Micah Shin did more than enough in his victory march on Friday, shooting a two-under-par 70 to win the ICTSI Apo Golf Classic by a whopping nine shots and bookend his PGT season with wins on two of the toughest challenges in the circuit. The Korean-American, who learned to play the game at a high

La Salle and Ateneo are looking to extend their winning ways in the second round of the UAAP Season 89 men’s basketball tournament as they enter the next 100 games of their seething age-old rivalry in a match carrying big Final Four implications. Both the Green Archers and the Blue Eagles are actually working on

Payton Pritchard scored a season-high 30 points off the bench, Jayson Tatum added 26 points, seven rebounds and seven assists, and the Boston Celtics beat the visiting Chicago Bulls 125-111 on Friday in the NBA Cup Group C opener for both teams.

MANILA, Philippines — De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila University, locked in a three-way tie with Far Eastern University for third to fifth places, renew their storied rivalry as both teams continue their Final Four push on Saturday in the UAAP Season 89 Collegiate Men's Basketball Tournament at the Araneta Coliseum. The Green Archers know that repeating their 83-76 first-round victory over the Blue Eagles will be no easy task when the rivals collide on Halloween night at 6 p.m. Meanwhile, National University looks to get back on the winning track and strengthen its hold on the No. 2 spot against a struggling University of Santo Tomas side in the 2:30 p.m. curtain-raiser. The Bulldogs edged the Growling Tigers, 87-85, in an overtime thriller during the first round, with Reinhard Jumamoy banking in the game-winning triple. Carrying a 6-3 record, NU hopes to keep within striking distance of University of the Philippines, which currently leads the standings with a 7-2 slate. UST, meanwhile, holds a 4-5 record and is tied with Adamson University for sixth place. The Growling Tigers can ill afford to drop more games if they hope to keep their bid for a third consecutive Final Four appearance on track. La Salle and Ateneo, however, are not only firmly in the Final Four picture but also remain in contention for a top-two finish and the twice-to-beat advantage in the semifinals. Tied with the Tamaraws at 5-4, the Green Archers and Blue Eagles are just one game behind the second-running Bulldogs. The winner of their rivalry showdown could gain a share of second place, provided NU falls to UST earlier in the day. Despite playing without injured guard Jacob Cortez, La Salle ground out a 92-80 victory over UST last Sunday, with JC Macalalag and Doy Dungo leading the way. The duo posted career-high scoring outputs and combined for 10 of the Green Archers' season-best 14 three-pointers. "It's just a matter of time kung kailan lalabas [laro ko]. Kasi kami naman ni Doy (Dungo), araw-araw naman kami nagpa-practice. Sabi ko lang, the opportunity kung kailan dumating, just stay ready. Hopefully, tuloy-tuloy na kami," Macalalag said. For Ateneo, it was the dynamic duo of rookie Kieffer Alas and team captain Jared Bahay who delivered in the clutch, knocking down crucial triples down the stretch to power the Blue Eagles to a 69-65 victory over NU and complete a season sweep of the Bulldogs. "It's just a matter of reminding. Normal naman na may emotions yung games. As a leader, I always remind them to stay locked, this is not over. It's either gonna be we're celebrating or sad for the loss. Sabi ko sa kanila always, laruin niyo yung laro niyo, and let's see kung ano kalabasan ng games," Bahay said. Both the Green Archers and Blue Eagles have won their last two games, with the longtime rivals looking to build momentum after spending much of the first round in the lower half of the standings. "Yung plano namin is to put our win [against NU] aside kasi we all know the rivalry, Ateneo-La Salle. We're just gonna lock in on that, so we're very excited. They beat us last round, they got the best of us. Hopefully, God-willing, we can hopefully get the job done," said Alas. NU, meanwhile, has split its first two assignments in the second round. With consistency becoming increasingly crucial at this stage of the season, coach Jeff Napa's Bulldogs will look to string together wins as they pursue their goals for the campaign. In the women's division, NU seeks to strengthen its hold on second place against FEU at 10 a.m., while Adamson looks to tighten its grip on third place when it faces Ateneo at noon. The Lady Bulldogs carry a 6-2 record, one game ahead of the third-running Lady Falcons (5-3). The Lady Tamaraws, meanwhile, are 4-4 and need a victory to stay within reach of the top four. Sitting in sixth place with a 3-5 slate, the Blue Eagles must start piling up wins to keep their Final Four hopes alive. TMT

