Filipino Olympian and pole vaulter Ernest John “EJ” Obiena dropped to No. 3 in the world pole vault rankings after barely missing the podium in the recently concluded 2024 Paris Olympics.According to the latest report of World Athletics, Obiena dipped to world No. 3 with 1428 points after holding the second rank for more than a year.Silver medalist Sam Kendricks of USA took over Obiena’s previous spot with 1450 points.Armand Duplantis of Sweden, meanwhile, remained as the undisputed pole vault king owning 1617 points following his impressive Olympic and World records of 6.25m for the gold.Coming in fourth is Paris Olympics bronze medalist Emmanouil Karalis of Greece toting 1403 points, while KC Lightfoot of USA came in fifth even though he did not compete in the Summer Games.Making the top 10 are Paris Olympians Kurtis Marschall of Australia (No. 6), Sasma Ersu of Turkey (No. 7), Thibaut Collet of France (No. 8) Christopher Nilsen of USA (No. 9), and Huang Bokai of China (No. 10).

Cignal will head into the Premier League Volleyball (PVL) Reinforced Conference quarterfinals after outplaying Nxled on Tuesday, August 20, at the FilOil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City.The HD Spikers ended its preliminary campaign after sweeping the Chameleons with a 27-25, 25-20, 25-20 victory.The HD Spikers continued to bank on the Venezuelan wing spiker MJ Perez who dispatched 17 attack points apart from 10 excellent digs to move on to the quarterfinals.

The Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots and NorthPort Batang Pier will try to finish the first round of the double-round eliminations of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup with a 3-2 slate when they face each other on Wednesday, September 4, 7:30 p.m. at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.The winner of the game will be over the 0.500 mark while the defeated team will have a record of 2-3 in Group A. The Hotshots and Batang Pier were grouped with TNT Tropang Giga, Meralco Bolts, Converge FiberXers and Terrafirma Dyip.After the game, the two teams will be on their way to the 2nd round robin which will start on Saturday, when the Hotshots face the Bolts in Panabo City.

Magnolia Hotshots new import Shabazz Muhammad sank a running shot with 8.1 seconds remaining in the game to overcome the gritty Terrafirma Dyip, 99-98, and kept them in the solo third place of Group in the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup.The two teams traded clutch baskets in the final seconds of the game.Paul Lee drained a four-pointer to give the Hotshots a two-point lead, 97-95. In the next play, Dyip’s rookie Paolo Hernandez sank a step-back triple that brought his team back with the lead, 98-97. But the last laugh belonged to Muhammad when he delivered the winning basket with 7.8 seconds left in the game.Kevin Ferrer has one last say but his desperation three was way off the mark as Terrafirma stayed winless in the conference.It was also the 19th straight win of the Magnolia against Terrafirma since July 15, 2016. The Dyip was still called Mahindra Enforcer by then while the Hotshots were named Star.

BACK-TO-BACK BRONZE. ONE FILIPINA. ANOTHER PODIUM FOR THE PHILIPPINES. 🇵🇭🎾🥉Alex Eala may not have taken the gold in Aichi-Nagoya, but she leaves the Asian Games with something that is becoming increasingly familiar: a medal around her neck.The Filipina tennis star officially received her women’s singles bronze medal at the 2026 Asian Games, sharing the moment with Philippine Olympic Committee President Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino at the Higashiyama Park Tennis Center.And this was more than a ceremony.It was another chapter in Eala’s growing Asian Games résumé.After winning bronze in women’s singles at the 2023 Hangzhou Asian Games, Eala returned three years later and did it again.Two Asian Games. Two singles medals. Two bronze finishes.That kind of consistency deserves attention.The Asian Games bring together some of the best players on the continent, and every campaign demands a fresh test of skill, composure, and endurance. Eala has now proven she can navigate that stage and emerge with hardware on consecutive occasions.But perhaps the most intriguing part is that her Asian Games story is still being written.Eala is no longer simply the young Filipina tennis prospect carrying enormous expectations. She is becoming one of the country’s most recognizable athletes on the international tennis stage—and every major tournament adds another layer to that journey.The bronze medal is proof of what she accomplished in Aichi-Nagoya.The back-to-back podium finishes are proof of something else:Alex Eala keeps finding a way to stay among Asia’s best. 🇵🇭🔥For Filipino tennis fans, that matters.Because medals are moments. Consistency builds a legacy.Two Asian Games. Two bronzes.And if Eala’s journey has taught us anything, it is that the next chapter is always worth watching.TWO ASIAD BRONZES. ONE ALEX EALA. THE JOURNEY CONTINUES.

