Justin Brownlee brought down China almost singlehandedly in the semifinals of the last Asian Games. —PSC-POC MEDIA POOL

Being the defending champion has put a big target on the back of Gilas Pilipinas ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month.

Gilas will be heading to Japan with a lineup different from the ones coach Tim Cone usually assembles in Fiba competitions, while also getting an early test in its campaign after being grouped with powerhouse China.

“Everybody knows the rivalry that we have with China. And I think it’s definitely in their heads, what happened to them last time out,” Chris Newsome said. “So we got to understand that they’re going to come with it.”

The Philippines ended a 61-year gold drought in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, with its biggest win coming by way of a massive comeback against the host nation in the semifinals on Justin Brownlee’s back-to-back triples in the dying seconds.

Newsome was also part of that squad, which eventually saw Gilas secure the gold by defeating Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan in the final.

Gilas will also face Bahrain and Kazakhstan in Group C, where the top two teams are guaranteed to advance to the quarterfinals.

“We’ve got to be ready for that punch that they’re going to have. Everybody, for that matter, had that target on the Philippines as the defending champs,” Newsome said. “And we just really got to accept the challenge, and know what lies ahead.”

Coach Tim Cone has hinted that the Gilas roster will comprise an all-PBA lineup, with players based in Japan and South Korea unavailable.

New faces are expected to don the Gilas jersey for the Asiad, with names like Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum, San Miguel Beer’s Don Trollano and Jerrick Ahanmisi, Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield and Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero part of the pool.

Cone added that there’ll be additional players from his regular pool who will continue representing Gilas after the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Before the Asian Games, Gilas will be facing Jordan and Iran on Friday and Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena to start off the second round of qualification.

Gilas has been preparing for exactly a week since the team gathered last Monday at the San Miguel Corporation Sports Complex.

Last Thursday, Gilas prevailed over Korean Basketball League side Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Pheobus, 81-76, in a tuneup game. INQ

Barcelona captain Raphinha faced the media after scoring twice in an impressive 5-0 win for Hansi Flick’s side against Elche on Sunday night.

The Spanish champions opened up their campaign in style, with Raphinha opening the scoring from the penalty spot and then producing a Spiderman celebration – leading many to think about Julian Alvarez.

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Raphinha was quizzed on his celebration after the game but insisted it was for his son and not the Atletico forward.

“The Spiderman? It’s for my son , and he asked me to make it because he really likes it now,” he said after the game.

After seeing Barcelona win 5-0, Raphinha was also asked if Barcelona really need a No. 9 and answered: “This is up to the president, Deco, and the manager. We’ll do whatever he says with determination. We have the ability to play in any position.”

Barcelona are still believed to be keen to sign a new striker before the transfer window closes.

Yet Flick’s side showed on Sunday that goalscoring is not a problem with the likes of Raphinha, Karim Adeyemi, Anthony Gordon, Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal around.

The Super Weekend 1 of the BGMI Masters Series (BGMS) Season 5 concluded on August 23, 2026. The top eight teams have advanced to the Super Weekend 2. Team Tamilas secured first place in the overall standings with 267 points and two Chicken Dinners in the first weekend. The squad showed its gameplay consistency across the three days of the stage and ended up in the prime spot.

Wyld Fangs came second with 229 points and one Chicken Dinner. The Sensei-led squad saw an average start to the first weekend but managed to improve its gameplay in the last 12 games and jumped to the second rank on the scoreboard. Team Soul also had a fantastic run, as the Nakul-led lineup ranked third with 227 points, including 113 kills.

Overall standings of BGMS S5 Super Weekend 1

1. Team Tamilas – 268 points
2. Wyld Fangs – 229 points
3. Team Soul – 227 points
4. Nebula Esports – 218 points
5. Elite Nova – 200 points
6. Myth Official – 197 points
7. Team Outrage – 189 points
8. GodLike Esports – 185 points
9. Apex Gaming – 181 points
10. Gladiators Esports – 176 points
11. Orangutan – 174 points
12. Reckoning Esports – 173 points
13. Genesis Esports – 166 points
14. Rapid Chaos – 156 points
15. Zero Ark – 150 points
16. Epigrotive Gaming – 124 points

Nebula Esports, led by Aadi, ended up in fourth place with 218 points at the end of the BGMS Super Weekend 1. The team faltered a bit on Day 3.

Elite Nova came fifth with 200 points and two Chicken Dinners. Myth Esports secured the sixth position with 197 points despite winning four Chicken Dinners. Team Outrage, led by Omega, came seventh with 189 points, including 98 eliminations.

GodLike saw a nice start to the BGMS Super Weekend 1 but stumbled subsequently. Still, the Manya-led lineup improved its performance and secured 185 points by the time the phase ended. These eight teams have advanced to the Super Weekend 2.

Team Apex Gaming, led by Jelly, ended up in ninth place with 181 points and two Chicken Dinners. The team struggled on the last day and failed to qualify for the next Super Weekend from this stage. Gladiators Esports was inconsistent, as it finished 10th with 176 points and three Chicken Dinners.

Orangutan and Reckoning were 11th and 12th with 174 and 173 points, respectively. Genesis ranked 13th with 166 points. Rapid Chaos came 14th with 156 points. Zero Ark and Epigrotive were in the bottom two spots with 150 and 124 points, respectively, when the BGMS Super Weekend 1 ended.