TOKYO — Philippines sensation Alexandra Eala lost in the quarter-finals in Tokyo on Friday and said she had "high motivation" to finish her breakthrough season with a bang next week in Hong Kong. Eala lost 2-6, 7-6 (7/5), 6-4 against Russian No. 3 seed Diana Shnaider in her debut appearance at the Pan Pacific Open. The world number 19 has one more tournament left in a season that saw her become the first player from the Philippines to win a title on the women's WTA Tour in Washington in August. Eala will be among the favorites for the title in Hong Kong, and she said she was not in the mood to look back on her achievements yet. "I'm super excited, and I'm going in with high motivation," said the 21-year-old. "I'm trying to put my reflections off for one more week because of said motivation. Check back in a week." Eala won five straight games to take control of the first set, but the second set was a far closer affair. Neither player managed to break their opponent's serve, but world number 13 Shnaider edged the tie-breaker. Shnaider went a break up early in the third set and Eala needed treatment on her right foot before the Russian clinched the match with an ace. Eala said the match had been "a huge battle". "Both of us could take the match to a really, really high level," she said. "I'm proud of that despite the loss, but I do think I had my chances. "Next time, hopefully do better in those moments," she added. Eala was again backed by a large, passionate group of Philippines fans. She was playing in Japan for the second time in two months after reaching the semi-finals at the Asian Games in Nagoya. "To be in front of the crowd and to play in this atmosphere is always super special," she said. "I love Japan as a whole, whether I'm here for tennis or not, so I really had fun." Shnaider will play Mia Pohankova in the semi-finals after the 18-year-old Slovakian beat American Alycia Parks 7-6 (7/3), 6-3. Uzbekistan's Kamilla Rakhimova will play Canada's Leylah Fernandez in the other semi-final. Fernandez advanced when world number one Elena Rybakina withdrew with a neck injury. AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Filipino basketball fans got a taste of one-on-one basketball action as SportsPlus, the country’s premier PAGCOR-licensed sportsbook, hosted an event featuring content creator Matt “MK” Kiatipis at SportsPlus Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong City. Held in partnership with Serious Player Only, the event drew hundreds of fans eager to see Kiatipis take on familiar local basketball personalities, including reigning MPBL Slam Dunk champion Joe Gomez de Liaño and basketball impersonators Stepping Curry and Lebwrong James. Known for his brash on-court personality and aggressive style, Kiatipis brought his competitive brand to the venue, letting fans see 1v1 basketball's growing appeal up close. “Every place is electric is nowadays, but I was very surprised by Asia. We have been to Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and now the Philippines, all of them. Asia is just so passionate about basketball. They love it,” said Kiatipis, who has more than 9 million followers on social media. “I was not expecting this many people to show up, this many people to be excited, this culture to be so deep; it is an amazing surprise. So much passion and so much skill,” he continued. “The Philippines, they love basketball, and I love basketball, but I got to love it as much as them.” Beyond the on-court action, SportsPlus treated attendees to merchandise giveaways, adding to the interactive experience. For Gomez de Liaño, initiatives like these offer an opportunity to bring basketball enthusiasts together and build stronger connections within the local basketball community. “It was very nice putting the community together; it is good for the crowd they loved watching it. SportsPlus, keep continuing to grow and have more events. You guys are doing well, and for MK, keep up your vlogging. It is a hit everywhere in the world,” said Gomez de Liaño. The event was part of SportsPlus’ broader efforts to bring fans closer to the sport they love through live experiences, interactive activities, and community-driven initiatives. SportsPlus Head of Brand Marketing Paul Macalindong said fans can expect more activities designed to engage local sports communities. “Fans can always look forward to more exciting and engaging sports from SportsPlus,” Macalindong said. “We are committed to delivering fun and memorable live experiences for Filipino sports fans in the years to come.” TMT

LeBron James converted a key putback and finished with 20 points, nine rebounds and eight assists as the Philadelphia 76ers nipped the visiting New York Knicks 98-93 on Friday in NBA Cup action.

Reserve Ron Holland II sparked a dominant third quarter with 12 of his season-high 18 points for the Detroit Pistons, who took control en route to a 110-94 victory over the winless Brooklyn Nets on Friday in New York in an NBA Cup game.

Anthony Davis poured in 25 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Washington Wizards whipped the visiting Charlotte Hornets 95-79 on Friday night.

