DAEGU — Even with his club having played seven postseason games in a 10-day span starting in the final week of October, Samsung Lions manager Park Jin-man said Friday he was not worried about his players' fatigue level. The Lions knocked off the Kia Tigers in a hard-fought, five-game series in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) postseason last week to advance to the Korean Series against the KT Wiz. The Lions had just one day off before starting the championship round, and lost the series opener 8-7 on Tuesday at KT Wiz Park in Suwon, just south of Seoul. But the Lions bounced back the next day for a 3-2 win in 12 innings. Before Friday's Game 3, Park said the extra-inning victory provided a much-needed boost to his clubhouse. "Our guys are really determined and the vibe is awesome after we won the second game the way we did," Park said at his pregame media availability at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. "In the postseason, you just have to lean on your mental strength to play a 12-inning game one night and come back to play an afternoon game the next da

DAEGU — In pursuit of his first championship ring in his 23-year career, Samsung Lions catcher Kang Min-ho said Friday he is playing in the Korean Series through an oblique injury. He has been clearly hampered by the pain on his left side, unable to put much behind his swings, but the 41-year-old said he is doing "whatever I can to help the team." "I am doing what I can to keep getting into games," Kang said after his batting practice before Game 3 of the series against the KT Wiz at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in Daegu, some 230 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The best-of-seven series is tied at one game apiece. "I am dealing with a lot of pain when I am swinging the bat but I will still try to do my best," Kang added. "I also want to help out on the defensive side and keep the other team from scoring." He was guarded about revealing the extent of his injury, saying he had torn a muscle on his left side but adding, "It is not something I want to go around and tell people about." Kang has gone 0-for-4 with a strikeout in the first two games of the series so far. He has been seen grabbing hi

DAEGU — Before the Korean Series started this week, it appeared as though the KT Wiz would have an advantage in the battle of the bullpens over the Samsung Lions. After all, the Wiz boasted their All-Star closer Park Yeong-hyun, who finished third in the Korea Baseball Organization (KBO) with 30 saves in the regular season. The Lions, on the other hand, were without their own All-Star closer Kim Jae-yoon, who led the league with 35 saves but was ruled out of the postseason in October due to an upper body injury. Also working in the Wiz's favor was that their pitchers would be well rested for the Korean Series because the team earned a bye to the championship round by virtue of finishing first in the regular season. The Korean Series started three weeks after their last regular-season game. The Lions, as the No. 2 seed, had to play an extra round in the postseason, and they battled the Kia Tigers to the full five games last week to earn their ticket to the Korean Series. In the first two games of the Korean Series, though, the Lions have had better performances from their relievers tha

The KT Wiz welcomed one injured player back to their lineup but lost two others for the third game of the Korean Series on Friday. The Wiz and the Samsung Lions are tied at 1-1 in the best-of-seven championship battle, with Game 3 set for Friday evening at Daegu Samsung Lions Park in the southeastern city of Daegu. Wiz's second baseman Kim Sang-su, who sat out Game 2 after fouling a pitch off his foot in the first game, drew back into the lineup for Friday. But Choi Won-jun, the team's leadoff man and right fielder, was held out of the lineup after getting banged up during Game 2. He crashed into the wall trying to catch a flyball hit by Lewin Diaz that ended up being a triple, and Wiz manager Lee Kang-chul said Choi has some swelling in his left thumb. Choi throws right and bats left. Choi batted 4-for-10 with a double and a steal in the first two games. He finished second in the regular season with 208 hits -- the second-highest single-season total in Korea Baseball Organization history. "He told me he would be fine but I didn't think he would be able to play defense in his condition,"

Andrew Wright fears that leading triathletes could desert the sport to compete in “simpler and easier” Hyrox, which this week inched closer to Olympic recognition. Hong Kong head coach Wright, whose team are set for a World Cup leg on Central Harbourfront this weekend, did not, however, share the concerns of triathletes who have voiced concerns over Hyrox potentially ousting their sport from the Games programme, after it announced a strategic partnership with World Triathlon. Max Stapley, Great...

