Record field vies in Cebuana softball meet

MANILA, Philippines - A record field of 41 teams, including 23 in the women’s side, will be slugging it out for top honors in the 2014 Cebuana Lhuillier Summer Grandslam 8 Softball Championship, an annual gathering of the country’s top men’s and women’s softball teams, set to fire off Monday.

Spicing up the week-long event, hosted by Marikina City, headed by softball supporter Mayor Del de Guzman, will be the participation of four foreign teams, including three from Singapore and Brunei.

The Lakidende team from Indonesia has begged off from defending the men’s Open division crown after failing to form a competitive team this year.

Reigning UAAP titlist Adamson University-1, meanwhile, is all set to defend the women’s Open crown.

The men’s Open division is tipped to be a wide-open competition among the two Philippine Air Force teams, Philippine Navy, Cebu City and two Singaporean squads while Adamson U-2, winner in the women’s  club division last year, National University, University of the Philippines, Rizal Technological University, Chikara of Brunei and a Singaporean team will be out to foil Adamson-1’s title-retention drive.

“ Softball, particularly women’s softball, is an event where the Philippines is among the top teams in Asia and we are encouraged by the record turnout of women’s teams in the this year’s Sumemr Grandslam 8 since we initiated this event in 2007,” said Amateur Softball Association of the Phils. (AsaPhil) president and sportsman Jean Henri Lhuillier, who is expected to grace the opening rites of the evetn backed by Pera Padala, Le Soleil de Boracay, Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions, Phiten and Just Jewels.