ONE LAST SHOW. 16 DAYS OF BATTLES. COUNTLESS STORIES TO REMEMBER.But the stories of Aichi-Nagoya 2026? Those will live long after the closing ceremony.As the 20th Asian Games prepare to close on Sunday, October 4, Japan is set to trade the intensity of competition for a night of music, celebration, and one final gathering of Asia’s finest athletes.Performances from Japanese pop acts, the traditional parade of athletes, the extinguishing of the Games flame, and the handover of the Olympic Council of Asia flag to Doha, Qatar, will bring the 16-day sporting spectacle to its conclusion.But for Filipino fans, the biggest show has already happened on the field of play. 🇵🇭EJ Obiena soared to pole vault gold. Carlo Yulo delivered two gymnastics golds. Carlo Paalam fought his way to silver. Alex Eala secured another Asian Games tennis bronze.And who could forget Jeus Gabriel Yape, whose virtual taekwondo gold added another historic moment to the Philippine campaign?From Khylem Progella and Sofiah Pagara’s beach volleyball bronze to the medals won across combat sports, athletics, and other disciplines, Filipino athletes gave the country plenty of reasons to celebrate.Not every campaign ended in triumph. Some fell short. Others came painfully close.But sport has never been just about the podium. It is also about the fight, the setbacks, and the courage to represent the flag when the stakes are high.Of course, the Games also leave questions about accommodation, transportation, and other organizational challenges. The celebration should not erase those concerns—or the lessons future hosts can learn from them.We can celebrate the athletes while still demanding better sporting events. Both can be true.Soon, the flame will be extinguished, and the spotlight will move to Doha, the next host of the Asian Games in 2031.But the real legacy of Aichi-Nagoya will not be measured by one closing-night performance.It will be measured by the records broken, the young athletes inspired, and the support these champions receive when they return home and begin preparing for their next battles.THE GAMES MAY END. THE WORK OF BUILDING CHAMPIONS NEVER DOES.

