Junior Blu Girls gear up for Asian Softball tilt

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines braces for a stiff challenge from seven of the region’s strongest junior softball squads when the seventh Asian Junior (19-and-under) Women’s Softball Championship is fired off May 13 at The Villages Softball Field in Clark, Pampanga.

The Junior Girls drew a busy schedule right in the opener as they take on the Chinese side in Game 1 and will face the Thais in Game 5. Other countries participating in the week-long meet are Chinese-Taipei, India, South Korea, Malaysia and powerhouse Japan.

The country will be hosting the event for the first time under the leadership of Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (AsaPhil) headed by president and long-time sports patron Jean Henri Lhuillier.

“We have consistently displayed a strong showing in softball across all front in the past years, even surprising the other Asian countries and winning their admiration and respect,” said Lhuillier, referring to the Blu Girls’ back-to-back victories in 2017, a silver medal in the 11th Asian Women’s Softball Championship in Taiwan, and the Blu Boys’ silver medal feat in the 10th Asian Men’s Softball Championship in Indonesia.

In other opening day matches, fancied Japan will play against Malaysia and Korea.