Blu Girls bat for World Cup honor

The distinguished Philippine Blu Girls are leaving no stone unturned in their preparation for the Softball World Cup set for 22 to 27 July in Italy.

"It's going to be tough. We're not going to win the World Cup but I think the team will do good and make the country proud," said catcher Cheska Altomonte without mincing words.

The Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines secretary-general graced Tuesday's Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum, and was joined by first-base Elsie dela Torre.

"Prepared naman kami at puspusan ang ensayo," said Dela Torre ahead of the team's departure for Italy on 16 July. It will be the Blu Girls' seventh stint in the World Cup since 1970 when the country registered its best finish of third in Osaka, Japan.

The forthcoming stint won't be easy as Altomonte said during the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation.

In the 18-team World Cup, where the United States is the defending champion, the Blu Girls are bracketed with three-time champion Japan, Canada, Venezuela, New Zealand and host Italy. Their first game will be against the Canadians on 22 July.

"There are six teams in this World Cup that made it to the Tokyo Olympics and three of them are in our bracket (Japan, Canada and Italy)," Altomonte said.

"We've won against Japan and we've never played Italy. New Zealand we've won against them. And Venezuela is the most frustrating for us because we want to win it all. Canada we've won against in 2017," she said.

"That's why it has to be a perfect game," said Altomonte, adding that she won't be playing all matches to give the other catchers in the Blu Girls lineup the chance to compete against the best.

"Now, the majority of our players are homegrown because that's part of the program aimed at elevating the level of play here. We have a lot of new players. But you can see them growing and getting better."

The Blu Girls will try to make the most of their World Cup stint as they prepare for the Asian Games in Hangzhou in September, and hope for a podium finish.

"That's why a podium finish is very realistic. I believe we can do it," she said of the Blu Girls, whose best finish in the Asian Games was fourth in 2014 in Incheon and 2018 in Jakarta.