Alex Eala’s rise has become one of the most compelling stories in Philippine sports—not simply because of the matches she wins, but because of what is beginning to happen around her.The Filipino tennis star is no longer just a promising young player chasing rankings and tournament victories.She is becoming a global sports brand.As Eala continues to make her mark on the international tennis circuit, her financial profile is expanding alongside her career. Tournament prize money has become a significant part of her earnings, while major international and Philippine companies have increasingly recognized the value of having Eala as part of their brand.And that could be just the beginning.Reports citing Forbes data estimate that Eala earned around $1.7 million, or roughly P106 million, in tournament prize money in 2026 alone.Her official WTA profile also places her career prize money at more than $3 million.Those numbers are impressive for an athlete still in the early stages of her professional career.But prize money is only one part of the story. The bigger picture is Eala's growing commercial appeal.Her success has transformed her from a promising tennis player into one of the Philippines' most recognizable young athletes, giving brands an opportunity to connect with her rapidly expanding audience.And the names attached to her career say plenty about how far that appeal has already reached.Eala's endorsement portfolio combines global sports companies with some of the Philippines' biggest brands.Among the partnerships associated with the young tennis star are Nike, Babolat, Marriott Bonvoy, Globe Telecom, BPI, Locally, Milo and Panasonic.Each partnership represents a different piece of the Eala brand. A partnership with Nike places Eala alongside one of the world's most recognizable sports brands.For an athlete competing across the globe, the relationship fits naturally with her ambitions—and gives her another international platform as her profile continues to grow. Babolat represents the most direct connection to Eala's profession.The French tennis company provides equipment for athletes around the world, making its partnership with Eala a natural extension of her identity as a professional tennis player.Professional tennis is a sport without borders. Players spend much of the year traveling from one tournament to another, and Eala's partnership with Marriott Bonvoy reflects the increasingly international nature of her career.While Eala's career is global, her identity remains strongly connected to the Philippines.Her partnership with Globe gives her a major platform in the local market and strengthens her connection with the young Filipino audience following her journey. Eala's partnership with BPI also shows that her appeal extends beyond traditional sports products.She represents a generation of young Filipinos associated with ambition, achievement and global competitiveness.Her association with Locally brings another dimension to her public image. Eala is increasingly being recognized not simply as an athlete, but as a young Filipino personality whose influence reaches into fashion, lifestyle and popular culture.Few partnerships fit Eala's story better than one connected to young athletes.Milo has long been associated with youth sports development in the Philippines, making Eala a natural role model for children who dream of competing at the highest level.Panasonic further expands Eala's commercial reach, demonstrating how her image is increasingly valuable outside the traditional tennis ecosystem.The pattern is becoming clear. Eala's marketability is growing because her story is bigger than tennis.It is tempting to reduce an athlete's financial success to a single number.But in Eala's case, that may miss the bigger story.Her reported earnings and endorsements are evidence of something much more important: the growing commercial power of Philippine athletes who can compete successfully on the global stage.Every tournament win increases visibility. Every major result attracts new fans.Every international appearance puts another Filipino name in front of a global audience.And every endorsement reinforces the idea that Filipino athletes can have value far beyond their performance inside the arena.For Eala, the equation is particularly powerful because tennis is already a global sport.She doesn't need to wait for the world to discover Philippine sports. She is taking Philippine sports to the world.Eala's commercial career is still developing, just as her professional tennis career is.Reports have suggested that her off-court earnings have reached millions of dollars over a recent 12-month period, while her management has pointed to the possibility of Eala eventually becoming one of the world's highest-paid female athletes.Whether that prediction becomes reality remains to be seen. But the foundation is already there. She has the results. She has the international exposure. She has the brands. And increasingly, she has the audience.That combination is rare. For Philippine tennis, however, the most important part may not be how much Eala earns. It may be what her success makes possible for everyone coming after her.A young Filipino picking up a tennis racket today can now look at Eala and see something different.Not just a champion. Not just a professional athlete. But proof that a Filipino can build a career, command an international audience and compete for the biggest prizes in one of the world's most global sports.Alex Eala is now building her own career. But with every victory, every endorsement and every international headline, she may also be building something bigger a new commercial and sporting future for Philippine tennis.And if this is only the beginning, the most valuable part of Alex Eala's story may still be waiting to be written.

Eala entered the Asian Games carrying the momentum of a breakthrough season, but competing in Japan meant stepping away from one of the biggest tournaments on the WTA calendar.Now, Alex Eala had a choice to make.Chase the points. Chase the ranking. Chase a place among the world's best at the WTA Finals.Or put on the Philippine colors and compete for the country at the Asian Games.But, Eala chose the Philippines.And now, that decision has officially cost her a shot at the season-ending WTA Finals.The Filipino tennis ace is no longer in contention for the prestigious event after skipping the WTA 1000 China Open to represent the country at the 20th Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan.An “X” now appears beside Eala’s name in the WTA live race, signaling that her bid to finish among the top eight players has come to an end.For Eala, however, the missed opportunity came with something else: an Asian Games bronze medal.The China Open offered valuable ranking points that could have strengthened her push for a place in the WTA Finals.Instead, Eala chose to represent the Philippines.She reached the semifinals of the Asian Games singles event, securing a bronze medal and adding another major achievement to her rapidly growing career.But in the unforgiving WTA race, every missed tournament can matter. And this one proved decisive.Eala was sitting at No. 17 in the WTA live race with 2,181 points. Ahead of her was Czech player Linda Noskova, who occupied the eighth and final qualification spot with 4,354 points.That left Eala 2,173 points behind the cutoff position. With the WTA Finals qualification deadline set for Nov. 1, the gap became too large to overcome after Eala opted out of the China Open.Even if she had played in Beijing, overtaking Noskova would have required a deep run from Eala while Noskova exited early.It was possible on paper. But increasingly difficult in reality.The WTA Finals is scheduled for Nov. 8 to 15 in Indian Wells, where the world's top eight singles players will battle for one of the biggest prizes in women's tennis.Eala will not be among them this time. That may sting. But her 2026 season is hardly defined by the tournament she missed.Her decision in Japan showed that her ambitions extend beyond rankings and individual milestones.She wanted to represent the Philippines. She wanted an Asian Games medal. And she got one.Professional tennis is built around rankings, points, prize money and qualification cutoffs. Every tournament matters, and players often have to make difficult choices about where—and when—to compete.Eala's Asian Games decision is a reminder that an athlete's biggest victories are not always measured by ranking points.She sacrificed an opportunity to strengthen her WTA Finals campaign. In return, she helped put Philippine tennis on the Asian Games podium.The WTA Finals will come again. So will another season of chasing rankings, titles and bigger stages.For now, Alex Eala leaves the Asian Games with something no WTA ranking can take away:A bronze medal for the Philippines.And perhaps the bigger story is not that Eala missed the WTA Finals.It's that, when she had to choose between points and country, she chose the flag.