The San Miguel Beermen forced a deciding Game 5 in their PBA Governors" Cup quarterfinal series after escaping Barangay Ginebra, 108-102, on Friday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

MANILA, Philippines — Jose Rizal University took the upper hand in a tight race on top of Group A with a crucial 85-79 victory over College of Saint Benilde despite the return of two-time NCAA Most Valuable Player Allen Liwag to the Blazers lineup on Friday in the NCAA Season 102 men’s basketball tournament  at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan City. The Heavy Bombers finished the elims with a 10-3 record to assure themselves of placing in the top two spots of Group A and a twice-to-beat incentive in the quarterfinal round. St. Benilde, on the other hand, dropped to 8-4 but with one game left in their schedule, the Blazers have a chance to claim second place in Group A and the second quarterfinals incentive. Standing on the Blazers way are the Red Lions of San Beda who are currently in second place with a 9-3 record. They are slated to collide on the last day of the elimination round on Tuesday. A victory by the Blazers would give them the No. 2 spot by virtue of the winner-over-the-other rule while a loss would relegate them to third place.  However, a win by the Red Lions on Tuesday would catapult them to first place and relegate the Heavy Bombers to second place in Group A. Both of them, however, will have the twice-to-beat incentive against respective foes in the next round.  On Friday, JRU was led by Lawrence Mangubat who scored a game-high 27 points even as Sean Salvador and Jahmir Eligado added 16 points each. St. Benilde, on the other hand, was led by John Morales who scored 16 points.  Liwag, who returned after missing the first 11 games this season, scored only six points.

Jose Rizal University clinched a twice-to-beat advantage in the quarterfinals after defeating De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, 85-79, in the NCAA Season 102 men"s basketball tournament.

San Miguel Beer relied on a massive 46-point, third quarter scoring rampage to turn back Barangay Ginebra, 108-102, on Friday en route to forging a winner-take-all Game 5 in their PBA Season 50 Governors’ Cup quarterfinal series at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Import George King dropped 18 points in the third period while Chris Ross scored 13, highlighted by six assists as the two led the Beermen’s 46-18 third quarter exchange to erase a 17-point deficit with a lot to spare. King would go on to finish with 35 points, 15 rebounds and five assists. The 41-year-old Ross played like an energetic young gun as he finished with 20 points, six rebounds, nine assists and five steals in 37 minutes of action. CJ Perez added 14 points, six rebounds and six assists, Don Trollano had 12, while June Mar Fajardo chipped in eight points and 11 boards. Scottie Thompson led Ginebra with 27 points, 11 rebounds, four assists and four steals. Jordan Murphy added 17 points and 22 rebounds while Troy Rosario added 15 and nine. San Miguel hopes to complete its comeback from a 0-2 series deficit with another win come next Tuesday when it faces Barangay Ginebra in a rubber match at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City for the right to face defending champion TNT in the semifinal series.

Hong Kong tennis chief Michael Cheng Ming-git revealed plans to improve the skills of young players by sending them overseas to a training centre in Europe. Teenage players who were on the professional tennis path would be expected to spend several years playing at a higher level outside Hong Kong in Spain because “that is the only way up” in the game, according to Cheng. Spain was chosen as the location for the training centre because of its competitive environment and track record of producing...

NCAA Season 102 Men’s Basketball Tournament JRU def. Benilde, 85-79 Lawrence Mangubat Player of the Game #NCAASeason102

LIVE: Alex Eala vs Antonia Ruzic – Hong Kong Open quarterfinals MANILA, Philippines–Alex Eala’s bid to reach the semifinals of the Hong Kong Tennis Open will go through Antonia Ruzic of Croatia. Their first career meeting is scheduled for Friday as the last quarterfinal match on Center Court. Eala reached the quarterfinals for the second