‘Whatever you paid, it was worth it’: The agony and the ecstasy of the game of the season

The Sydney Morning Herald - Sep 19, 2026

For just under three hours on a balmy Melbourne September evening, a mammoth partisan crowd of 97,835 were treated to a game that had absolutely everything.

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Matchday Live: Gillingham v Bristol Rovers, Dover v Folkestone, Tonbridge v Ramsgate

Sep 19, 2026

Matchday Live: Gillingham v Bristol Rovers, Dover v Folkestone, Tonbridge v Ramsgate

Follow today’s football action, including Gillingham at home to Bristol Rovers, in our live blog.

NRL Highlights: Roosters v Sharks - Finals Week 2

Sep 19, 2026

NRL Highlights: Roosters v Sharks - Finals Week 2

The Sydney Roosters host the Cronulla Sharks in Finals Week 2 of the 2026 NRL Premiership at Allianz Stadium, Sydney.

Nawaqanitawase reacts to Mulitalo banner

Sep 19, 2026

Nawaqanitawase reacts to Mulitalo banner

Mark Nawaqanitawase thanks Ronaldo Mulitalo for their rivalry.

DCE reflects on regrets from Panthers loss

Sep 19, 2026

DCE reflects on regrets from Panthers loss

Daly Cherry-Evans explains how he moved on from the Panthers loss to inflict damage on the Sharks.

Organizing committee apologizes for playing N. Korean anthem at S. Korean hockey match

Sep 19, 2026

Organizing committee apologizes for playing N. Korean anthem at S. Korean hockey match

NAGOYA, Japan — The organizing committee of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games has apologized for mistakenly playing the North Korean anthem at a South Korean hockey match, the South Korean sports governing body said Saturday. Before the men's Pool A match against Bangladesh at Gifu Prefectural Green Stadium in Gifu, Japan, on Friday, the North Korean anthem was played instead of South Korea's. The match organizers then played Bangladesh's anthem before playing the South Korean anthem later. Right after the incident, the Korean Sport & Olympic Committee (KSOC) lodged an official complaint with the organizing committee over the anthem mix-up, demanding an official apology and prevention of a recurrence. "Around 9 p.m. later that day, two officials from the Asian Games organizing committee visited the South Korean team office and offered an official apology for the error in playing the anthem," the KSOC said in a release. KSOC President Ryu Seung-min said the KSOC will keep making efforts to help South Korean athletes focus entirely on their competitions without being distracted by issues unrel

S. Korea beats Hong Kong to begin women's handball competition

Sep 19, 2026

S. Korea beats Hong Kong to begin women's handball competition

INAZAWA, Japan — South Korea started its women's handball tournament at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games with a big win on Saturday. Coached by Lee Kye-chung, South Korea defeated Hong Kong 48-16 at Entrio in Inazawa, just northwest of the main host city, Nagoya, Japan. South Korea led 5-2 early and then went on an 11-2 run to blow the game wide open. Lee Won-jung led the way with nine goals and Jeon Ji-yeon chipped in eight goals. A dozen players had at least a goal for South Korea. The women's handball tournament this time will not feature a knockout stage. The top three teams among the seven in action after round-robin play will take home medals. South Korea will next play Kazakhstan on Sunday, Uzbekistan on Wednesday, China on Friday, Vietnam next Saturday and Japan on Sept. 27. Barring upsets along the way, the South Korea-Japan showdown will likely determine the gold medal. South Korea won gold medals in 2014 and 2018, but lost to Japan in the final of the 2023 competition. During the pregame ceremony, the anthems for both teams were not played. The organizers here also had an anthem bung

