4-nation Asian Pony baseball gets underway

Four teams, headed by powerhouse Chinese-Taipei, slug it out for a spot in next month’s World Series as the 30th Asia-Pacific Zone Pony Baseball Championship unfolds today at the Rizal Memorial Baseball Field.

The Taiwanese, who last won the event two years ago, clash with the Koreans at 11 a.m. in what could be a preview of the championship serving as the regional elimination for the Pony World Series set in Pennsylvania, USA next month.

A simple opening ceremony at 10 a.m. kicks off the four-day event organized by Pony Baseball Southeast Asian representative and RP Tot Baseball president Rodolfo "Boy" Tingzon Jr. with the Filipino clouters taking on the fancied Japanese at 2 p.m.

Chinese-Taipei and Korea, the 2002 runner-up, flew in separately Sunday while Japan, represented by All-Japan champion Okinawa, planed in a day earlier, confident of winning the tournament this time.

"We’re really excited because it’s the first time that we are hosting this big event," said Tingzon, vice-chairman of the organizing committee of the meet sponsored by Jollibee, Purefoods and Coca-Cola and supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Pagcor.

Asia-Pacific Zone baseball will also give an award to Tingzon’s father, Rodolfo "Totoy" Sr. for establishing youth baseball leagues not only in the country but the whole of the Asia-Pacific region in the early 60s for which he earned the title "Father of Youth Baseball."

Yoshio Oda, the tournament director, will hand out the award to Tingzon in behalf of Zone director Shinjuke Itoh in the opener to be graced by Philippine Sports Commission chair Eric Buhain and Philippine Olympic Committee president Celso Dayrit.

"I wish to congratulate my valued and long-time friend, Rodolfo Tingzon, Sr., for his untiring support for the development of baseball in the Asia-Pacific region," said Itoh in a message sent to Tingzon.