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine tennis trailblazer Alex Eala seeks a strong finish to her 2026 season at the WTA 250 Hong Kong Open in China. Following a breakthrough quarterfinal finish at the 500 Tokyo Open in Japan, Eala flies to Hong Kong for its tournament which will run from November 2 to 8. World No. 19 Eala fell to No. 13 Diana Shnaider in a hard-fought Tokyo Open quarterfinal, 6-2, 6(5)-7, 4-6, on Friday. Eala has been having a historic season with a fourth-round finish at Wimbledon last July, a maiden WTA title at D.C Open last August and a career-high rank No. 18 first achieved in the same month. The 21-year-old has been not as sharp this Asian Swing, though, with a 3-win and 4-loss record. Those losses including upsets at the hands of world No. 180 Tatiana Prozorova at Singapore Open and No. 217 Shi Han at Wuhan. Eala regained some of her mojo in Tokyo with a breakthrough quarterfinal appearance in all of her Asian Swing campaign. Battling Shnaider for nearly three hours, Eala lost steam and fell to the Russian anew after yielding to the latter in Ningbo second round last week. At the 250-tier Hong Kong Open, Eala is seeded No. 3 and one of the favorites to win it all after No. 1 seed Shnaider and No. 2 seed and world No. 16 Sorana Cirstea. Completing the top 8 seeds are world No. 23 Leylah Fernandez, No. 30 Maria Sakkari, No. 35 Jasmine Paolini, No. 38 Talia Gibson, and No. 39 Wang Xinyu. Last year, Eala reached the second round of the Hong Kong Open. She walked over at 6-4, 2-1 against Katie Boulter who retired due to an injury in their first-round clash before succumbing to Victoria Mboko in the second, 6-3, 3-6, 4-6.

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Chet Holmgren, who missed the past two games due to a sore right knee, will be sidelined the next eight to 10 weeks because of a small patellar tendon tear, the team announced Friday.

Portland Trail Blazers point guard Ja Morant sustained a Grade 2 left hamstring strain during Thursday's loss to the Memphis Grizzlies and will miss at least four weeks.

No. 3 seed Diana Shnaider of Russia rallied to reach the semifinals in Tokyo with a 2-6, 7-6 (5), 6-4 comeback win Friday against No. 8 Alexandra Eala of the Philippines at the Toray Pan Pacific Open.

Filipino grappler Jalen Fonacier is now a UFC BJJ champion after defeating Brazil"s Kleber Barbosa to capture the vacant bantamweight title on Friday (Philippine time).

SCHEDULE: 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines—Juan Gomez de Liaño proved to be Converge’s biggest weapon once again in its 130-125 win over Rain or Shine in Game 2 of the PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals at Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Friday night. Gomez de Liaño called the FiberXers’ sorry series-opening loss a “wake-up call”

SCHEDULE: 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines–Converge prevented Rain or Shine from completing another come-from-behind and sneaked out a 130-125 victory to tie their 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series at 1-1 on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Mikey Williams’ three-point shot gave the FiberXers the timely cushion and made the Elasto Painters pay

CAINTA, Rizal — The 28th Sta. Lucia East Tenpin Bowling Association (Sletba) Open Championships rolled off Friday at the Sta. Lucia East Bowling Center here. Members of the national team as well as players from various associations in Metro Manila and the provinces, will play in this annual tournament sanctioned by the Philippine Bowling Federation.

NEW YORK, United States — Defending champions Benson Kipruto and Hellen Obiri of Kenya will chase history and back-to-back titles in Sunday's New York Marathon. About 60,000 runners from 140 nations are expected to compete over 26.2 miles (42.16km) through the five boroughs of New York. Kipruto won the closest New York men's marathon in history last year, edging compatriot Alex Mutiso by three-hundredths of a second after both crossed the finish line in 2:08:09. The 36-year-old Kenyan will try to become the first back-to-back New York men's winner since Geoffrey Mutai of Kenya in 2013. Kipruto also won the 2021 Boston Marathon, 2022 Chicago Marathon and 2024 Tokyo Marathon titles and took third at the 2024 Paris Olympic marathon and this year's Boston Marathon. Ethiopia's Deresa Geleta, sixth in this year's London Marathon, makes his North America marathon debut on the streets of New York. There is also excitement about the marathon debut of 31-year-old Swede Andreas Almgren, who set a European half-marathon record of 58:06 last month at Copenhagen. "I haven't felt nervous yet. Right now it's just excitement," Almgren said. "I don't know that I've ever been so excited for a race." The data analyst also posted on social media: "I"m not saying good bye to track racing. I'm just saying hello to marathons." Obiri, 36, is well-acquainted with the distance. She won the Boston Marathon in 2023 and 2024 and New York Marathon in 2023 and 2025 as well as taking a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics marathon. Obiri took her second New York City Half-Marathon title earlier this year, winning in a course-record 1:06:33. She was this year's London Marathon runner-up, finishing 12 seconds off the women-only marathon world record of 2:15:41 set by Ethiopian Tigst Assefa. Obiri will try to become only the fourth woman to win a third career New York title after Norway's Grete Waitz, Kenya's Mary Keitany and Britain's Paula Radcliffe. Obiri seeks her third crown in four years after setting a course record of 2:19:51 last year. She would be the first New York repeat women's winner since Keitany won from 2014-16. Clear conditions and perfect running temperatures are expected for the 50th edition of the race since it switched to a course that includes each of the city's five boroughs, heralding the modern edition of the event.

