TWENTY three teams will compete in the National Open Softball Championships slated May 1 to 7 in Baguio City.
Defending men's champion Philippine Air Force leads the cast while the Philippine Blu Girls will see action in the men's contest. But this year's staging will be missed by reigning women's titlist Pampanga Legends.
Aside from the Pampanga contingent, teams from Visayas and Mindanao also skipped the tournament due to lack of funds.
The accredited participants in the event sanctioned by Amateur Softball Association-Philippines are last year's runner up Rizal Technical University, Marikina MS Realtors, Bulacan State University, Cavite Province, Dasmariñas of Cavite, La Trinidad All Stars of Benguet, R and R of Benguet, Benguet Capital, St. Louis University of Baguio and Baguio City, all in the men's division play.
Defending University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) champion University of Santo Tomas top-bills the 11-team women's contest, which includes Mama Sita's-University of the Philippines, 2009 runner-up Adamson University, Rizal Technical University, Bulacan State University, Adamson-Dasmariñas of Cavite, Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of the Cordilleras of Baguio, Kabenguetan of Benguet, Besao Selection of Mountain Province and Rizal.
Meanwhile, ASA-Philippines President Jean Henri Lhuillier said he decided to field the Blue Girls' in the men's division as part of their preparations for the coming Asian Games in lieu of lack of overseas exposure. (Virgil Lopez/Sunnex)