Alas Pilipinas has found a strong core to build on. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
Xyz Rayco believes that Alas Pilipinas’ historic campaign in the FIVB Girls U17 World Championship is the start of something good for the country’s volleyball program.
“We’ve shown that even at a young age, we can compete at the international level,” Rayco said on the heels of a 25-13, 25-19, 25-16 loss to Japan in the classification round in Santiago, Chile, on Saturday (Manila time).
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“Hopefully, when we move up to the senior level, our progress will continue and won’t stop here. We want to carry the experience and lessons we’ve learned from this tournament so we’re better prepared for the future.”
The Philippines already secured its best finish by a national volleyball team in a World Championship after becoming the first Filipino volleyball squad to reach the round of 16, where they fell to Asian champion South Korea in straight sets.
For Rayco, the experience of competing against the world’s best at a young age could provide a major boost to the country’s volleyball program.
“I think this is really good for the future of Philippine volleyball,” the 16-year-old opposite hitter told the Inquirer in Filipino.
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Rayco, who led the country to the World Championship after a fifth-place finish in the AVC U16 Championship in Amman, Jordan, last year, relished the opportunity to go up against some of the world’s top youth programs.
“The level of play is really high,” she said. “Every game has been very challenging, and we’ve become more aware of how important discipline, communication and composure are, especially during close games and crucial points.”
Beyond the results, Rayco hopes this historic campaign becomes a foundation for the next generation of Philippine volleyball.
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“This experience has been very meaningful for us because we’ve learned so much from playing in the World Championship, especially how to handle pressure, stay calm and trust each other as a team,” she said. “Being able to play in a World Championship and make history at such a young age means a lot to us. We’re very grateful for this opportunity because it will help our careers and motivate us to keep improving.”
Alas Girls, who were led by Caera Celis’ game-high 16 points against Japan, will see more action in the classification round when they face Venezuela anew on Sunday.
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The Philippines fell short of a comeback the first time both countries faced off, losing in in five sets, 25-19, 25-16, 22-25, 19-25, 15-11. However, the team’s fightback from two sets down allowed it to clinch a spot in the round of 16. INQ
Travis Kelce has arrived for the Kansas City Chiefs’ preseason opener against the Los Angeles Rams. The perennial Pro Bowler was among the Chiefs stars set to feature against Sean McVay’s team.
Kelce wore a black shirt, shorts and black shoes with a canned drink in his hand. NFL fans reacted on X.
Kelce, Patrick Mahomes, Kenneth Walker III, Chris Jones, Mansoor Delane, L’Jarius Sneed, Justin Fields and more have arrived at Arrowhead Stadium. They’re looking to bounce back from a forgettable 2025 campaign.
According to USA Today, Chiefs general manager Brett Veach went all-in after the team missed out on the playoffs in the previous season. Statement additions include reigning Super Bowl MVP Walker and rookie defensive back Mansoor Delane.
Travis Kelce set for Year 14
The Kansas City Chiefs selected Travis Kelce in the third round of the 2013 NFL draft. The Cincinnati Bengals product has become one of the game’s finest offensive players.
Kelce has earned 11 Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections, three second-team All-Pro nods and amassed numerous franchise and league records. He’s gearing up for his 14th season in the big leagues.
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It’s been an eventful offseason for Kelce as he’s tied the knot with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. Their wedding took place on July 3 and was attended by the cream of the crop in sports, music and television.
Travis Kelce and Co. start their preseason with a matchup against the Los Angeles Rams. They’ll then wrap up their regular-season preparations with games against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Seattle Seahawks.
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Scottie Scheffler settled in after a rough start Saturday for a 2-under 68, giving him a two-shot lead over Sam Burns and Sungjae Im in the FedEx St. Jude Championship going into a final round where so much is at stake from the top to the bottom of the leaderboard.
Scheffler is trying to break a streak of five runner-up finishes and five other top 4s since his lone victory this year in his first tournament of 2026.
He was at 13-under 197 and will be in the final group with Burns, his closest friend in golf, who got back into the mix with a 62. His year has been marked by close calls in the U.S. Open and British Open, but Burns has no victories to show for it.