SCHEDULE: 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines–Coach Tim Cone doesn’t see the reason to understate the impact Jordan Murphy has had for Barangay Ginebra. “You can’t discount what this guy next to me has done for us,” Cone said after Murphy’s near triple-double in the Gin Kings’ 126-99 rout of the San Miguel Beermen

MEXICO — Charles Leclerc topped the times for Ferrari ahead of runaway championship leader Kimi Antonelli of Mercedes in Friday's opening free practice at the Mexico City Grand Prix. The Monegasque driver clocked a best lap time in one minute and 18.128 seconds to outpace the young Italian by 0.659 seconds in a session, with 10 rookie reserve drivers in action, that was punctuated by a brief Virtual Safety Car intervention. Antonelli, who had been absent from the circuit on Thursday to recover from a virus, can become the sport's youngest world champion on Sunday, and Italy's first since 1953, if he finishes in the top nine. He can also take the title if his two remaining rivals -- Mercedes team-mate George Russell and Ferrari's seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton -- fail to win. Russell sat out FP1 and watched as his replacement, reserve Frederik Vesti, finished third-fastest in the second Mercedes ahead of Hamilton. Another rookie Ayumi Iwasa was fifth for Red Bull in the car normally occupied by four-time champion Max Verstappen. Pierre Gasly was sixth for Alpine ahead of Aston Martin's two-time champion Fernando Alonso, Oscar Piastri of McLaren, Oliver Bearman of Haas and Racing Bulls' Arvid Lindblad. Isack Hadjar, in the second Red Bull, was 11th after struggling with power unit problems. Hamilton was first out at the start of the session, his Ferrari carrying aero rakes to provide data for the set up. He was followed by three of the 10 rookies, including several considered future stars. The Briton earlier confirmed that he intended to continue racing "for the foreseeable future" so long as he remains competitive in a bid to take part in the planned African Grand Prix in Rwanda. "You've never had anyone like me here in the 70 years," he told reporters, as he outlined his ambitions, stressing that his fitness and reactions remained undimmed. "I feel that I'm built differently," he said. "I'm still all in, and I will be for the foreseeable future." Ferrari were the only team not to run a rookie in FP1 on a high-altitude circuit where engines struggle with the thin air, which, at 2.285 meters, has only 78 per cent of the density at sea level. Perez, preparing for his 300th F1 race after signing a multi-year contract extension, clocked an early fastest lap for Cadillac before the usual suspects took control with Antonelli, Leclerc and Hamilton leading the way. The young Italian, like Perez and his team-mate Valtteri Bottas, had been hit by a virus, but he looked as fast and determined as ever. Leclerc continued the form he enjoyed in Texas ahead of last weekend’s United States Grand Prix when he was fastest in both Friday sessions.

MANILA, Philippines–EJ Castillo came up big in overtime as Emilio Aguinaldo College escaped Perpetual Help, 92-89, in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament at San Andres Sports Complex on Friday night. Jude Bagay led the Generals with 26 points, but Castillo sank the crucial shots in the extra period to help EAC improve to

TOKYO, Japan - Philippines sensation Alexandra Eala lost in the quarterfinals in Tokyo on Friday and said she had "high motivation" to finish her breakthrough season with a bang next week in Hong Kong.

SCHEDULE: 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines— Barangay Ginebra moved on the verge of advancing to the semifinals after blowing out San Miguel Beer, 126-99, to take a 2-0 lead of their 2026 PBA Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series on Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Import Jordan Murphy once again played a major role in

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Diana Shnaider – Pan Pacific Open quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala lost another demanding battle against Diana Shnaider, ending her campaign at the Pan Pacific Open. In their second meeting in two weeks, Eala was beaten again by Shnaider, 2-6, 7-6(5), 6-4, in their quarterfinal match that lasted two hours and 52

MANILA, Philippines—With the playoff race heating up in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament, St. Benilde turned John Morales to beat Lyceum, 107-103, at San Andres Sports Complex on Friday. Morales finished with 18 points, five rebounds and a steal in a timely breakout performance to help the Blazers secure their second straight win.

