Adamson, Lyceum clash in Shakey's Super League Unity Cup opener

THE Alas Pilipinas men’s national volleyball team, bannered by Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas, arrived in Nagoya, Japan on Thursday for the 2026 Asian Games. Slated in Pool D, Team Philippines will be tested early as it faces South Korea for its first match at 12 p.m. on Sept. 27 at the Park Arena Komaki. The other two countries in the group are China and Chinese Taipei. In the 2022 edition of the Asian Games in China, the Philippines placed 13th in men’s volleyball. This time, Alas Pilipinas is looking to make the second round with the help of outside hitters Espejo and Bagunas. Now having the experience of playing in the FIVB World Championship where the Philippines made a breakthrough after winning against Egypt, Alas Pilipinas looks to make a mark in the Asian Games. The last time that the Filipinos reached the semifinals here was in 1958 when the Philippines placed fourth overall for its best finish in the Asian Games. In the 1962 Indonesia, 1966 Thailand, and 1974 Iran Games, the Philippines placed ninth, eighth, and sixth, respectively. Alas Pilipinas, ranked 114th in the world, needs to win at least two games in the group stage, as only the top two teams of each of the four pools will advance to the quarterfinal round. Facing steep odds in Pool D, Philippine coach Angiolino Frigoni of Italy needs to pull a huge rabbit off his hat to hurdle past higher ranked teams South Korea (25th), China (34th) and Chinese Taipei (55th). Aside from Espejo and Bagunas, Frigoni can also lean on outside hitter Jude Garcia and opposite spikers Leo Ordiales, and John Lirck Mendoza. The team’s middle blockets are Lloyd Josafat, Peng Taguibolos and Joshua Magalaman and the playmakers are Greg Augustus Luis Ancheta and Adi Villados. Josh Ybañez is the libero for the national team.

BAGUIO CITY — Team Lakay fighters Jean Claude “The Dynamite” Saclag and Carlos “The Limitless” Alvarez carried the fight for the Philippines after winning silver and bronze medals, respectively, in the mixed martial arts (MMA) competition of the 2026 Asian Games. Saclag secured the silver medal in the men’s under 65-kilogram traditional MMA division, while Alvarez took bronze in the -77kg category. The medals marked the Philippines’ first podium finishes in MMA at the Asian Games, which introduced the sport to its competition program this year. Saclag and Alvarez were among the Philippine athletes selected to compete in the inaugural Asian Games event. Both fighters earned their places in the national team after impressive performances in the 4th AMMA World Championship in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, earlier this year. Saclag won the gold medal in his division, while Alvarez claimed bronze. The two Team Lakay fighters subsequently underwent preparations for their Asian Games campaign before competing in Nagoya. Saclag’s silver gave the Philippines its first silver medal in MMA at the Asian Games, while Alvarez added the country’s second bronze medal in the sport. Their finishes also established the Philippines among the medal-winning nations in the inaugural Asian Games MMA competition. Fight fans claimed the podium finishes added another milestone to developing MMA in the Philippines.

