Blue Girls bat for Asian Games breakthrough
MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine Blu Girls hope to end their heartbreak in the Asian Games.
With renewed spirit, the team is looking to finally clinch a podium finish in the 20th edition of the quadrennial showcase set in Nagoya, Japan from September 19 to October 4.
Thrice in the past, the Blu Girls made the semifinals and were all in contention in the battle for the bronze.
And thrice too, their bid to reach the podium were all denied.
“This Asian Games pinapangako namin sa mga sarili namin na yung iyak namin happy tears naman this time,” said team captain Charlotte Sales as she was joined by co-captain Royevel Palma and assistant coach Rizza Bernardino in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room on Tuesday.
“Yung huli (2023 Hangzhou) heartbroken pa rin kaming lahat kasi natalo pa rin kami sa bronze medal match,” she said of the 3-2 loss the Philippines suffered at the hands of Chinese Taipei.
But the entire team of 12 local players and five Filipino-Americans are determined to break the jinx this time.
“Hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa. And hard work talaga kami na makuha talaga yung goal namin na podium (finish),” added Palma, who was with both teams that fell short in 2018 (Jakarta) and 2023, respectively.
Bernardino, a former Blu Girl herself, announced in the same Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, and the country’s 24/7 sports app ArenaPlus, that the team is slated to hold another training camp in Japan prior to its stint in the Asiad.
The Blu Girls are coming off a fifth place finish in the just concluded WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup in Peru, Lima in a performance that was also enhanced by a similar training camp in Japan.
“Naging maganda yung training camp kasi ang daming nag-improve (sa team). Maraming tinuro sa amin yung Japan team. Hindi sila madamot magbigay ng skills and anything na makakatulong sa amin,” said Bernardino.
Currently training at the Polo Club, the Blu Girls will leave for the training camp on August 21, after which they will go straight to Nagoya for the softball competitions that kick off on September 26.
As expected, the host country is the favorite to win a seventh straight gold since bagging its first during the 2002 Busan Asiad.
The format remains the same, according to Bernardino, where the eight teams play a single round robin and then the top four will advance to the semis.
Other countries seeing action aside from the host and the Philippines are Chinese Taipei, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Thailand. (PSA pool story)
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