POC optimistic in surpassing Hangzhou haul at Aichi-Nagoya

Bambol with EJ c/o POC/PSC media

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham "Bambol" Tolentino remains optimistic that Team Philippines can surpass its four-gold mark as the 20th Asian Games heads into its final three days.

Speaking with reporters as the continental showpiece approached its homestretch, Tolentino expressed firm belief that the Filipino delegation still has several strong medal opportunities left across various disciplines.

“May tatlong simba up to Sunday morning. Last 3 days, still hoping for more golds,” Tolentino said. 

“Siguro naman sure na malalampasan ‘yung apat,” said the POC chief, referring to the four golds that the country won in Hangzhou three years ago, courtesy of pole vaulter Ernest John Obiena, jiu-jitsu warriors Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez, and Gilas Pilipinas.

The Philippines' gold medal count in Nagoya stands at three, two from double-Olympic champion Carlos Yulo (men's floor exercise and vault) and pole vault star EJ Obiena.

Tolentino acknowledged that while the delegation suffered unexpected early heartbreaks, most notably the early exit of the Sibol Mobile Legends squad and MMA artist Jean Claude Saclag, other sports remain well in contention to step up.   

“Ganu’n talaga. May napipitas, may pumapalit. God willing, mayroon pa pagkukunan,” Tolentino said.

Outlining the sports where Team Philippines could potentially make a late surge, Tolentino pointed to key events in tennis, boxing, martial arts, beach volleyball, padel, golf, and team sports.

“Of course, Alex [Eala]. Boxing, Carlo Paalam. Judo. Malakas nga lang ‘yung first event ngayon. What else? Jiu-jitsu. Hopefully dalawa, so apat na ‘yun. Hindi ko alam dynamics ng softball. Pumasok pa ang padel, so lima. Meron pa ‘yan,” he said.

He also expressed confidence in the golf contingent, led by Bianca Pagdanganan and Rianne Malixi. 

With time running out before the games officially wrap up on Sunday, the POC chief called on the nation to rally behind the remaining Filipino athletes competing for podium finishes.

“God willing. Lahat tayo mga kababayan, let's pray for our athletes at Team Philippines. Lahat na mga nagka-qualify pa. Kaya sure na malalampasan natin ‘yung 4, hopefully,” said Tolentino.

Schroth brace anchors Ateneo victory in UAAP Women's Football

c/o UAAP Media

Women's Football Matches on Saturday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium
2 p.m. – FEU vs ATENEO
4:30 p.m. – UST vs DLSU
7 p.m. – NU vs UP


Soleil Schroth scored twice as Ateneo de Manila University slipped past a shorthanded University of the Philippines side, 2-1, to return to the winning column in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Football Tournament on Wednesday at the UP Diliman Football Stadium in Quezon City.

The 25-year-old defender powered the Blue Eagles to a bounce-back victory following their defeat to De La Salle University last Sunday, finding the back of the net in the 25th and 38th minutes.

UP pulled one back in the 35th minute after a costly mistake by Ateneo goalkeeper Brielle Baca gifted Erissa Rivas a goal for the Fighting Maroons, cutting the deficit to one.

Schroth restored Ateneo’s two-goal cushion just three minutes later, as the Blue Eagles held on for the victory.

"What I told them was not to be too complacent, put pressure, and don't give second chances. I told Soleil, if you can contribute something to the team, make it count, so I guess she responded to that call," shared coach Bob Manlulo.

The victory moved the Blue Eagles to third in the standings with six points and a minus-one goal difference as of writing.

Ateneo will look to build on the victory when it faces defending champion Far Eastern University on Sunday, with kickoff set for 2 p.m. at the same venue.

Despite missing key players Bem Aranas and starting goalkeeper Mariel Sancho, who were suspended following a red card and an altercation in their previous match against FEU, the Fighting Maroons remained competitive but failed to find an equalizer against Ateneo.

Rivas nearly leveled the match in the 86th minute when she tried to capitalize on a set piece, but Baca comfortably fended off the attempt.

UP remained in fifth place in the standings and will look to claim its first three points of the season when it faces National University in the final match of Sunday’s triple-header.

UST sends UE to 24th straight UAAP Men's Basketball defeat

c/o UAAP Media Team

University of Santo Tomas weathered University of the East’s late charge, 98-87, for its second straight win in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men’s Basketball Tournament at the SM Mall of Asia Arena on Wednesday.

Ahead by just five points after the opening quarter, UST turned on the jets in the second, outscoring UE, 28-14, to establish a 52-33 lead at halftime.

However, the Red Warriors refused to fold, pulling within six at the 6:06 mark of the fourth quarter after back-to-back layups by Cole Cruz-Dumont made it 83-77.

That, however, would be the closest UE could get.

Landyn Jumawan, Mark Llemit, and Collins Akowe provided the answers for UST as the Growling Tigers kept the Red Warriors at bay down the stretch.