FORMER Olympic medalist Eumir Marcial recently secured the most impressive victory of his six-year professional boxing career by knocking out Omar Ulises Huerta in three rounds in San Diego, California. Huerta showed up in the fight with an eye-catching record of 15-1 with 13 knockouts. Confident in his punching power, Huerta lunged forward in the third round and threw a heavy left. Marcial countered perfectly with a textbook step-back: slipping backward to dull the impact of the blow, he instantly unleashed a devastating right hook. The explosive counter flattened Huerta, who remained down as the referee counted him out. While Marcial celebrated, the Asian Games began to unfold in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan. Marcial was supposed to be part of the Philippine team but decided to withdraw at the last minute. Carlo Paalam, Junmilardo Ogayre, Norlan Petecio, Aira Villegas, Riza Pasuit, and Nesthy Petecio now lead the country’s bid. The Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines also reached a consensus to remove Marcial from the roster, prioritizing his physical health. It was determined that the grueling flight from the US to Japan, combined with the fatigue from his recent professional bout, posed too great a risk to Marcial’s recovery. Marcial, of course, is still an integral part of the Philippine boxing squad. The four-part Asian qualifying boxing tournaments for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are set to begin in April 2027, kicking off with the World Amateur Boxing Championships in Kazakhstan. Stage 2 will follow with the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament in China. If Marcial still salivates for an Olympic gold medal, he is expected to step into the ring for these upcoming events. Then again, Marcial cannot serve two masters. Despite the shared fundamental of throwing punches, amateur Olympic boxing and the professional ranks are entirely different sports. Olympic boxing consists of three rounds and three minutes for men. Pro boxing ranges from 4 rounds for beginners up to 12 rounds for championship bouts. The pacing is vastly different. Amateur/Olympic fights demand an immediate high-intensity output like a sprint. Professional fights require energy conversation, body work, and strategic setup for the later rounds. Although both boxing disciplines rely on the 10-point must system, Olympic and amateur scoring differs from professional standards by prioritizing clean blows, technical superiority, and tactical efficiency over sheer punch power, meaning a knockdown might simply be evaluated as a series of clean scoring punches rather than automatically dictating a lopsided round. Marcial is 30 years old and has figured in an estimated 86 amateur bouts. He won a silver medal at the 2019 World Championships and a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. You can say that Marcial has “maxed out” his stay in the amateur ranks. Marcial’s power-punching style is built for professional boxing. Because amateur bouts last only three rounds, a hit-and-run tactician can easily outscore him. In the pros, however, Marcial does not need a sizzling start; the longer format gives him the time he needs to wear down his opponents and finish them in the later rounds. Marcial turned pro in December 2020 and has since raked up a record of 8-0 with 5 knockouts. Having been a pro boxer for six years, Marcial should have logged in more bouts. Marcial cannot sustain his current split focus between amateur and pro boxing; he needs to commit to a single discipline, and professional boxing is his best option. Having accomplished almost everything in the amateur ranks, Marcial should now be motivated to become the first Filipino to claim the middleweight (160 lbs.) world title since Ceferino Garcia in October 1939 — a historic feat that would also secure him a massive financial windfall. Overstaying in the amateur ranks has derailed many stellar careers, leaving fighters shopworn by the time they finally turn pro. The proof is in the history books: 1984 Olympic champion Tyrell Biggs, 1976 Val Barker winner Howard Davis Jr., and three-time Olympic medalist Zou Shiming all failed to live up to the hype in the paid ranks. Marcial needs to avoid this exact trap. By passing the amateur torch to the young guns, Marcial can chase a far more lucrative professional career. Marcial’s explosive style is tailor-made for the grueling distance of 10- or 12-round fights, not the short bursts of three-round amateur bouts.

MAJOR League Baseball’s postseason is rapidly approaching, with the Los Angeles Dodgers seeking a third straight World Series title. It remains to be seen how much some of the game’s biggest stars will be able to participate in the playoffs, though. The Dodgers are once again among the best teams in the big leagues, and they’ll have several challengers in October, including the Milwaukee Brewers and Tampa Bay Rays. All three teams could finish the regular season with 100 wins or more. Los Angeles is rolling into the postseason and four-time MVP Shohei Ohtani returned to the lineup on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) after a stint on the injured list. The New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Atlanta Braves have also clinched spots in the postseason. Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, a three-time AL MVP, is dealing with a right calf strain that will likely keep him out through at least the Wild Card Series. While the 12-team playoff field appears mostly set, there are a few long-shot contenders for the postseason, and specific matchups are in flux. Here’s some of what to watch as the season comes to a close. Who can clinch a playoff spot In the American League, the Cleveland Guardians can qualify for the postseason with a win at Boston and a loss by either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros. The Chicago White Sox can cap a turnaround season and earn a spot in October with a win over the Kansas City Royals and a loss by the Rangers. Over in the National League, the Chicago Cubs can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Miami Marlins or a loss by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Philadelphia Phillies can clinch a wild card if they beat the Milwaukee Brewers and either the San Diego Padres or D-backs lose. The Padres can clinch a playoff spot with a win over the Dodgers and a loss by the D-backs. AL Central and West are tight There’s quite a bit of mediocrity in the AL Central and West divisions this season, which has led to some fascinating pennant races and could lead to a sub-.500 team making the postseason. The Guardians (82-75) have a narrow advantage over the White Sox (81-76) in the AL Central while the Texas Rangers (78-79) and Astros (78-79) are fighting for the AL West. Over in the National League, the playoff bracket is close to set. The Cubs (87-70), Padres (87-70) and Phillies (87-70) are jockeying for position in the wild-card race but will almost certainly make the postseason. The only team within shouting distance is Arizona (83-74), which is four games back. Chicago holds the head-to-head tiebreaker for home field over Philadelphia and San Diego, and the Phillies own the tiebreaker over the Padres after sweeping that season series 6-0. MVP races, stats to watch MLB’s major awards probably won’t have much drama this season. Both MVP races have strong favorites with Chicago’s Pete Crow-Armstrong running away with the NL honor while Houston’s Yordan Alvarez is the probable choice in the AL, though Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero has also had a fantastic season. Alvarez still has an outside shot at a Triple Crown. He leads the AL in batting average at.314 and his 41 homers are tied with Caminero, but his 102 RBIs are six back of Baltimore’s Pete Alonso. For the Cy Young Award, Milwaukee flame thrower Jacob Misiorowski and New York ace Cam Schlittler are the favorites in the NL and AL, respectively. The Rookie of the Year races also look set with Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart and his 110-RBI season the leader in the NL and Detroit’s Kevin McGonigle the favorite in the AL. There are 12 teams that qualify for MLB’s postseason, including six teams from both the AL and NL. The three division winners in each league get seeds No. 1 through No. 3, ranked by win-loss record. Then the three wild-card teams get seeds No. 4 through No. 6, also ranked by win-loss record. The top two teams with the best record in both the AL and NL automatically advance to the Division Series. The other eight teams play in the Wild Card Series, which is a best-of-three format beginning on Sept. 29. In both the AL and NL, the No. 6 seed will travel to face the No. 3 seed while the No. 5 seed goes to No. 4. The higher seed hosts all three games. The winners then advance to the best-of-five Division Series, followed by the best-of-seven League Championship Series and a best-of-seven World Series between the winners of the AL and NL. Who are the favorites?The Dodgers (+220) are the favorites to capture a third straight World Series title while the Brewers (+600), Yankees (+800) and Rays (+800) are viewed as the top contenders. AP

