Blu Girls target podium finish

MANILA, Philippines — Gaining confidence from their solid showing against Top 10 teams in the world in two previous tournaments, the Philippine Blu Girls set out for a podium finish in the coming 11th Asian Women’s Softball Championship in Chinese Taipei.

“The team is ready and we’re looking at showing what Philippine softball is all about and giving it our best and battling it out for top honors,” said Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines president and PJ Lhuillier Group of Companies president Jean Henri Lhuillier said during yesterday’s send-off.

“We’re not going there just to participate; we’re going there to get a medal. We’ve been preparing for so long for this,” said Blu Girls coach Randy Dizer.

The Blu Girls, who stunned world No. 3 Canada, No. 4 Australia and No. 10 Mexico when they competed in the World Cup of Softball in Florida and Canada Cup in Canada last summer, aim to sustain their top form in the Nov. 28-Dec. 5 Asian tilt in Taichung City.

Phl is bunched with top-ranked Japan and Korea in the Asian meet, where a Top 3 finish will qualify them for next year’s World Championships, the first of three qualifying tourneys for the 2020 Olympics. If they fail to make it to the worlds, the Pinay softbelles can try again in the Asia-Oceania Tournament and World Open Tournament.

“It will be a tough road but we’re gonna try,” said Lhuillier.

“We’ve been preparing tirelessly for this upcoming tournament because this is our opportunity to qualify for more matches, including the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, which is the ultimate goal. We will certainly give our best to win and bring honor to the Philippines,” said Blu Girls mainstay Cheska Altomonte.