Philippines women's national softball team

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Flag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Information
CountryFlag of the Philippines.svg  Philippines
Federation Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines
Confederation WBSC Asia
ManagerHailey Decker [1]
WBSC World Rank 30 Decrease2.svg 17 (31 December 2022) [2]
Women's Softball World Cup
Appearances7 (First in 1970 )
Best resultBronze medal world centered.svg 3rd (1 time, in 1970 )
USA Softball International Cup
Appearances3 (First in 2014 )
Best result6th (1 time, in 2014 )
Asian Championship
Appearances10 (First in 1967 )
Best resultGold medal asia.svg 1st (1 time, in 1972 )
Asian Games
Appearances5 (First in 1998 )
Best result4th (2 times, in 2014 and 2018 )

The Philippines Women's National Softball Team, nicknamed the "Blu Girls", is the national team of Philippines. They are governed by the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines. They won a bronze medal in 1970 ISF Women's World Championship in Osaka, Japan and it was their first medal won in a World Championship.

Contents

The Philippines is among the best teams in Southeast Asia having won the gold medal in every edition of the Southeast Asian Games which had women's softball event.

History

The Philippine women's team were a powerhouse in Asia never placing outside the top 10 in the global rankings during the 1970s although the Philippines always ranked behind Japan. Their greatest achievement at that time was the third-place finish at the Women's Softball World Championship in 1970. They placed fourth in the 1974 edition. [3]

They are also a dominant force in Southeast Asia, having won all the gold medals in all editions of the Southeast Asian Games where women's softball was contested. [3]

However, by the 1990s, the Philippine national team experienced a decline. [3] The team competed at the 1990 ISF Women's World Championship in Normal, Illinois where they finished with 4 wins and 5 losses. [4] At the 1998 ISF Women's World Championship in Fujinomiya City, Japan where they finished sixteenth [5] and only managed to secure a single win. The policy of the Philippine Sports Commission of dismantling the national training pool whenever a particular sport was scrapped from the calendar of events of the Southeast Asian Games, Asian Games, and the Olympics contributed to the women's softball team's decline. [3]

In the 2000s, Raul Saberon, a businessman and a former men's national softball and baseball player, secured financial support for the women's softball team from Jean Henri Lhuillier, who later became head of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines.The team made a failed attempt to qualify for the 2006 Asian Games in Doha and the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing though made some progress. [3]

At the 2017 Asian Women's Softball Championship, the Philippines finished second to Japan, the best finish of the country in 45 years. In doing so, they qualified for the Women's Softball World Championship and Asian Games in 2018. [3]

Roster

National squad for the 2014 World Cup of Softball, July 7–13, 2014. [6] [7]

Head Coach: Randy Dizer

No.NamePosition
1Veronica BellezaPitcher
2Whell Ghene CamralOutfield, Infield
4Annalie BenjamenPitcher
6Marlyn FranciscoOutfield, Infield
8Angelie UrsabiaOutfield, Infield
9Francesca AltomonteCatcher, Infield
10Garie BlandoOutfield, Infield
11Francesca FotiPitcher
12Lorna AdorableOutfield
17Luzviminda EmbudoOutfield, Infield
19Alexandra Louise ZuluagaInfield
26Arianne VallesteroInfield
30Dani GilmoreCatcher
31Gabrielle RodasOutfield
33 Morgan Stuart Infield
38Rizza BernardinoPitcher
88Elma ParohinogOutfield
-Alleah LaxamanaInfield
-Isabella Ann MendozaOutfield
-Jaexenne BalileaInfield
-Jullian TanakaOutfield, Infield
-Kriska PiadCatcher, Infield
-Leia RuizInfield
-Staca, Lopez, Galido, SanchezDH, JRs

National squad for the 2017 World Cup of Softball, July 5–9, 2017.