NEW YORK — New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart will undergo knee surgery and miss the remainder of the L regular season, head coach John Harbaugh said Wednesday (Thursday in Manila). It is a severe blow to the Giants after Dart excelled in their season-opening win over the Dallas Cowboys and had been widely tipped to thrive under new boss Harbaugh. In the latest of several quarterback injuries early this L season, Dart, 23, exited Monday night’s loss to the Los Angeles Rams after his left knee buckled awkwardly following a double tackle by defenders Josaiah Stewart and Byron Young. Harbaugh initially expressed hope the quarterback had avoided a “devastating outcome,” but by Tuesday admitted Dart and the team were weighing up a major decision concerning the injury. On Wednesday, Harbaugh confirmed the worst with surgery upcoming on his meniscus and medial collateral ligament (MCL). “He’s bummed. It’s hard. The season’s not over, but it is for him,” Harbaugh said. Harbaugh said Dart is expected to miss the “regular season at least,” but appeared to leave the door open to his starting quarterback returning in the post-season if the Giants make it that far. “There’s no way to know. It just depends on the recovery. You can’t pinpoint it exactly,” he told reporters. A first-round pick in the 2025 L Draft, Dart showed promising form in his debut season. In beating the Cowboys, he threw 230 passing yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for another 54 yards. Dart was replaced by veteran quarterback Jameis Winston, who completed just 11-of-27 passes for 111 yards and no touchdowns, two sacks and one interception. Harbaugh backed 32-year-old Winston — a former Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Cleveland quarterback who joined the Giants last year — to improve on his rusty Monday showing. “Jameis has been practicing every day. You know, he’s taking reps. He knows the offense. He has been in every single meeting,” said Harbaugh. “He has been engaged every step of the way with everything we’re doing. So, from that perspective, it’s seamless. It’s not ideal at all, but it’s definitely seamless.” Dart’s injury is one of several to have struck down L quarterbacks in the opening two weeks of the season. On Sunday, Washington Commanders quarterback Jayden Daniels suffered an elbow injury in his team’s loss to the Cowboys while Chicago Bears star Caleb Williams was also injured in a loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Williams’ back-up Tyson Bagent is also facing a potential spell on the sidelines after being placed in the concussion protocol on Sunday. In week one, Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold suffered a glute injury while Minnesota’s Kyler Murray suffered a concussion. AFP

KAWHI Leonard and the Toronto Raptors have agreed on a two-year contract extension that could be worth $115 million if he plays both seasons, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations. The second year of the deal, the 2028-29 season, is at Leonard’s option, according to the person who spoke Tuesday to The Associated Press (AP) on condition of anonymity. The Raptors on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) confirmed that the contract had been signed, without releasing the terms, which were first reported by ESPN. Leonard, 35, led the Raptors to the 2019 NBA title and is now locked into a new deal with a team with eyes on competing for another title. He is coming off the highest-scoring season of his career, averaging 27.9 points for the Los Angeles Clippers in 65 games a year ago. Leonard will make just over $50 million this season, the last year of his current contract. It was generally assumed that the Raptors would strike a deal to keep Leonard — a seven-time All-Star, two-time NBA champion and two-time NBA Finals MVP — soon after landing him in a trade with the Clippers. The sides agreed to that trade in late June but didn’t complete it until earlier this month, delaying the process because of the NBA’s investigation into whether the Clippers circumvented salary cap rules on Leonard’s behalf. The NBA found four deals that ran afoul of league rules, leading to a one-year suspension of Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, the forfeiture of five first-round draft picks, suspensions of other team personnel and a $30 million fine. Leonard was fined $700,000 by the league but is not facing any suspension. AP

