2023 Men's Softball Asia Cup: PH Blu Boys beat India, Chinese Taipei for strong start
2023-Jun-26 12:31
2024-Jul-14 11:01
TOUCHDOWN, NIPPON. The Philippine Blu Boys in their arrival in Kochi, Japan to represent the flag in the 2023 Men's Softball Asia Cup. PHOTO: Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines/Facebook
The Philippine men's national softball team, nicknamed Blu Boys, scored twin victories on the opening day of the 2023 Men's Softball Asia Cup on Sunday, June 25, after beating India and Chinese Taipei at Haruno Softball Stadium in Kochi, Japan.
The Philippines took down India, 5-1, before closing the day with a 7-1 blowout win against Chinese Taipei for a 2-0 start in the four-day festivities in the Land of the Rising Sun.
The six-team tournament is scheduled until Wednesday, June 28, with the Philippines, Japan, Chinese Taipei, Singapore, Hong Kong, and India battling for the top honors.
Japan is the winningest country with nine golds, while the Philippines had three and the rest are yet to win a title.
On Monday, June 26, the Blu Boys will take on fellow Southeast Asian (SEA) country Singapore at 11:30 a.m. and host and defending champion Japan at 2 p.m.
Backed by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL), the Philippines consists of the following players: John Israel Antonio, Jerome Bacarisas, Leo Barredo, Denmark Bathan, Melvin De Castro, Lyonas De Leon, Juliuz Dela Cruz, Mark Janzen Gaspi, Francis Generoso, John Norwen Lucas, Efril Ian Mercado, Micheal Pagkaliwagan, Reagan Parco, Gerone Riparir, Justine John Rosales, and Kenneth Torres.
Three ASAPHIL teams qualified for the following global softball tournaments: the WBSC Women's Softball World Cup, the WBSC Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball World Cup, and the WBSC World Cup Under Girls-15 Women's Softball.