This will be the first time they are paired together in the final group.
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“It’s always a little weird just because I want him to have success so much and I think he wants the same for me,” Scheffler said. “Tomorrow we’ll go out there and play our game and see where things finish up at the end of the day. It will be competition like normal.
“It will be fun being out there with your friend but it’s also a bit weird at the same time.”
And it’s not just the two of them. Im shot 67 and was tied with Burns at 11-under 199. The next closest to Scheffler was FedEx Cup champion Tommy Fleetwood (68) and Jake Knapp (67), both five shots behind.
Jordan Spieth took another step back and gave himself another Sunday at the TPC Southwind filled with high stress. Spieth is at No. 54 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 50 advance to the BMW Championship next week in the FedEx Cup playoffs.
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The top 50 is the magic number this week because those players are assured to getting into all the $20 million signature events next year. Spieth, who opened with a 65, didn’t make a birdie until the 11th hole in his round of 72 that dropped him from a tie for fifth to a tie for 19th, which is projected to leave him out of the top 50.
He’s not alone. Brian Harman came in at No. 65 and shot 69. He was in a tie for sixth, needing to move up a few spots to advance.
“That signature series, it’s where you want to be,” Harman said. “It’s where the best golf is played. I’d love to have a chance.”
He at least is in all the majors next year from his 2023 British Open victory at Hoylake.
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Going into the final day, Im is the only player projected to move into the top 50 — he started at No. 53 and held his own in the final group Saturday with Scheffler.
“I just want to focus on each shot,” Im said. “Every shot matters.”
Scheffler only hit one green in regulation through the opening five holes. He was in the right rough on the par-5 third and had a clean enough lie to try to reach the green or at least advance it close. But it hit a tree right above him and dropped straight down. He pulled his short iron out of mangled rough to the side of a bunker and still had 111 yards. He hit that to 12 feet and made the par putt.
He bogeyed the next from behind the green, didn’t get a birdie until the par-3 eighth and then ran off consecutive birdies early on the back nine that restored his lead. He also made a 12-foot par save on the 15th hole.
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“Any time you’re holing those 10- to 15-footers, it’s really nice to keep the round going,” Scheffler said. “I holed a few of those today. It was definitely important to keep the momentum in the round.”
The heat index topped 100 degrees, and towels soaked in ice water were available on every tee. Keith Mitchell looked utterly exhausted walking out of scoring, from the heat and from the stress of projections that keep him right at No. 49 with one round remaining.
He was tied for 22nd, along with Maverick McNealy, who was projected at No. 50.
Burns is thinking only about winning, and that starts with making up a two-shot deficit on the No. 1 player in the world. The only other time they’ve played together on a Sunday was the 2021 Tour Championship — both out of contention — though Burns did beat Scheffler with a long birdie putt in a playoff at Colonial in 2022.
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“Scottie is obviously playing great, as he always does. He’s not going to lay down,” Burns said. “He’s going to play great tomorrow. So you’re going to have to go out there and put a really good round together and see if you can catch him.”
Man Utd were soundly beaten by AC Milan in Poland as their pre-season campaign ended in a disappointing defeat against Ruben Amorim’s side.
Manchester United ended pre-season with a 4-2 defeat to AC Milan in Wroclaw, despite leading twice on a day when Marcus Rashford made his return to the fold.
United took the lead inside two minutes when Harry Maguire headed in Bruno Fernandes’ corner, but they didn’t build on that and Milan levelled when Samuel Chukwueze tapped into an empty net.
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Fernandes then missed his second penalty of the week, with Lorenzo Torriani making the save. United were back in front when Patrick Dorgu capitalised on a terrible defensive error, before Alphadjo Cisse equalised for a second time.
Milan then ran away with it. Goncalo Ramos headed them in front and Ruben Loftus-Cheek raced clear to add a fourth goal.