“Marunong din naman mag-basketball ‘yung kalaban eh. 0-3, new coach, pero syempre ‘yung mga players gusto rin magpasikat niyan para sa bago nilang coach. Nung second half nakuha nila ‘yung momentum pero kami at least steady, in the end we got the win. As long as we get that W, one, two, three points, basta manalo ok lang,” said UST head coach Pido Jarencio.

The Growling Tigers joined a crowded leaderboard alongside the idle National University Bulldogs, University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons, and Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles, all at 2-1.

Llemit spearheaded UST with 22 points, seven rebounds, three assists, one steal, and one block, while Amiel Acido backed him with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and one steal.

Akowe, despite going scoreless from the field in the first half, still finished with 14 points, 11 rebounds, and six blocks, while Jumawan added 13 points, including three triples.

Koji Buenaflor, fresh from his Asian Games stint with Gilas 3x3, chipped in eight points in 15 minutes of action.

UST will seek its third straight victory on Saturday when it squares off against Adamson University at 3 p.m. at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. The Growling Tigers lost twice to the Falcons last season.

The Red Warriors, meanwhile, slipped to 0-4 this season and absorbed their 24th straight loss dating back to Season 87.

Tope Lagat led UE with 22 points, while Mo Tañedo added 16 points, four rebounds, and three assists.

Cruz-Dumont contributed 12 points, while Gene Carillo stuffed the stat sheet with 10 points, nine rebounds, five assists, four steals, and three blocks.

UE will continue its pursuit of its elusive first win on Sunday against De La Salle University at the Philsports Arena.

The Scores:

UST (98) – Llemit 22, Acido 16, Akowe 14, Junawan 13, Buenaflor 8, Chio 6, Cañete 5, Danting 4, Esteban 3, Manding 3, Porter 2, Bucsit 2, Alao 0, J. Sevilla 0.

UE (87) – Lagat 22, Tañedo 16, Cruz-Dumont 12, Carillo 10, Robles 7, Edoukou 4, Santos 4, Jimenez 4, Sabroso 3, Vazquez 3, Mascarinas 2, Dungca 0.

Quarterscores: 24-19, 52-33, 75-61, 98-87.

PATAFA sees optimism after three-medal Asiad

c/o POC/PSC Media

More than the medals the national track and field team delivered, the 20th Asian Games proclaimed with unmistakable force the dawn of a new era in Philippine athletics.

At the center of this resurgence stands Philippine Athletics Track and Field Association (PATAFA) president Terry Capistrano, whose leadership, vision, and relentless push for excellence have transformed a once‑quiet program into one of the nation’s most dynamic sporting forces.

For the first time since Lydia de Vega’s 1986 gold medal in the 100m and silver in the 200m, the Philippines returned to the Asian Games track podium, not once, but twice. And for Capistrano, the breakthrough is only the beginning.

“The future is bright. We have quite a number of athletes who have shown their might,” said Capistrano said, reflecting on the team’s performance. ``You now have a team that you can seriously say has stepped up to another level.”

Across a week of fierce competition, the national team, whose participation is also supported by ICTSI and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation, pieced together a three‑medal performance that signaled both progress and promise in succeeding top-tier competitions.

EJ Obiena soared to pole vault gold, reaffirming his dominance in Asia in another record-breaking feat. John Cabang Tolentino battled through rain and injury to seize bronze in the men’s 110m hurdles.

And in the women’s 800m, Victoria Bossong delivered a breakout run, claiming bronze in her Asian Games debut.

“Terry Capistrano is God’s gift to Philippine athletics. You will rarely see a sports leader who has the resources, management expertise, passion to excel and precious time for his athletes and association,” said Philippine Sports Commission Chairman Patrick Gregorio.

“He’s also gifted with vision, great PR, personality and sense of humor and knows how to celebrate. Thank you, president Terry. Mabuhay ang Philippine athletics,” added the PSC chief.

It was a haul that marked the rebirth of a program ready to contend with the continent’s best.

“We’ve been concentrating on EJ the previous years, now we also concentrate on these two (Cabang Tolentino and Bossong). We’ll build a team around them,’’ said Capistrano.

``Now, we’ll try to have a team around each of these players. We have to do this full time. At least 50 percent of their time devoted for training. We need physiotherapists and therapists, and a psychologist if necessary,” said Capistrano.

He also highlighted the rising potential of Yacine Guermali, whose performance in the 5000m showed that the Philippines now has depth in events once dominated by regional powerhouses.

“I think with Bossong, Cabang and Yacine, we have a pretty formidable team plus of course EJ. If we talk about the SEA Games, we’ll be fine and we’ll be competitive in other bigger tournaments as well,’’ said Capistrano.

Gilas 3x3 stalwarts anchor FEU in season opener

c/o UAAP Media Team

UAAP Season 89 Women’s Basketball Standings
Team W-L
UST 1-0
NU 1-0
UP 1-0
FEU 1-0
DLSU 0-1
Ateneo 0-1
AdU 0-1
UE 0-1

Games on Saturday at the Philsports Arena
10 a.m. - UST vs AdU (Women)
12 p.m. - NU vs Ateneo (Women)
3 p.m. - UST vs AdU (Men)
5:30 p.m. - NU vs Ateneo (Men)

Far Eastern University outlasted De La Salle University, 76-71, to open its UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Women’s Basketball Tournament campaign on Wednesday at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.

