JAKARTA—The Blu Girls swing into action against Hongkong on Sunday, hoping to kick of their campaign on a high note in the women’s softball competitions of the Jakarta Palembang 18th Asian Games.
And a podium finish is in the minds of the nationals, who own one of the most fabled history in Philippine sports history.
“We don’t watch to match our fourth-place finish (2014 Incheon Asian Games) the last time. We are aiming for a podium finish,” Blu Girls coach Randy Dizer said.
The Blu Girls-Hong Kong duel in the one-round, seven-team eliminations will be played at the Gelora Bung Karno softball field at 8 p.m. (9 p.m. in Manila).
A former national softball standout, Dizer’s confidence in the Blu Girls rests on their runner-up finish in last year’s Asian women’s softball championships held in Taiwan behind champion Japan.
Except for Japan, the Filipina sluggers previously beat all of the same opponents they are facing here, including a 17-0 rout of their Hong Kong rivals, before absorbing a 0-7 beating at the hands of the powerhouse Japanese in the finals.
“We have been together for some time so we have a chance of winning medal in this Asian Games,” said skipper-catcher Chesca Altamonte. “Yes I think we have a chance of a podium finish.”
Veteran Fil-Am short stop Garrie Blando, who has been with the squad since 2014, echoed Altamonte’s sentiments.
“I believe we’ve been together for a longer time now so we have a better team since our last Asian Games. We are really hoping to win a medal here,” Almonte said.
Dizer said that one of their advantages was their deep bullpen, led by Fil-Am Sierra Lange, a top rookie playing for the US NCAA Division 1 School George Washington University, with Reese Myquelle Guevarra, Mia Macapagal and Kaith Jezra Jalandoni backing her up.
“Medyo malalim ang bullpen natin. It is the hitting that we have to improve on,” noted Dizer after the Blu Girls’ one and only overseas in the recent world championships in Chiba, Japan where they wound up with a 2-4 win-loss record.
The coach said that the absence of Fil-Am sluggers Dani Gilmore and Kailee Cuico left a huge hole in their offense “but I am hoping our other players like Hailey Decker can step up for us.”
After Sunday’s match, the Blu Girls will have a double header on Monday, tackling South Korea at 3 p.m. (4 p.m.) then China at 8 p.m. (9 p.m.) five hours later.
They face reigning Asian Games softball champion Japan on Tuesday before wrapping up their elimination-round campaign against Chinese-Taipei on Wednesday.
“We promised our boss Jean Henri that we will have a podium finish and we will have a podium finish,” Dizer vowed.