The Nxled Chameleons rose past the Galeries Tower Highrisers in a five-set marathon to take the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference opener on Tuesday, July 16, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.The Chameleons overwhelmed Highrisers with 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 25-27, 15-12 victory led by their American import, Meegan Hart, with 19 points on 12 attacks and seven blocks, while locals May Luna and Chiara Pementilla contributed 17 and 14 markers, respectively.“It was great, we got a win so it is always great but I am feeling really welcomed in the Philippines. So far, the experience has been awesome. I am really excited to be here with the team and win a lot of games,” Hart told reporters during the postgame press conference.Meanwhile, France Ronquillo paced the Highrisers with 17 points while Thai import Sutadta Chuewulim had 14 points and eight receptions. Middle blockers Roselle Baliton and Andrea Marzan scored 12 markers each.Nxled will have the chance to make it two wins in a row against Cherry Tiggo on Saturday, July 20, while Galeries can bounce back against PLDT at the same game date.

University of the East high school fencers nabbed three golds for the Philippines in the Thailand Fencing Festival Minime and Veterans Championships 2024 held over the weekend at Diamond Hall in Zeer Rangsit, Thailand.Willa Galvez, who represented Canlas Fencing, captured two gold medals after dominating top seed Hei Shun Keung of Hong Kong, 15-8, in the finals of the Under-14 girl’s foil last Saturday, July 20.It was Galvez’s second gold medal in the same category in an international meet just seven months after her breakthrough victory in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.The incoming Grade 8 student also added gold on Sunday, July 21, the Under-14 girl’s epee with a nail-biting 15-13 win against Pawichaya Thongngaram of Thailand in the finals – her first epee gold on foreign soil after settling with a silver in Kuala Lumpur last year.On the other hand, Yuan Canlas bagged the gold medal in Under-12 girl’s epee on the final day of competition Monday, July 22, after beating Lena Xia of Singapore 10-5 in the finals.Canlas also earned two bronze medals (U-14 and U-12 foil) in the three-day tournament.The competition followed a tough training camp where Galvez and other Filipino fencers participated last week in Taiwan – a big help she said as it boosted her confidence after a weeklong process with some of the world-class fencers like former Olympian Ziemek Wojciechowski of Great Britain.“I am happy to win. It was perfect timing that after the Taiwan training camp we joined a tournament in Thailand. It gave me confidence and at the same time I was able to apply the lessons. I am grateful and thankful to all the UE and CF coaches led by coach Amat Canlans,” Galvez told Manila Bulletin in an interview.

Filipina weightlifter Elreen Ando might have finished outside of the podium but she set a pair of personal-best marks in the women’s weightlifting 59kg division at South Paris Arena 6 on Thursday, August 8 (Manila time).In her return to the Olympic stage, Ando registered a total lift of 230kg, with 100kg from the snatch and 130kg from the clean and jerk, both personal bests, to finish in sixth place among 12 competitors.The 26-year-old Ando eclipsed her previous records of clean and jerk and total lifts of 128kg and 228kg, respectively, which she achieved at the International Weightlifting Federation (IWF) World Cup in April in Thailand.She also equaled the national snatch record of 100kg, which she set at the 2023 World Weightlifting Championships in Riyadh last September. Ando finished the Summer Games in sixth place, improving from her seventh-place finish with 222kg in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the 64kg category. Reigning world champion Luo Shifang of China smashed all of the Olympic records in the division with a 107kg snatch, 134kg clean and jerk, and 341kg total as she bested two Tokyo gold medalists. Canada’s Maude Charron took the silver with a total of 236kg, while Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Hsing-chun secured the bronze with a total of 235 kg.The Philippines' youngest Asian champion, Vanessa Sarno, will aim to end the weightlifting team’s campaign on a high note on Saturday, August 10, in the women’s 71kg category.

