Blu Girls to see action in Baguio softball open
A POWER house cast led by the Philippine Blu Girls squad sees action as the National Open Softball Championships hits the diamond May 1 to 7 at Baguio Melvin Jones grandstands.
The Blu Girls team, which is set to see action in the men's division, will head the 23 squads that will vie for the top honors in the weeklong tournament organized by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil).
Defending men's champion Philippine Air Force leads the big field that includes last year's runner-up Rizal Technical University, Marikina MS Realtors, Bulacan State University, Cavite Province, and Dasmariñas of Cavite.
Local teams that will also see action in the weeklong tournament are 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.
The Pampanga Legends, the reigning women's titlists, however, begged off from participating in the event but reigning UAAP champion University of Santo Tomas heads the 11-team women's division.
These teams include Mama Sita's-University of the Philippines tandem, 2009 second best team Adamson University, Rizal Technical University, Bulacan State University, Adamson-Dasmariñas of Cavite, and the Polytechnic University of the Philippines.
University of the Cordilleras of Baguio, Kabenguetan of Benguet Province, Besao Selection of Mountain Province and Rizal Province will also be in the stellar cast.
Asaphil, headed by its president, Jean Henri Lhuillier, decided to field the Blu Girls' in the men's division as part of their preparations for the coming Asian Games due to lack of international exposure.
Jano Cardenas of the local Asaphil chapter added the Baguio games will also serve as the Spring Season Conference of the first ever semi-pro softball event in the country.
The event will also coincide with the election of officers of Asaphil, the national sports association for softball, headed by Jean Henri Lhuillier.