This is how the United players rated in Wroclaw:
Senne Lammens: Brilliant reaction save in the first half but would have been disappointed to concede four and could have done better with Loftus-Cheek’s goal at least. 6
Noussair Mazraoui: Got forward well early on but heat meant that died out. Secure enough at right-back and fine in possession. 6
Harry Maguire: Attacked Fernandes’ corner superbly but got himself in a bad position for Chukwueze’s goal and not the commanding display we’ve become accustomed to. 5
Ayden Heaven: Looks certain to start at Hull now. The odd sloppy pass but everyone seemed to be at it. Defended pretty well in pre-season. 6
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Luke Shaw: Given a going over by Chukwueze and ironically struggled to understand Amorim’s system and how he should approach going up against the wing-back. 4
Andrey Santos: Collided with Maguire in the build-up to the first-half goal and they both ended up on the floor. Could have been a bit more proactive in closing the space. 6
Youri Tielemans: A couple of very sharp passing routines with Fernandes and one wonderful through-ball to Amad. Good in possession but questions over ground coverage off the ball. 6
Amad: His pressing was on point again but that was hard to maintain in this weather. Link-up with Cunha didn’t look as natural as it does with Mbeumo. 6
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Bruno Fernandes: Back on corners after not taking them in Dublin and got an immediate reward. Missed another penalty though, which is a surprise. 6
Patrick Dorgu: His purposeful run and shot in the first minute won the corner from which United scored and capitalised on a mistake in the second half by attacking with intent. 7
Matheus Cunha: Started as a centre-forward and dropped deep to get involved but couldn’t really make his mark on the game in the way Mbeumo has been doing. 5
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Diogo Dalot: Beaten too easily by Ramos for the third goal and one shot blocked. 5
Lisandro Martinez: Eased his way back in and the odd aggressive moment. 6
Kobbie Mainoo: Shook off the rust but wasn’t really involved in the game alongside Tielemans. 5
Shea Lacey: Quiet when he came on. 6
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Marcus Rashford: Tried to make something happen and the best of the subs. 7
Bryan Mbeumo: Couldn’t keep his pre-season run going. 6
Headlining UFC 330 is a welterweight title clash between reigning champion Islam Makhachev and rising contender Ian Machado Garry. Catch preliminary action on Sportsnet360 or Sportsnet+.
Neil Magny (right) celebrates his win over Ramiz Brahimaj (Getty)
Alex Pattle16 August 2026 00:08
What time does Makhachev fight Garry?
The early prelims are in the books (we’ll give you the results in a moment), with the regular prelims about to begin. The main card follows at 2am BST, so Makhachev vs Garry will likely start around 4am BST.
Alex Pattle16 August 2026 00:04
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UFC 330 LIVE: Welcome!
In the co-main event tonight, Mackenzie Dern defends the women’s strawweight title for the first time, taking on Gillian Robertson.
Major championships are won under intense pressure inside the ropes, but their foundation is built on the range. Wyndham Clark’s victory at the 2026 U.S. Open showcased four days of exceptional ball-striking and composure — and was the result of a key swing change that began long before he arrived at Shinnecock Hills.
A key part of that success came from his work with swing coach and GOLF Top 100 Teacher Pat Coyner. Together, they focused on making Clark’s motion more repeatable, starting with his wrist angles, which improved his ability to control the clubface. According to Coyner, one training aid became integral to their work: the ProSENDR.
“Priority No. 1 has been establishing better wrist angles for Wyndham,” Coyner says. “The ProSENDR has been a huge part of this.”
Why do wrist angles matter? Because the position of the lead wrist significantly influences the clubface, affecting where the ball starts and how the club is delivered at impact.
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“The ProSENDR is a great reminder because it limits how much radial deviation he can get at the top,” Coyner says. “It really helped combat any tendency to get his lead wrist extended at the top.”
In simple terms, the goal is to help Clark reach the top of his backswing with less extension in his lead wrist. From there, Clark’s improved wrist position helps him deliver a more consistent clubface angle, which makes it easier to shallow the club in transition and avoid compensations that lead to inconsistent contact.
“Better wrist angles create a better clubface position, and then the width on the downswing shallows his attack and allows him to pivot properly through impact,” Coyner says.
What makes the ProSENDR so valuable, Coyner explains, is not that it forces a golfer into a perfect position. It’s that it provides feedback while still requiring the player to make the change.
