Angping bares softball plans

Congressman Harry Angping, third District, Manila, called on all sectors to support effforts to revive and strengthen the national softball program during the induction of the new Asaphil Board at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum Complex recently.

Angping, elected seventh ASAPHIL president and chairman, along with fellow officers led by executive vice president and coach Filomeno "Boy" Codiñera, was inducted by Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit in simple ceremonies witnessed by Robert Aventajado, POC chairman; media and softball supporters.

Asaphil, Angping said, wants "to be given the chance to make the country proud again in yet another sport that has the potential to earn us respect and pride among our countrymen and the international community."

Unveiling a list of international tournaments where the Blu Girls and Blu Boys will strut their stuff on foreign diamonds, Angping said Asaphil is earnestly pursuing its drive to support our teams in international competitions by providing them with ample training resources and opportunities.

He mentioned the 2002 Canada Cup International Fast Pitch Futures Tournament for girls aged 17-19 in Surrey, British Columbia July 15-21 as the first such competition, where the country’s official representative will be the Bacolod City softball team.

A simultaneous fast pitch tournament in Surrey will pit the RTU Mandaluyong softball team as the country’s representative is the older category competitions.

The next campaign will be the Asian Youth Boys Softball Championship in Malaysia come September, followed by the Asian Games in Busan, Korea from Sept. 29-October 15 where softball will be the only other team sport besides basketball that the Philippines will participate in.

The last international competition for the year is the Asian Men’s Softball Championship in December which will be hosted by the Philippines.

The Philippines has had glorious softball moments in the past, most notable of which was the country’s 1968 campaign where the Philippines won the championship over Japan. In fact, outfielder Codiñera made it to the Guiness Book of World Records for making a record five consecutive doubles in that tournament.

Angping revealed ASAPHIL’s plans to re-popularize softball in schools, neighborhoods and communities and the emergence of a commercial softball league.