China swim sensation, 13, sets Games record after Japan win early

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas secured a quarterfinals berth in the women’s basketball 5-on-5 event of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 after defeating Hong Kong, 90-73, on Sunday. Stef Berberabe scored 21 points while Afril Bernardino produced 17 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and two

MANILA, Philippines — Despite being out of medal contention, Alas Pilipinas wasted no time in dispatching Qatar with a dominant 25-8, 25-2, 25-9 sweep to secure its first victory in the classification round of the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan on Sunday night. The Filipina spikers were relegated to the classification stage after back-to-back group-stage defeats against defending champion China and Kazakhstan in Pool B, where only the top two teams per group advanced to the next round. Alas set a ruthless tone early, mounting a staggering 19-0 start in the opening frame before cruising to a 25-8 set win. The national squad maintained its momentum over the next two sets to wrap up the match in swift fashion. Angel Provido spearheaded the offense for Alas with a match-high 19 points, while Shaina Nitura and Bella Belen chipped in 10 markers apiece. Alas Pilipinas will next take on Mongolia in the 11th-to-12th classification round, with a victory keeping them in contention for a ninth or tenth-place finish.

With their medal hopes already over, Alas Pilipinas Women still came out firing as they swept Qatar, 25-8, 25-2, 25-9 in the 2026 Asian Games classification round on Sunday at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium.

The South Korean men's basketball team missed a light practice session on Sunday, hours before they take on hosts Japan in the Asian Games final, after their shuttle bus did not show up, news agency Yonhap reported.

Kayla Sanchez and Team Philippines missed out on the women"s 4x100m freestyle relay podium after receiving a “DSQ” (disqualified) mark in the final of the said event in the 2026 Asian Games on Sunday at the Tokyo Aquatics Centre in Japan.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — The Asian Games 2026 is underway in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, with Team Philippines among more than 11,000 athletes from 45 countries and regions competing across 43 sports. The Philippines sent 446 athletes to this year’s Asian Games and is targeting at

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Alas Pilipinas’ Bernadeth Pons and Sisi Rondina debuted in the Asian Games 2026 with a 21-6, 21-6 rout of Bangladesh’s Most. Sabina Khatun and Mst. Lucky Khatun on Sunday at Hekinan Ryokuchi Beach Court. Pons and Rondina proved too much

MMA fighters Jean Claude Saclag and Carlos Alvarez are assured of Asian Games medals after winning their respective quarterfinal bouts on Sunday in Japan.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–Japan’s Takumi Hojo got host nation Japan off to a perfect start when he won the first gold medal of the Asian Games 2026 on Sunday in the men’s individual triathlon. Hojo finished the 750m swim, 20km bike ride and 5,000m run

LOS ANGELES — Flyweight Champion Joshua Van erased the controversy surrounding his first victory over Alexandre Pantoja by defeating the former champion over five rounds Saturday, then declaring that his UFC flyweight title could no longer be dismissed as the product of an accidental injury. “A lot of people said that was an accidental win the first time,” said Van (18-2). “Now doubt me now.” Van said critics had questioned his legitimacy after Pantoja (30-7) suffered an injury early in their first meeting. The rematch gave the champion the opportunity to prove himself in a complete fight against the division’s former standard-bearer. Van, who had his boxing skills and takedown defense on full display, finished with 140 significant head strikes, to Pantoja’s 99. The champion praised Pantoja’s durability and championship-level skill, particularly after the Brazilian escaped a submission attempt Van believed would finish the fight. “Shoutout to Pantoja,” Van said. “Nothing but respect from me." Van’s decisive victory strengthened the legitimacy of his championship reign, while Pantoja’s toughness added significance to the performance. In the co-main event, No. 2-ranked lightweight Arman Tsarukyan (24-3) strengthened his claim to the next title shot with a dramatic first-round knockout of No. 7 Mauricio Ruffy (14-3), who was coming off a TKO victory over Michael Chandler at UFC Freedom 250. Ruffy successfully defended Tsarukyan’s early takedown attempts, but the Armenian changed levels late in the round before switching to an elbow that landed flush. With Ruffy badly hurt, Tsarukyan followed with another elbow that knocked the Brazilian unconscious at 4:56, just four seconds before the horn. The victory extended Tsarukyan’s winning streak to six. “Of course, for my next fight, for the title fight, I needed that finish, and I knew that I’m gonna finish him,” Tsarukyan said. “It was a little bit difficult in the first round, but I knew I had five rounds, and my time was going to come. So I was patient.” Tsarukyan later joked that he wanted either a lightweight championship fight or a showdown with Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg. No. 15-ranked featherweight Patricio Pitbull (38-9) reinforced his place in the rankings with the 13th first-round finish of his career — and his first knockout since joining the UFC. The former two-division Bellator champion rocked Dooho Choi (17-5-1) with a crushing right hand, then swarmed “The Korean Superboy” with follow-up punches, forcing referee Mike Beltran to stop the fight at 3:28. Pitbull called the performance his “real debut” in the UFC before challenging Jean Silva. Sean Sharaf (5-2) produced one of the night’s biggest shocks, knocking out heavily favored heavyweight prospect Gable Steveson (4-1) just 12 seconds into their bout. Sharaf connected with a clean 1-2 combination, with the left hook turning Steveson’s head and leaving the Olympic gold medalist unconscious on the canvas. Referee Frank Trigg immediately stopped the fight, giving Sharaf his first UFC victory and a finish tied for the third-fastest knockout in UFC heavyweight history. “I’m not surprised,” Sharaf shouted before explaining that he continued believing in himself when few others did. Steveson left the Octagon before the official announcement, drawing criticism from several fighters and social media observers. No. 14-ranked light heavyweight Alonzo Menifield (19-6-1) overcame a gruesome hand injury and a difficult opening round to hand Iwo Baraniewski (9-1) his first professional defeat. A ringside physician examined Menifield’s badly damaged left thumb before the third round, but the Los Angeles native insisted on continuing. Menifield ultimately prevailed by split decision, with two judges scoring the fight 29-28 for him and the third returning a 29-28 card for Baraniewski. The victory was Menifield’s second straight. The severity of the injury became apparent during Menifield’s post-fight interview, when he revealed that he had broken the thumb in the opening round and displayed what appeared to be bone protruding through the skin.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines–The Philippines women’s soft tennis fell to heavy favorite Japan, 2-0, in the semifinals on Sunday to finish with a bronze medal in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026. Bien Zoleta and Princess Catindig lost, 4-0, 4-1, 4-2, 4-0, 4-1, to Rena Temma

Agatha Wong reflects on balancing wushu and medical school after competing at the 2026 Asian Games, saying she remains committed to pursuing both paths.