Blu Boys edge India, Chinese Taipei to boost World Cup bid

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippines hammered out a pair of smashing opening day victories over India and Chinese Taipei in the WBSC Men’s Softball Asia Cup in Kochi, Japan that bolstered its World Cup bid.

The Cebuana Lhuillier-bankrolled Blu Boys were ruthless against the Indians in the 5-1 victory and completed the double-header with another merciless 7-1 bashing of the Taiwanese that kept their slate unblemished.

They could keep their record pristine and their chances of claiming one of the three slots to the World Cup if the Filipinos could hurdle their next two formidable foes — 2019 Southeast Asian Games champion Singapore and powerhouse Japan.

The team is composed of 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 with Jasper Cabrera and Isidro Abella as coaches.

“The Blu Boys have trained so hard for this. It has been an absolute delight watching the team grow to be a formidable squad. We will be here supporting the Blu Boys all the way to the finish,” said Philippine softball chief Jean Henri Lhuillier.

Already, the country has qualified three national teams in the World Cup — Blu Girls, Co-ed slo-pitch and women’s Under-15.

And the Blu Boys are hopeful they would be the fourth to achieve such feat.