place finish as it enters the classification round of the 2026 Asian Games against Qatar on Sunday at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium. The nationals were eliminated from medal contention following a 0-2 run in Pool B, suffering consecutive setbacks against defending champion China and a towering Kazakhstan team. Although the Philippines put up a fierce fight against Kazakhstan before falling 29-27, 24-26, 23-25, 19-25, closing out tight sets remained a central struggle. Despite the setback, head coach Taka Minowa remains focused on maximizing the team's remaining campaign. "It's really sad. I’m really sorry for everyone to make this happen, but we will change our motivation and also the target—which is that we're going to finish 9th. We should win three games in a row. That's what we should do with these Asian Games," he told official broadcaster Cignal. Star winger Angel Canino provided a strong offensive spark for the squad, pouring in 24 points against Kazakhstan following a 14-point effort against China. "The experience that we learned today, and the opponent that we fought today was really tough. They’re really tall, and we hope that we learned a lot from it and address our lapses," Canino said. "That’s what we want—to learn. Hopefully, we can get the results that we want." The Philippines holds a strong opportunity to bounce back against Qatar, which dropped back-to-back lopsided matches in Pool D against Vietnam (3-25, 8-25, 9-25) and South Korea (25-6, 25-6, 25-10).