Yu Yiting overcomes form dip, and the rise of Yu Zidi, to defend her Asian Games title

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, a person with knowledge of the negotiations said on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). The second year of the deal, the 2028–2029 season, is at Leonard’s option, according to the person who spoke to the Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the Raptors have yet to announce that the contract has been finalized. ESPN first reported the terms, which were later confirmed by The Toronto Star and other outlets. 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 Most Valuable Player — 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.

ANY doubt 41-year-old Cristiano Ronaldo would continue with Portugal after another World Cup elimination should have ended before the tournament was done. The federation hired a new coach in 72-year-old Jorge Jesus, whose previous job was leading Ronaldo and Al Nassr to a Saudi league title in May. Ronaldo was duly named in the first Jesus squad last week, looking to add to 233 national team games and 146 goals. Portugal is the Nations League champion and starts its defense on Thursday hosting Wales. It should be the first Erling Haaland vs. Ronaldo meeting on Sunday in Oslo. Only one of Ronaldo’s 233 Portugal games was against Norway, in 2011 when Haaland was aged 10. Now 26, Haaland already has 62 goals for Norway, including seven in just five games at the World Cup. On the other hand, Scotland now has a Belgian coach (Sebastian Pocognoli), Belgium a Dutch coach (Mark van Bommel) and the Netherlands a Spanish coach (Xavi Hernández). Xavi has replaced Ronald Koeman for the second time in their careers, having followed the Dutch great into the Barcelona dugout in 2021. Xavi now leads the team he helped beat in the 2010 World Cup final. Italy has not been a World Cup team for 12 years but looked back at its European Championship title win in 2021 to hire Roberto Mancini for a second time. Meanwhile, the 16 top-ranked teams play in four round-robin groups through November. The top two in each group advance to quarterfinals played over two legs in March. A Final Four mini-tournament from June 9 to 13 will be hosted by one of the semifinalists. A further 16 teams play in each of the second-tier League B and third-tier League C, with six low-ranked teams in League D. Russia is still banned from international soccer. The final standings will help some teams enter qualifying playoffs in March 2028 for that year’s European Championship.

For Team Philippines" dressage squad, the road to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan has been anything but smooth.

Check Team Philippines" schedule for Thursday at the 2026 Asian Games, including Carlos and Karl Eldrew Yulo, Gilas Pilipinas, 3x3, boxing, and more.

The Philippine karate delegation added another medal to the country"s haul at the 2026 Asian Games as Marie June Adriano clinched bronze in the women"s kumite -50kg event on Wednesday.

Alexandra Eala will begin her Singapore Tennis Open campaign on Thursday night against Tatiana Prozorova.

The Collegiate Press Corps has its new set of officers for the 2026-27 athletic season, which covers UAAP Season 89 and NCAA Season 102, following elections held last Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Dương Thúy Vi also brought a bronze medal in the women’s wushu jianshu and qiangshu event.

Filipina weightlifter Rosegie Ramos came up just short of the podium after finishing fourth in the women's 53kg division at the 2026 Asian Games in Japan on Wednesday.

MANILA, Philippines — Filipina weightlifter Rosegie Ramos finished fourth in the women’s 53kg division at the 20th Asian Games on Wednesday. Ramos posted a 203kg total, lifting 93kg in the snatch and 110kg in the clean and jerk. She failed in her third and final clean-and-jerk attempt at 113kg. North Korea’s Kang Hyon-gyong successfully defended her Asian Games title, setting a new Games record with a 223kg total from a 99kg snatch and 124kg clean and jerk. China’s Zhao Jinlan took the silver medal with 218kg, while Thailand’s Surodchana Khambao claimed bronze with 214kg. Ramos is the first of the Philippines’ five weightlifters scheduled to compete at the Asian Games.

Gilas Pilipinas Women 3x3 team's chase for an elusive gold medal continued after it dominated Malaysia, 17-12, to complete a group stage sweep in the 2026 Asian Games.