LED by the players who powered the country to victory four years ago in Thailand, the Philippine Blu Boys and Blu Girls are out to reaffirm the country’s softball supremacy in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games this November in Indonesia. Jun Veloso, the operations manager of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines, said the absence of softball in the 2009 Games in Laos left the national men’s and women’s teams hungrier for the crown.
"Mas uhaw ang mga bata ngayon kasi nga di sila nakapaglaro at di na-idepensa ang korona two years ago," Veloso said in the SCOOP session recently at the Kamayan Padre Faura.
Softball was not played in Laos, along with other sports like basketball, due to the absence of facilities.
Twelve members of the team that won in Thailand in 2007 have been retained while seven members of the Blu Girls squad that also triumphed that year are back to carry the country’s colors in Indonesia.
Baloy Pagkaliwagan, Vic Enriquez, Apolonio Rosales, Mark Rae Ramirez, Jasper Cabrera, Anthony Santos, Darius Bacarisas, Oscar Earnshaw Isidro Abello, Ben Maravilles and Orlando Binarao of the 2007 team have again been tapped this year.
The news faces in the team, to be coached anew by Zacarias Bacarisas, are youthful hurler Leo Barredo, adjudged the 10th best pitcher in the 2009 World men’s championship in Canada; George Marquez and Jerome Bacarisas.
Leading the Blu Girls are Syrel Ramos, Joy Lasquite, Cora Sobere, Sarah Agravante, Sherilyn Valenzuela, Dione Macasu, Esmeralda Tayag, Elma Parohinog and Lovelyn Maganda.
They will be joined though by veterans Alex Zuluaga, Krissie Drilon, Anavic Jugos and Marlyn Francisco. Rookies Joan Pioquinto and Cheska Almonte rounded out coach Ana Santiago’s Blu Girls roster.
Veloso also announced the National Open men’s and women’s championships will be held in La Trinidad in Benguet, the second straight year the province, under Gov. Nestor Fongwan, will host the annual affair.
This year’s Open, which might draw the participation of at least three Asean countries– ingapore, Indonesia and Brunei—will be held under the aegis of the Cebuana Lhuillier group of companies owned by the family of ASA-Phil president Jean Henri Lhuillier.
"The three countries have signified their intention to take part and we in the ASA-Phil are waiting for their official confirmation," Veloso said.
Eddie Alinea, Business Malaya Insight