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“The best thing about it is Wyndham still has to do the work,” he says, “Some training aids lock you into place, but it doesn’t really translate because the player doesn’t have to do the work. With the ProSENDR, the player has to get themself into the correct position.”
That distinction is important. The best training aids don’t create better swings for golfers. Rather, they help golfers understand what a better swing feels like.
For Clark, that feedback became part of his daily routine — and helped build a swing that held up under major championship pressure.
Mika Godts has officially signed his contract with Paris Saint-Germain, completing his €55 million transfer from Ajax.
The Belgian winger has completed his medical and all final formalities, with both PSG and Ajax signing the necessary documents to complete the deal. Godts will now begin his next chapter in Paris.
The 21-year-old leaves Ajax after establishing himself as one of the club’s most promising attacking players.
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The transfer gives the French champions another dynamic attacking option as they prepare for the new season.
For Godts, the move represents a major step forward in his career and an opportunity to compete for major honours with one of Europe’s leading clubs.
Marcus Rashford’s first moment back in a Manchester United team for 20 months saw him commit a foul, but the intent with which he tried to win possession felt telling on the day when he made his unexpected comeback for his boyhood club
Rashford was introduced for the final half an hour of United’s pre-season friendly with AC Milan in Wroclaw. When Rashford came on, at the same time as five of his United teammates, Ruben Amorim was sat in the dugout for pretty much the only time of the afternoon.
The irony of Rashford returning against Amorim’s new side was heavy, given it was the Portuguese who froze the academy graduate out and appeared to have ended his Old Trafford career. Now Michael Carrick is trying to build bridges and both sides are talking a good game.
The decision to hand Rashford the No.9 shirt here felt telling. It’s a significant number reserved for significant players. While United wanted to make clear it was only a provisional number, it would feel strange to now change it this week. Rashford’s status as a United player might be more provisional with just over two weeks of the window to go.
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He certainly sharpened up after that early foul. His direct running from the left caused Milan’s defenders a problem and he found the space between wing-back Samuel Chukwueze, who was excellent going forward but could be exposed defensively.
At one point, Rashford used his shoulder to force Mario Gila over the ball and then linked up well with Luke Shaw, a left-sided partnership that was once so successful. This cameo certainly offered enough evidence that if he remains at the club he will have a role to play.
He replaced the lively Patrick Dorgu but offered something different and that running did unsettle Milan. You wondered what Amorim made of it as he paced his technical area, regularly taking up that crouched position we saw so often at Old Trafford.
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The Amorim soap opera had begun well before the game kicked off in temperatures in the mid-30s in Wroclaw. The end for him at United came swiftly and after a bust-up with Jason Wilcox, but the two men were seen chatting in the tunnel before kick-off and the conversation seemed amicable.
The presence of the Amazon cameras also added a different dynamic. They were embedded with the United squad and would have been picking up insider footage, with United keen to avoid any flashpoints or awkward moments on camera.
Amorim actually entered this game under a bit of pressure already. His familiar use of the word “suffering” had put Milan supporters on edge and his three pre-season friendlies had been disappointing, including a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea last week.
So he will have taken great delight in this 4-2 victory. It felt strange to see United struggle to contain Milan in Amorim’s 3-4-2-1 shape, when so many of the players had played it under him.
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It had started well, too. When Harry Maguire headed in a Bruno Fernandes corner inside two minutes, it looked like it was going to be a chastening day for Amorim. Fernandes hadn’t taken any corners at Croke Park on Wednesday, but he was back on set-pieces here and made a quick impact.
It may be too soon to take him off penalties, but two misses in four days this week isn’t a great start to the season. After rolling a penalty wide in the shootout against Leeds, he saw his first-half effort saved by Lorenzo Torriani in Poland.
By that point, Milan had equalised for the first time. Harry Maguire and Andrey Santos fell into each other and both ended up on the floor. Goncalo Ramos used the space to square for Chukwueze to score.
Both teams were making sloppy errors in possession and eventually that caught up with Milan. Filippo Terracciano’s pass was perfect for Dorgu and found him in space in front of goal. Unfortunately for Terracciano, they were on opposite teams and Dorgu couldn’t pass up this gift, scoring from close range.