Gillingham boss Gareth Ainsworth wants the club’s fans to channel their support towards the players.

FOR the 10th year of the Premier Volleyball League (PVL), the All-Filipino Conference-Siklab Series introduced the “all-to-play” rule, requiring every healthy player listed on the team’s roster to see action in every single game. And Creamline, the league’s 11-time champion, has no problems with it. Under the rule, each registered player must appear in at least one official match, and every player on the lineup must start at least one set or enter the game before the third set. While the requirement creates problems and ramifications for some teams, Creamline and its veteran-laden roster thrived in the tournament. The Cool Smashers currently sit atop the team standings with a perfect 4-0 record. On Thursday night, Creamline and its deep bench swept Capital1, 25-18, 31-29, 25-16, to the delight of the jam-packed crowd at the Santiago City Arena in Isabela. “I’m really happy because everyone is truly performing and contributing. I always say in interviews that everyone deserves to play, so I think this season is really for all of us,” Creamline star Jema Galanza said. The Cool Smashers, once again, are the favorites to dominate the league.  “It might seem simple to others, but for us, we’re enjoying the game more because everyone gets to play. You know, we also get excited for each other about what each one can bring, so instead of just focusing on the game, we’re enjoying it together.” Because of the “all-to-play” rule, competition in the ongoing tournament has been close with six of the 18 matches going the full five sets and another six lasting four sets. The rule, however, seems to favor Creamline which won two straight sets wins against Akari and Capital 1, and two four-set wins over ZUS Coffee and Galeries Tower. Creamline has a lot of weapons in its arsenal led by Galanza, Tots Carlos, Bernadeth Pons, Michele Gumabao, Pangs Panaga, and Alyssa Valdez. “It’s always a big deal when we’re complete because Coach She can think more clearly about how to rotate the players and all that. And yeah, the contributions are really big, especially from Ate Jia and Pons,” Galanza said.

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY — Fresh from his World Chess Olympiad debut as head of the Philippine delegation in Samarkand, Uzbekistan last September, Misamis Occidental Gov. Henry Oaminal Sr. is back as the generous host of big-time chess competitions in Mindanao. The chess-loving governor will kick off two of the country’s three international chess events this year to be successively held at the Asenso Misamis Occidental Recreation and Adventure Park (Amorap) in Sinacaban, Misamis Occidental from Nov. 2 to 17. “Controversies are abound surrounding Philippine chess that are beyond anybody’s control. But the good governor has chosen to act on dispatch by sustaining what he soundly started in Northern Mindanao that will greatly benefit local chess development. In his leadership, Oaminal always believes that action speaks louder than words,” tournament organizer Rey Urbiztondo told The Manila Times. First to unwrap is the 7th Asean Individual Chess Championships from Nov. 2 to 10, followed by the Misamis Occidental Philippine International Championship from Nov. 10 to 17. The third international event dubbed as “AQ Prime International Open Chess Championship” is slated on Nov. 17 to 25 in Quezon City. Cagayan de Oro City pride Ruelle Canino and Mark Jay Bacojo from Santa Rosa, Laguna, who both gained their outright International Master titles from the 6th edition of the Asean+ chess last year in Ozamiz, will be back in their ambitious quest not only to rule the tournament but also to earn grandmaster titles. Also representing the Philippines in the tournament are International Masters Emmanuel Garcia, Paulo Bersamina, Michael Concio Jr. and Christian Gian Karlo Arca and FIDE Master Alekhine Nouri. Also in the list are their female counterparts Woman International Master Jan Jodilyn Fronda, Woman Fide Master Shania Mae Mendoza, Woman National Master Mhage Sebastian, and Janelle Mae Frayna, the country’s lone woman chess grandmaster. Reigning men’s champion Grandmaster V.S. Raahul from India will not be returning to Ozamiz to defend the crown. In Raahul’s place is the tournament top seed is Russian super GM Evgeny Romanov whose FIDE ratings peaked to 2662  in June 2013. Romanov will be heading to the province of Misamis Occidental after his triumphant finish in the Montenegro Open Mediterranean Championship recently. Last year,  Romanov dominated the 22nd Bangkok Chess Club Championship, thus making him among the early 7th Asean title favorites in the company of Filipino GMs Daniel Quizon and Darwin Laylo and Vietnamese GM Duc Hoa Nguyen. Meanwhile, the 18-year-old Canino’s hunt for a direct GM title will be put to test in a strong field laced by WGMs in Frayna and foreign rivals Nguyen Thi Mai Hung and Hoang Thi Bao Tram of Vietnam, and Altan-Ulzii Enkhtuul of Mongolia. Woman International Master Evgenija Ovod, who spoiled the GM dream of fellow Russian Anna Shurova last year, will also be back to defend her Asean throne in this long tourney to be supervised by the National Chess Federation of the Philippines spearheaded by NCFP executive director GM Jayson Gonzales and International Arbiter Reden Cruz.

