In order to make their mark in the league, the Filipinos, who are in Group A. are set to face Cuba, which is ranked 24th, a day after the tournament begins. Then, they will go head-to-head against 13th-ranked Botswana and fifth-ranked Argentina on June 15 and 16 respectively. For their fourth game, Team Philippines will battle it out with defending champions New Zealand while they seek action against Mexico on June 20. The top four teams in each group will advance to the playoffs.
Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) President Jean Henri Lhuiller stays optimistic about the 17th-ranked Blu Boys’ upcoming international run, sharing, “We have been working hard for this. For the Blu Boys, playing against the world’s best teams will certainly provide us with the needed international experience. At the same time, we will determine our improvement areas for the team.” Head Coach Eufracio de la Cruz also revealed, “I believe we have a big chance of making it to the top 10 as we have been preparing hard for this since we qualified.”
For Group B of the competition, Canada, Australia, United States, Venezuela, Denmark, South Africa, Netherlands, and Singapore will be battling it out.
The World Men’s Softball Championships is sanctioned by the World Baseball Softball Confederation.