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United again failed to hold an advantage, with Chukwueze’s shot going wide until Alphadjo Cisse turned in at the back post. Chukwueze then got his second assist when his delicate cross was headed in by Ramos. The irony of a wing-back having such a big impact on the game wouldn’t have been lost on United.
By now, Rashford was on, as were Lisandro Martinez and Kobbie Mainoo, and the game quickly got away from United. Again Milan’s system pulled United players out of position and Ruben Loftus-Cheek raced clear to add a fourth goal.
It wasn’t the end to pre-season that Carrick or United wanted. But this could be just the start if Rashford remains at United.
According to Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn, unified light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol is likely to pivot away from a mooted rubber match with Artur Beterbiev.
The two Russians first collided in October 2024, back when Beterbiev emerged with a majority decision victory and became the undisputed king at 175lbs.
An eagerly-anticipated rematch then materialised just over four months later, with Bivol exacting his revenge and winning by the same margins of 116-112 and 115-113.
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A trilogy showdown was therefore expected to be in play, only for Bivol to undergo back surgery and remain out of action until last May.
This successful ring return saw him defend his IBF, WBO and WBA titles with a shutout points victory over Michael Eifert, while Beterbiev has not climbed through the ropes since losing their rematch.
The Matchroom boss revealed this update via his Instagram story, just over a month after Bivol was ordered to defend his WBO belt against Smith.
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💥 Eddie Hearn provides Matchroom updates on IG:
1️⃣ 👀 Callum Smith-Dmitry Bivol likely to be next 2️⃣ 🥊 Catterall has received two other big fight offers since talk of Haney fight 3️⃣ 🔜 Bam to unify in Nov./Dec. 4️⃣ ✅ Vuong recently released 5️⃣ ✍️ New signing TBA this week pic.twitter.com/kDHhPBIIBs
Like Beterbiev, Smith has not fought since February 2025, back when he unanimously outpointed Joshua Buatsi in a Fight of the Year candidate.
He was, of course, supposed to face David Morrell last April, only for the 36-year-old to pull out with an injury and leave his Cuban opponent to suffer a shock defeat against Zak Chelli.
Ireland won two more medals at the European Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Saturday evening.
Kate O’Connor won GOLD in heptathlon, while Andrew Coscoran won BRONZE in the Men’s 1500m Final.
A silver medallist at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo in 2025, O’Connor came into this evening’s final event, the 800m, in the gold medal position, and needed to finish the race within three second of her main rival, Emma Oosterwegel from The Netherlands, to take the gold.
KATE O’CONNOR IS A EUROPEAN GOLD MEDALLIST!
Not only that, she’s beaten the Irish national record.
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She has well and truly written herself into the history books.
The Dutch athlete did her best to take the time out of O’Connor as she led into the final straight and moved on to claim victory in the heptathlon 800m in 2:10.87.
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O’Connor, however, was within a minute of Oosterwegel, crossing the line in 2:11.11, ensuring she claimed the heptathlon gold medal. Sveva Gerevini from Italy, who injected pace into the race down the far side of the track, took second in the race in a time of 2:11.11.
“When I heard cheers like that for me going around those two laps, there was no way I was going to let that gold medal slip through my fingers.”
Kate O’Connor talks to David Gillick after securing European gold in the heptathlon.
The overall result of the women’s heptathlon was gold for O’Connor with 6,751 points, a new National Record. Silver and Bronze went to The Netherlands, with Emma Oosterwegel second with a personal best score of 6,713 points, and Sofie Dokter also claiming a personal best with 6,664 points.
Coscoran Bronze in Men’s 1500m Final
Andrew Coscoran won a surprise bronze medal in the Men’s 1500 Final this evening.
The Balbriggan native and two-time Olympian finished behind Stefan Nillessen of The Netherlands and Samuel Pihlstrom from Sweden.
The gold medallist clocked 3:35.70, with the runner-up 3:36.16, while the Irish record holder at both 1500m and 3000m, Coscoran, stopped the clock at 3:36.24.
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🥇 Stefan Nillessen 🇳🇱 wins GOLD in the men’s 1500m at the European Championships in 3:35.70s.
He made a huge sprint over the final 100m to take the title.
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