Lee Jun-suk reaches men's teqball final

Sep 19, 2026

Lee Jun-suk reaches men's teqball final

NAGOYA, Japan — South Korea's Lee Jun-suk reached the final of the men's singles in teqball at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games Saturday, securing at least a silver medal in the sport that made its debut at the continental multisport event. Lee was leading 12-10 and 3-2 against Zaid Eidan of Kuwait in the men's teqball semifinals at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagoya City Higashi Sports Center in northern Nagoya, Japan, when the opponent retired due to a thigh injury. He will face Ali Jalil Mezher Alelayawi of Iraq in the final slated for Sunday. Lee has been undefeated since the preliminary round. After winning all five matches in the group round, Lee beat Kudaiberdi Abdilazizovich Aidarbekov of Kyrgyzstan 2-0 (12-2, 12-1) in the quarterfinals. In the first set, Lee came back from an early 4-0 deficit. Thanks to his kicks and the opponent's errors, he evened the score and extended the lead to 10-6. Despite losing some points, Lee successfully held off Eidan's rally and closed out the set 12-10. When Lee was leading 3-2 in the second set, Eidan retired from the match. Invented in Hungary

Former K League player Ahn Young-hak makes surprise Asian Games appearance to support NK team

Sep 19, 2026

Former K League player Ahn Young-hak makes surprise Asian Games appearance to support NK team

Former member of the North Korean national football team Ahn Young-hak, who also played in the K League, made a rare appearance in Japan to watch and support his former teammates and younger players at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. Ahn attended the men's Group B opening match between China and North Korea on Wednesday at Wave Stadium Kariya in Kariya, Aichi Prefecture. Born in 1978 in Kurashiki, Okayama Prefecture, near Hiroshima, Ahn is a third-generation Korean resident of Japan. Ahn, who played for North Korea at international tournaments, made 40 appearances for the national team between 2002 and 2012, scoring three goals. He made his professional debut with J.League club Albirex Niigata in 2002 and later played for Nagoya Grampus. In 2006, he joined K League club Busan I'Park, beginning his football career in South Korea. He spent two years with Suwon Samsung Bluewings from 2008 before returning to the J.League with Omiya Ardija in 2010. Ahn, who met with Xportsnews at halftime, said he has been working as a youth soccer coach since retiring as a player. "I run football classes

'We used to talk like sisters': Ji So-yun reflects on changed ties with NK players

Sep 19, 2026

'We used to talk like sisters': Ji So-yun reflects on changed ties with NK players

Ji So-yun of Suwon FC Women, who is entering her 20th year as a member of South Korea's national team, expressed regret over the complete lack of communication with North Korean women's national team players, despite the two teams staying at the same hotel. "When I played at my first Asian Games in Doha in 2006, the North Korean players were like older sisters to me because I was the youngest. We became close and talked a lot," 35-year-old Ji said, reflecting on how interaction between players from the two Koreas has been cut off even at international sporting events where they share a common language. Ji made the remarks after South Korea's 6-0 win over Bangladesh in the second Group F match of the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games at Nagai Stadium in Osaka on Thursday. "But now, the North Korean players have become much more stiff in their attitude. Even when we greet them first, they don't respond." The change in relations between the two teams has been particularly noticeable at this year's Games, as they are staying at the same hotel. At every meal, Ji can hear North Korean players spea

‘He apologised’: It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different

Sep 19, 2026

‘He apologised’: It was another night of finals misery for Nicho Hynes. This time it was different

Nicho Hynes found a new way to suffer a brutal finals exit on Saturday, copping a head knock inside the opening two minutes. It was a cruel blow for one of the NRL’s most maligned players.

36ers win heart-stopper over United as NBA season opens

Sep 19, 2026

36ers win heart-stopper over United as NBA season opens

The highly anticipated Bryce Cotton-Cole Anthony duel didn't disappoint as the 36ers started the Trevor Gleeson era with a heart-stopping win over Melbourne.

Roosters fans mock Mulitalo

Sep 19, 2026

Roosters fans mock Mulitalo

Sydney Roosters fans reveal a poster mocking Ronaldo Mulitalo amid his rivalry with Mark Nawaqanitawase.

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