The 2019 season for softball is off to a good start following the unveiling of the ASAPHIL—Cebuana Lhuillier Invitational Softball Tournament—1st Conference, which kicked off recently in Imus, Cavite. Presented by ASAPHIL President Jean Henri Lhuillier, the tourney, which is being held for the first time, is intended to further strengthen men’s softball in the country.
“Our national softball teams —both the men’s and women’s side—are considered the rising stars of Asia. We are known for our agility, speed and most importantly, passion and love for the sport both on and off the field. To keep the momentum going, we have to continuously train our current team and keep their skills sharp and ready for battle,” said Lhuillier.
He added: “This is the reason why I thought about having a series of invitational tourneys, beginning with this one in Imus, so that our men’s team will have a venue for training; while also giving the opportunity for notable players of our various local teams to be scouted by ASAPHIL and our national coaches.”
The Blu Boys, one of the stand-out teams during last year’s Asian Men’s Championships in Sarawak, Indonesia, will be competing against each other for the Imus tourney as they raise the flag of their respective mother teams.
Participating teams include the Philippine Air Force, Philippine Army, Philippine Navy, PUP, RTU, Imus City Air Force, Dasmariñas City, and the Cabuyao City Transformers. At present, the team is preparing for the Southeast Asian Games which will be held in the Philippines from Nov. 30 to Dec. 9 this year.
The tourney, which will run until March 31, is made possible with the support of Imus City Mayor Emmanuel Maliksi and Imus Congressman Alex “AA” Advincula.