The Philippines’ bench celebrates after a win against Kazakhstan. —SAMAHANG BASKETBOL NG PILIPINAS via Asian Games 2026

The Philippines will face a huge obstacle in its bid to keep its title defense alive in the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games—a Great Wall, in fact.

Gilas Pilipinas kept its hopes afloat with a 109-78 victory over Kazakhstan on Saturday, but whether or not the Filipinos get to keep fighting for their crown will depend on the outcome against a familiar—and smarting—continental rival.

Robert Bolick delivered for Gilas, scoring 13 of his 20 points in the first half, when the Filipinos pulled away and bounced back after a shock 69-65 defeat to Bahrain in their opening tiff.

And the Gilas captain had every reason to feel good about himself after a sluggish showing during the two blowout losses against South Korea in Suwon prior to the Games and after failing to make an impact against Bahrain.

Bolick was a game-time decision after playing through a knee injury in the Bahrain matchup. Coach Tim Cone had said that Bolick got hurt during warmups.

Revenge in mind

Up next for the Philippines is China, which the country shamed in the last Asian Games in Hangzhou. China led by 20 on its home floor in the semifinal duel between the two Asian rivals, before Justin Brownlee sparked a comeback that resulted in a stunning Gilas win.

A win by the Philippines will assure the team a spot in the quarterfinals. A loss to China, which is aching for payback, could still leave a side door open for the Filipinos, who need to be the best third-placers to qualify.

The Philippines and Iran from Group B are currently at 1-1 while Saudi Arabia is at 0-2 in Group A.

Gilas, however, cannot afford a huge loss to China, which beat Bahrain, 105-59 earlier in the day. Bahrain takes on Kazakhstan on Monday.

Bolick wasn’t the only player who stepped up for the Philippines.

Jerrick Ahanmisi dropped three consecutive triples during a key stretch in the fourth that helped Gilas stretch its lead after Kazakhstan kept knocking on the door in the second half.

Ahanmisi added a fourth before the buzzer, ending as the game’s top scorer with 22 points.

Coach Tim Cone curiously handed the reins of the team to his assistant, Richard del Rosario, who had been one of those in charge of the Asian Games team while Cone was busy with the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

And allowing Del Rosario to call the shots seemed to have worked well for Gilas. INQ

Arsenal maintain their 100% start to their Premier League season with a win at Sunderland, who mount an admirable push for a point before Bukayo Saka’s penalty puts the result beyond doubt.

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NEW DELHI: India captain Harmanpreet Kaur wants her team to keep things simple and trust their strengths when they face Sri Lanka in the Women’s Asia Cup final on Sunday. India and Sri Lanka have been the two best teams in the tournament and will now meet for the title. Harmanpreet believes there is very little between the two sides.“Whenever you are playing a match which is so important to win the tournament, that day it is all about just playing on your strength and backing your strength,” Harmanpreet said at the pre-final press conference.“Rather than trying too many things and thinking of doing something extraordinary, it is all about sticking to your strength, backing yourself and trusting your gut feeling.”Sri Lanka defeated India in the final of the previous edition two years ago. However, Harmanpreet does not see Sunday’s game as a contest between a stronger and weaker team.

‘It is all about playing good cricket’

Sri Lanka produced a strong performance in the 2024 final. India scored 165, but Sri Lanka chased down the target with eight wickets in hand.“Last time when we played against Sri Lanka, they came up with some really solid plans and solid performances. T20 is all about on a given day who is going to play the best cricket, they are going to win,” she said.“There is no doubt about any team being stronger or any team being lesser than anyone. It is all about playing good cricket on an important day.”

India happy with team effort

Harmanpreet has been pleased with the way different players have stepped up at different stages of the tournament.“Everyone in the team is very important and their contribution means a lot to us. It is good to see that whoever is getting the opportunity, they are coming up with some really solid performances,” she said.“Our batting unit came up in difficult situations and still managed to get runs on the board, while whenever we are bowling, our bowlers have come up with some really solid performances.”

Batters need to spend time at the crease

Harmanpreet admitted that batting on the Dubai surface has not been easy. She said India’s batters will need to spend some time at the crease before going for big shots.“This pitch is a little tough to bat on, but at the same time we just need to back ourselves, back our strength. We know we have such a good batting lineup,” she said.“Whoever is doing well on that day should take the responsibility and finish the game for the team.”

Settled batter must take responsibility

Harmanpreet also praised Sri Lanka’s bowling attack and said their ability to execute their plans has made them effective on the Dubai surface.“You have to really spend some time and then you can go for your shot. Whoever is settled, that person needs to take the responsibility and play till the end,” she said.India will also have to deal with Sri Lankan opener Chamari Athapaththu, who can change a game quickly. Harmanpreet said India will look to dismiss her early but will not focus only on her.“We definitely want to take her wicket as soon as possible because we know how dangerous she is when she is batting. We want to come up with some solid plans against her, not only against her, but all the batters,” she said.

Harmanpreet not worried about toss

Harmanpreet said she does not want to put pressure on herself over the toss, as it is something a captain cannot control.“I don’t put any pressure on myself because toss is something which I feel is not in my control. We have been playing here for almost two weeks. We know the conditions, the pitch, and I think it is all about trusting your plans, trusting your gut feeling and backing them,” she said.The India captain also wants her players to stay calm and avoid unnecessary mistakes in the final.“We have seen whenever we are trying to do something special or something extraordinary, we have always made so many mistakes,” she said.“Tomorrow’s match is all about trusting yourself and trying to make fewer mistakes on the field. The team which makes fewer mistakes in an important game has more chances to win.”

India hope for strong fan support

Harmanpreet is also hoping Indian fans turn up in large numbers and give the team an extra boost during the final.“They have been our biggest strength whenever we are playing. They come and cheer for us. They play a big part in our lives,” she said.“When the stadium is packed, you feel more positive and you want to do more for your team. They mean a lot to us and hopefully they will come and cheer for the teams tomorrow.”

Teams from the West compete in 22 games in Week Two.

You probably won’t have time to watch them all, but fortunately, you don’t have to—you can read about them.

Here are brief game summaries for each matchup.

[[2026 SuperWest Combined College Football Standings]]

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