DEFENDING champion TNT and NLEX aim for a series sweep against respective foes in Game 3 of the PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup best-of-five quarterfinal series on Saturday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila. The Road Warriors clash with the Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters at 5:15 p.m. followed by the 7:30 p.m. collision between the Tropang 5G and the Magnolia Hotshots. After opening the series with a 97-92 win, NLEX took Game 2, 124-117, behind a strong fourth quarter performance by import Deonte Burton, who scored 10 of his 24 points in that stretch to tow his team to a 2-0 series lead. A Game 3 win pushes NLEX to the semifinals for the first time since it last reached the Final Four in the 2021 Governors’ Cup when Yeng Guiao was still at the helm and Cameron Clark as its import. That Road Warriors team did not have high-scoring guard Robert Bolick yet and Clark is playing for Converge this conference. Meanwhile, the Tropang 5G will also look to build on their wins in the first two games by putting an emphatic end to the Hotshots’ own title bid. Resident import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson was superb in TNT’s lopsided 91-73 rout of Magnolia in Game 2 after finishing with 39 points, 15 rebounds and three blocks, while knocking down four of five from three-point distance. The Hotshots have to find ways to contain the three-time PBA Best Import who is back with a vengeance after recovering from an injured Achilles heel in December 2025 while playing for Meralco in the EASL. TNT coach Chot Reyes said the seemingly easy Game 2 win was brought about by his pre-game reminder on coming out with better effort. “On our board one word was on top and that was ‘better.’ So, we wanted to make sure that we come out with a better effort, better defense, better concentration, better communication, better everything than in Game 1,” said Reyes. “And while they scored more... we were able to hold them to a lower field goal percentage and in the end our offense struggled, none of our shooters can make shots, but our defense carried us through.” The TNT coach’s pre-Game 2 pep talk worked wonders for the Tropang 5G who limited the Hotshots to a 25-of-74 field goal shooting in the game. Magnolia import KJ Buffen, on the other hand, will need all the local support he can get, led by Zavier Lucero, Jerome Lastimosa, Mark Barroca, Ian Sangalang and Peter Alfaro, to forge Game 4.

BACOLOD CITY — Bacolod City is all set to host the 2026 Batang Pinoy Games, the country’s premier national youth multisports competition from Dec. 12 to 18, 2026. Mayor Greg Gasataya said preparations are in full swing, with all systems go for the weeklong event. The Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) and the Bacolod City government held a major coordination meeting on Wednesday at L’Fisher Hotel to finalize arrangements for the weeklong competition for the Filipino youth. PSC chairman John Patrick Gregorio said a record 35,894 delegates from 207 local government units nationwide are expected to arrive in Bacolod City, composed of 27,763 athletes, 6,144 coaches, and 1,987 officials. “This is our gift to the Filipino youth,” Gregorio said, adding that accommodations in the city are expected to be fully occupied throughout the competition period. In a special highlight, Bacolod City will also stage the Metro Manila Film Festival “Parade of Stars” alongside the sporting events. Gasataya said the city has a strong track record of hosting major sporting events this year such as the Negros Island Region Athletic Association (Niraa) meet, the National Prisaa Games, and the FIBA under-18 tournament.  “The Batang Pinoy will be a game-changer for youth sports in Bacolod. Imagine thousands of young athletes competing at the biggest grassroots event right in our city,’’ said Gasataya. “Our children will see firsthand what dedication, discipline, and excellence look like, and that kind of exposure can spark a lifelong passion for sports,” added the mayor. He also said that it has been roughly 20 years since Bacolod City last hosted Batang Pinoy. Meanwhile, city councilor Jason Villarosa will serve as head of delegation with lawyer Mark Steven Mayo as assistant head of delegation for the Bacolod City team.