The Creamline Cool Smashers cruised past the Nxled Chameleons in straight sets to end their Pool A campaign on a winning note at the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference at the PhilSports Arena on Thursday, August 8.The Cool Smashers continued their dominant play, capping off their round one schedule with a 25-18, 25-18, 25-20 victory over the Chameleons.In the absence of Alyssa Valdez, Tots Carlos, and Jema Galanza, Creamline banked on the trio of American import Erica Staunton, Bernadeth Pons, and Michele Gumabao to bemused Nxled and improve to a 4-1 record.

Arisa Trew, a 14-year-old teenager, made history after she shattered the 68 years of Olympic drought and became Australia’s youngest-ever Olympic medallist and the youngest gold medallist in the Summer Games.That record had stood for 68 years, going all the way back to Melbourne in 1956, when Sandra Morgan won the gold medal in the women's 4x100m freestyle relay.Morgan had been 14 years and 184 days old then – 94 days older than Trew.As the judges and audience graced her stunning moves in skateboarding, Trew won the gold medal at the Place de la Concorde in Paris, France. The 14-year-old young lady grinned as she popped out of the bowl, with her smile as striking as her statement hot-pink helmet.With her final go, Trew landed an imperious line peppered with 540s and a stunning front nose blunt on the box grab 180 out to finish.The teenage gold medalist scored 93.18 on her final run.Now, Trew says she expressed her desire  to compete in the L.A Olympics in 2028.

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala to forge ahead to the quarterfinal round of the International Tennis Federation (ITF) W100 Cary Tennis Classic in North Carolina after outplaying Oksana Selekmeteva of Russia on Thursday, August 15 (Philippine time).The 19-year-old pulled off a 7-6(5), 7-6(4) triumph over her former doubles partner Oksana Selekhmeteva of Russia. The world No. 147 Eala seemed on her way to a straight-set victory in the Round of 16 when she eked a 4-1 lead in the second set against Selekhmeteva, who partnered with the Filipina during their girls doubles title romp in the 2021 French Open.Selekhmeteva previously held a 3-0 advantage over Eala in their singles head-to-head matchups. The Filipina will attempt to secure a semifinal berth when she faces the winner of the match between second seed Renata Zarazua of Mexico and Sijia Wei of China.

Farm Fresh snapped Capital1’s three-game winning streak to keep its quarterfinals hopes alive in the 2024 Premier Volleyball League (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Thursday, August 15, at PhilSports Arena.The Foxies bowed to Cignal and PLDT in their last two games but bounced back with a straight set, 25-17, 25-23, 25-20, victory against the Solar Spikers.

The Akari Chargers took down the Nxled Chameleons to remain perfect in the Premier League Volleyball (PVL) Reinforced Conference on Thursday, August 13, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig. Akari moved just a win away from securing the top seed and sweeping the preliminary round despite an opening set loss to sister team Nxled, 21-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-18.

Filipina Olympic fencer Samatha Kyle Catantan needs no worries as St. Luke’s Global City waived her hospital bill and even the doctor’s fee after the successful operation of her knee due to ACL (anterior cruciate ligament) injury.According to Dr. Jose Raul Canlas, the gesture of the hospital was to honor the Olympian’s contribution to Philippine sports.

Filipina tennis ace Alex Eala continued her quest for a spot in the US Open main draw as she notched a historic upset to move onto the third round of the qualifiers.World No. 148 Eala overcame No. 99 Nurua Parrizas-Diaz from Spain in straight sets, 7-5, 7-5, to keep her hopes alive. Eala now moves on to face 61st-ranked Elena-Gabriela Ruse of Romania in the third round of the qualifiers on Friday, August 23. The 19-year-old Eala aims to make it to her first Grand Slam main draw after missing the French Open and Wimbledon with stinging setbacks in the qualifying finals.