The Lady Tamaraws made an early statement that they can contend for a Final Four spot, with Asian Games campaigners Amyah Espanol and Victoria Pasilang leading the way.

A silver medalist in 3x3 at the Asian Games in Nagoya, Espanol delivered a near triple-double performance for FEU with 18 points, nine steals, and eight rebounds while finishing with a plus-16 rating in 31 minutes and 29 seconds on the floor.

Her 3x3 teammate, Pasilang, also came up big with 15 points, six rebounds, and three assists.

Despite the impressive season opener, third-year head coach Raiza Palmera-Dy remained discontented despite the victory.

“I’m not surprised with the way these two (Espanol and Pasilang) played but like I said, our standards were not yet there. We are happy but we are not contented in this game,” said Palmera-Dy.

With FEU ahead by just four points with less than four minutes remaining, Pasilang, Espanol, and Elaine Patio sparked a 7-2 blitz to give the Lady Tamaraws a 76-67 lead with 1:12 left to play.

That proved to be enough as the Lady Archers could only muster four more points the rest of the way, allowing FEU to secure the victory.

“It’s our goal this year, be in the Final Four and push to the Finals. I think we really have a good chance, we have a very promising team this year,” said Espanol.

MJ Manguiat also delivered for FEU with 17 points, four assists, and four steals, while Patio added 12 points despite shooting just 4-of-14 from the field.

Kyla Go led La Salle with 19 points, although 14 of her points came from the free-throw line, where she shot a perfect 14-of-14. She struggled from the field, however, making just 2-of-12 attempts.

Nigerian center Favour Ojo also had an impressive debut for the Lady Archers, recording 17 points, 13 rebounds, and two steals.

Both teams will return to action on Sunday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City, with La Salle facing the University of the East at 10 a.m., followed by FEU’s clash with the University of the Philippines at 12 p.m.

The Scores:

FEU (76) – Espanol 18, Manguiat 17, Pasilang 15, Patio 12, Salvani 8, Lopez 6, Dela Torre 0, Agcambot 0, Kant 0, Gavaran 0.

DLSU (71) – Go 19, Ojo 17, Dueñas 9, Sunga 6, A. Dizon 6, Anastacio 5, S. Dizon 4, Villarin 3, Delos Reyes 2, Lubrico 0, Araza 0.

Quarterscores: 21-18, 37-39, 56-55, 76-71.

ML:BB stunner ends SIBOL's Asiad participation

Sibol’s 20th Asian Games campaign came to an abrupt end on Wednesday after a stunning quarterfinal loss to regional rival Indonesia in the Mobile Legends: Bang Bang esports event at Aichi Sky Expo Hall.

The Philippines, represented by the core of three-time MPL Philippines champion Team Liquid, was off to a rough start as Indonesia’s aggressive start repeatedly disrupted Sibol’s plans throughout the series.

“Sobrang dami naming errors and tingin ko hindi namin nalaro ‘yung laro talaga namin. Hindi ko expect na matatalo kami,” said Karl “KarlTzy” Nepomuceno.

The Philippines endured a rough start as Indonesia seized Game 1, 22-19.

Sibol, supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee, countered and evened the best-of-three series, 14-5, in Game 2.

But Sibol failed to find its footing in Game 3, as the Indonesians took control and closed out the match, 12-6.

Composing the MLBB squad are Nepomuceno, Sanford “Sanford” Vinuya, Alston “Sanji” Pabico, Jaypee “Jaypee” Dela Cruz, Dave “Teddy” Viana, and Duane “Kelra” Pillas.

Earlier in the day, Sibol’s Identity V squad also saw its Asian Games bid end also in a 0-2 quarterfinals loss to Malaysia.

The losses marked the end of Sibol’s campaign in the Asian Games, with the Philippines’ esports delegation delivering bronze medals in both Honor of Kings and Pokémon UNITE.

Hoop Collective set for Manila leg via Disney+ Philippines

Hoop Collective in Manila

ESPN NBA insiders Brian Windhorst and Tim MacMahon are coming to the Philippines for the Manila leg of The Hoop Collective World Tour on October 5, 2026. Their Manila visit features a special live podcast recording of The Hoop Collective with Disney+ and a chance to interact with Filipino NBA fans.

Marking the start of the new NBA season on Disney+, the event puts fans at the heart of The Plus Side of Basketball - celebrating not just the action on the court, but the conversations, insights and shared experiences that make basketball a community.

Limited slots are available for The Hoop Collective live podcast recording. To be part of the selected audience, fans can pre-register via this link: https://bit.ly/HoopCollectiveWorldTourManila.

Stream the 2026–2027 NBA Tip-Off on Disney+ Philippines starting October 22. For the full NBA on Disney+ game schedule and updates, visit www.disney.ph/NBA.