MANILA, Philippines — World No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova of Russia pulled the rug from under Alex Eala of the Philippines, 4-6, 7-5, 6-3, in the round of 16 of the 2026 Singapore Open on Thursday night at the Kallang Stadium in Singapore. Eala is ranked 18th in the world, received a first-round bye and seeded No. 3 in the tournament. Prozorova, on the other hand, is making her first appearance as a direct entry in a WTA 500 event. In an arena filled with dominant Filipino spectators, Prozorova understood that she was facing the darling of the crowd and a tough competitor. The Russian challenged the Filipina in the first frame after sending the match to seven deuces but Eala recovered and won 2/6 of the break points for a 6-4 decision. It took 67 minutes for Eala to fend off Prozorova in the opening set. The Russian, however, showed patience in the second frame. After being down, 4-2, Prozorova turned things around and added more variety in her swings to regain the lead, 5-4. Eala tried to claw back, but Prozorova showed more accuracy in her shots to even the count at 1-all. The 22-year-old Russian showed impeccable forehand swings and countered Eala’s attacks that allowed her to enjoy a 2-0 advantage in the third set. The 21-year-old Eala refused to back down in the fight and won three games in a row for a 3-2 lead. But Prozorova refused to give up and outhustled Eala the rest of the way. Prozorova was emotional after the win and was seen crying as she shook Eala's hand. She has not beaten any player in the WTA Top 40 before. With her early exit in Singapore, Eala will now shift her focus on her games in the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan starting next week.

MANILA, Philippines — Kathlyn Bugna continued to make a strong case as one of the country’s most promising young tennis players, sweeping three titles, including two singles crowns, in the Bagong Pilipinas Juniors Age Group Tennis Championships at the Capitol indoor and outdoor courts in Isulan, Sultan Kudarat recently. The Batang Onay/RSB standout from La Carlota was virtually untouchable in the girls’ 16-and-under division, dropping just four games in four matches before routing Justine Gumbao, 6-0, 6-2, in the final. Bugna was just as dominant in the premier 18-and-U category, yielding only five games in four matches and capping her run with a 6-0, 6-0 demolition of Princess Obaniana. She completed her three-title haul by teaming up with Ashley Garcia to capture the 18-and-U doubles crown over Dyan Placa and Marxian Sira, matching her three-title performance in the Bagong Pilipinas circuit’s Manila leg, underscoring the consistency of a player being groomed for a bigger future in Philippine tennis. Her latest sweep also earned her another MVP trophy in the Philta and Universal Tennis Ranking-sanctioned circuit, further highlighting her emergence as a leading prospect in the junior ranks and her ambition to follow the path blazed by Alex Eala, who has risen to international prominence. Bugna’s continued development comes amid expanded efforts from both government and private-sector partners to strengthen the grassroots tennis pipeline. The tournament is part of the Bagong Pilipinas sports agenda and held under the long-running Palawan Pawnshop talent-search, which seeks to widen opportunities for young athletes through grassroots programs, public training facilities and youth sports initiatives nationwide, while private supporters continue to help provide competitive avenues for rising players. Krelz Gecosala likewise sustained his impressive form in the boys’ side, ruling both the 16- and 18-and-U divisions in similarly dominant fashion. Gecosala dropped just four games in four matches in the 16-and-U category, highlighted by a 6-0, 6-1 victory over Rein Hayana in the final. He then captured the centerpiece crown with a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kurt Alcantara in the event sponsored by Gov. Pax Ali Mangudadatu and supported by A.C. Garcia Corp., Gareco Garcia Refinery Corp., A.C. Garcia Group of Companies and A.C. Garcia Palm Oil Mill Corp. Other winners in the second leg of the circuit’s Mindanao swing were Kresthan Belacas and Gumbao in the 14-and-U division, and Liam Harrow and Athena Guarde in the 12-and-U category. Belacas defeated Rafael Pascua, 6-3, 6-4, while Gumbao bounced back from her 16-and-U final loss by beating Teresinha Calingasan, 1-0 (ret.). Harrow turned back Francis Dimzon, 6-2, 6-4, while unranked Guarde pulled off one of the tournament’s notable upsets, defeating top seed Arissa Macapendeg, 4-6, 6-3, 6-2, in the semifinals before dominating Len Falconitin, 6-2, 6-1, in the final. TMT

Alexandra “Alex” Eala suffered an early exit in the Singapore Tennis Open after falling short against Tatiana Prozorova, 6-4, 5-7, 3-6 in the Round of 16 on Thursday.

The Philippines won its first gold medal at the 2026 Asian Games as Olympic gold medalist Carlos Yulo ruled the men"s floor exercise final in artistic gymnastics on Thursday in Japan.

Việt Nam take one silver and five bronzes in wushu, rowing and esports in the fifth day of activities at the Japan Asian Games.

Olympics, World Championships, and Southeast Asian Games -- Carlos Yulo has won gold medals in all three competitions, and on Thursday, he completed his collection with an Asian Games gold.