Filipinos have day of close calls at Asian Games

South Korea's Chef de Mission Lee Sang-hyun criticized Asian Games organizers on Tuesday for logistical failures that had inconvenienced athletes and said concrete measures must be taken to ensure the problems are not repeated.

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino tennis ace Alex Eala faces Russian Tatiana Prozorova in the round of 16 to begin her campaign at the WTA 500 Singapore Tennis Open at The Kallang on Thursday. The time and court for the second round match were not yet available as of writing. Earning a first-round bye as the No. 3 seed, world No. 18 Eala finally sees action nearly three weeks after her third-round exit at the US Open. Eala fell to world No. 13 Jokic, 5-7, 6-3, 5-7, on September 6. Meanwhile, world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova defeated No. 152 Sofia Costoulas of Belgium in their first-round clash, 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-2, to earn the right to face Eala.

The Philippines will compete in several sports on Wednesday, September 23, including gymnastics, fencing, 3x3 basketball, rowing, weightlifting, squash, and baseball. Follow along to the day's events.

MANILA, Philippines — Ninth place was never the original dream for Alas Pilipinas Women at the Aichi-Nagoya 20th Asian Games, where they set out to contend for a medal. However, after early losses in group play ended their quarterfinal hopes, it became the highest possible finish—and one they claimed with authority. Head coach Taka Minowa challenged the team to reset their focus after dropping matches to powerhouse China (18-25, 22-25, 8-25) and Kazakhstan (29-27, 24-26, 25-23, 25-19). Shifted into the classification stage, the Filipinas were given a new objective: win out and secure ninth place. They executed the plan flawlessly, sweeping all three of their remaining matches. After decisive victories over Qatar (25-8, 25-2, 25-9) and Mongolia (25-13, 25-11, 25-20), Alas Pilipinas capped off their tournament with a straight-sets win against Hong Kong, 25-21, 25-9, 30-28, at the Okazaki Chuo Sogo Park Gymnasium on Tuesday night. Though missing out on the quarterfinals highlighted areas requiring growth—particularly consistency against elite opponents—the team views the experience as a crucial stepping stone. "Actually, we're happy. Although that wasn't our overall goal in the Asian Games, we're happy with all our wins… what we accomplished as a team and, of course, the learning experience," said outside hitter Angel Canino, who reflected positively on her first Asian Games appearance alongside her veteran teammates. "It's a huge achievement individually… such an amazing experience to be with my older teammates and to be part of the Philippine national team, because some of them are people I really look up to," she added. Bella Belen echoed the sentiment, noting that competing against the continent's top squads exposed the gap they need to bridge moving forward. "It's different. The level of play is really different. We learned so much, especially us younger players," Belen shared. "We know there's still room to improve. We need to elevate our level of play even more." While the ninth-place finish falls short of their initial podium ambitions, the sweep in the placement round provided both progress and momentum. With young core players like Canino and Belen already setting their sights on future international tournaments, Alas Pilipinas leaves Nagoya with valuable experience and a clearer path toward becoming a true contender in Asia. TMT

The Charlotte Hornets are acquiring shooting guard Buddy Hield from the Atlanta Hawks in a deal for forward Dorian Finney-Smith, ESPN reported Tuesday.

Two goals from Mukhammadali Urinboev and Nurlan Ibraimov secured first place for the White Wolves, but Việt Nam still got out of groups after their main contenders Kuwait lost 1-2 to Philippines in the remaining group stage match.

SINGAPORE–Facing Alex Eala on the tour also means playing in front of a frenetic and hostile crowd. Russian Tatiana Prozorova is unfazed. In fact, she sees herself thriving in such environment. “Well, yes [I’m expecting a big crowd], but I also love to play in front of a big crowd,” she said. READ: Alex Eala

SINGAPORE–Alex Eala finally makes her debut in the Singapore Open main draw on Thursday against Russia’s Tatiana Prozorova at OCBC Arena center court. Eala and Prozorova’s round-of-16 match marks their first-ever meeting. The 22-year-old Prozorova arranged a date with Eala after defeating Belgium’s Sofia Costoulas, 5-7, 7-6(2), 6-2, in the round of 32 on Tuesday.

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 China swept host Japan 25-19, 25-20, 25-23 on Tuesday to capture its third straight Asian Games women’s volleyball gold medal and a record-extending 10th title in the competition. China controlled the first two sets before Japan mounted its strongest challenge in the third,

READ: Follow Inquirer Sports’ special coverage of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 MANILA, Philippines — Filipino fencer Juliana Gomez reached the round of 16 of the women’s individual epee before her Asian Games run ended on a P-black card against Singapore’s Elle Meihui Koh on Sept. 22 at Aichi Sky Expo Hall F in Japan.

MANIKA, Philippines–Some of the finest talents in the Ladies Philippine Golf Tour swing into action on Wednesday when they lock horns with some of the region’s best in the Kenda Tires TLPGA Open. Carrying a total purse of NT$4 million, the 54-hole event marks another significant step in the LPGT’s growing presence on the international

MANILA, Philippines–Art Arbole used a hot front nine to carve out a three-under-par 67 and grab a one-shot lead over Jonel Ababa halfway through the P2.5 million ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic as the journeyman pro who traces his roots to Bukidnon is in prime position for a long-awaited maiden victory. “This is the first time