Head Coach: Randy Dizer

Player #NamePosition(s)
1Garie BlandoInfield
3Kayla JoyceOutfield
4Gabrielle MauriceOutfield
5Skylynne EllazarInfield
7Riflayca BasaPitcher
7Shaira DamasingCatcher
8Francesca AltomonteCatcher
9Kailey HillPitcher
12Lorna AdorableOutfield
13Chelsea SuitosInfield
14Sierra LangePitcher
15Cristy RoaOutfield
19Angelie UrsabiaInfield/OF
20Mia MacapagalPitcher
21Dione MacasuPitcher
22Ma. Celestine PalmaCatcher
24Dani GilmoreOutfield
25Reese GuevarraOutfield
26Arianne VallesteroOF/IF
28Riezel CalumbresInfield
32Hailey DeckerInfield
33Kailey CuicoInfield
42Mary Luisse GardePitcher
53Lovely AragoInfield
91Lyca BasaPitcher


Competition results

World Cup

World Cup Record [lower-alpha 1]
YearPosition
Flag of Australia (converted).svg 1965 Did not participate
Flag of Japan.svg 1970 3rd place
Flag of the United States.svg 1974 4th place
Flag of El Salvador.svg 1978 Did not participate
Flag of the Republic of China.svg 1982 5th place
Flag of New Zealand.svg 1986 Did not participate
Flag of the United States.svg 1990 12th place
Flag of Japan.svg 1994 Did not participate
Flag of Japan.svg 1998 16th place
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2002 Did not participate
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2006 Did not participate
Flag of Venezuela.svg 2010 Did not participate
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2012 Did not participate
Flag of the Netherlands.svg 2014 Did not participate
Flag of Canada (Pantone).svg 2016 14th place
Flag of Japan.svg 2018 14th place
Flag of the United States.svg 2022 [lower-alpha 2] Did not qualify
Flag of Ireland.svg Flag of Italy.svg Flag of Spain.svg 2024 Qualified
Total7/17

USA Softball International Cup

USA Softball International Cup Record [lower-alpha 3]
YearPosition
20052013 Did not participate
2014 6th place
2015 Did not participate
2016 6th place
2017 7th place
2018 Did not participate
2019 8th place
Total4/13

Asian Games

Asian Games Record
YearPosition
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 1990 Did not participate
Flag of Japan.svg 1994
Flag of Thailand.svg 1998 6th place
Flag of South Korea.svg 2002 6th place
Flag of Qatar.svg 2006 Did not participate
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2010 5th place
Flag of South Korea.svg 2014 4th place
Flag of Indonesia.svg 2018 4th place
Flag of the People's Republic of China.svg 2022 To be determined
Total5/8

Southeast Asian Games

Southeast Asian Games Record
YearPosition
Flag of Indonesia.svg 1979 1st place
Flag of the Philippines (navy blue).svg 1981 1st place
Flag of Singapore.svg 1983 Not held
Flag of Thailand.svg 1985
Flag of Indonesia.svg 1987 1st place
Flag of Malaysia.svg 1989 Not held
Flag of the Philippines (navy blue).svg 1991 1st place
Flag of Singapore.svg 1993 Not held
Flag of Thailand.svg 1995
Flag of Indonesia.svg 1997 1st place
Flag of Brunei.svg 1999 Not held
Flag of Malaysia.svg 2001
Flag of Vietnam.svg 2003
Flag of the Philippines.svg 2005 1st place
Flag of Thailand.svg 2007 1st place
Flag of Laos.svg 2009 Not held
Flag of Indonesia.svg 2011 1st place
Flag of Myanmar.svg 2013 Not held
Flag of Singapore.svg 2015 1st place
Flag of Malaysia.svg 2017 Not held
Flag of the Philippines.svg 2019 1st place
Flag of Vietnam.svg 2021 Not held
Total10 gold

Notes

  1. World Championship until 2018
  2. The World Games tournament also serves as the World Championship
  3. World Cup of Softball until 2017

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References

  1. Reyes, Lito Delos (26 May 2022). "Asaphil names new coaches for Blu Girls". The Manila Times. Retrieved 26 May 2022.
  2. "The WBSC Women's World Ranking". WBSC. 31 December 2022. Retrieved 31 December 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Pe, Roger (29 April 2018). "PHL softball and the chase for Filipinos' Olympic dream". Business Mirror. Retrieved 29 April 2018.
  4. "1990 ISF Women's World Championship". United States: International Softball Federation. 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  5. "1998 ISF Women's World Championship". United States: International Softball Federation. 2013. Archived from the original on 25 February 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2014.
  6. Terrado, Reuben (2 July 2014). "Philippine Blu Girls vie for honors in World Cup IX". Spin.ph. Retrieved 10 July 2014.
  7. "Philippines - World Cup IX Roster". Gamechanger. Retrieved 10 July 2014.