Bacolod's non-appearance in softball World Series draws flak
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 18 Aug 2010
SAN FRANCISCO, CA (via Pera Padala) -- Disgusted and very angry.
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This was how leaders and members of the Filipino Community in Portland, Oregon reacted in the non-appearance of the Bacolod City in the Major League (11-12) World Series for girls softball going on in that city,
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"Very angry because we cannot imagine the team officials deprive the Filipino girls aged 11-12 the first in-a-lifetime experience of going to the United States and compete against the best in other parts of the world in a sport they are among the finest," Gloria Rivera, one of the most active members of the Portland Filipino community who has been active in accommodating Philippine teams that have been taking part in the division world championship since 1994, bewailed.
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"Why no adult can accompany the girls in their trip going here is to us unexplainable,"?Ms. Rivera rued during ana interview with this writer in the second day of competition at the Alapenrose Stadium. "Why was the head coach went to the U.S. ahead of the team in the first place??And where are the other coaches? Hindi ba dapat may assistant siya? ?
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Ms. Rivera was referring to team manager (head coach) Dina Barlita, who according, to an email message sent by the office of Little League Philippines president Jolly Gomez?could not accompany the team for reason?of?a family emergency, but, according to reliable reports was seen to have arrived in Los Angeles in California a few days before the Bacolodnons' scheduled arrival last August 10.
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"Selfish. This selfishness on the part of the Little League leaders in the Philippines. Selfish because they, especially the coach, think first of themselves,?more than the welfare?of the children. That is a violation of the very principle of the Little League?movement,"?she lamented.
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According to her, meet organizers, headed by tournament director Regina Strickland?accepted the explanation of Gomez, who is also the Little League International District Administrator in the Philippines and one of the new members of Philippine Sports Commission board, but added that she feared a more serious repercussions?can happen that can further put the country in bad light if the truth shall come out.
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"As it is, masama na ang tingin sa atin ng organizers and other participants as well. This is because, for one, the scheduling of games had been disrupted. Then the hotel reservations for the Bacolod team had to be canceled," Ms. Rivera?disclosed. "Everything really had been set in place. Pati mga equipment na donation ng Little League International that will be given to the girls had been prepared like set of uniforms complete with jackets, gloves, balls, souvinier programs and even the?catcher's gears."
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"So, sino ba naman ang hindi magiging disgusted? Frustrated kami talaga lahat sa Filipino community. We even arranged that since the organizers will shoulder everything, including meals, we convinced them that responsibility for the daily lunch be given to us so we?can feed the children Filipino foods once a day she said. We even assigned?15?families to buy at least one pair of rubber shoes each para ibigay sa mga bata."
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The Bacolod team's non-arrival?was the latest of several scandals that marked the country's participation in the World Series for? boys baseball (4 age divisions) and girls softball (4 divisions). A few years ago,another Bacolod team in the same 11-12 category also failed to arrive at the site of the tournament for reason of funding..
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There was a time before that when another team from the "City of Smile" came without the head coach, who?gave the position to a city councilor. The real coach came only after the team was eliminated.
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Anothrer Bacolod Asia Pacific champion in the?Senior (14-16) level also did not arrive in Kentucky, site of the division tournament several years ago, also because of organizational mess up.Still a few years back,?officials of? a team from Bulacan taking part in the Junior League (13-14) in Kirkland, Washington arrived ahead of the team members, who?were already ousted while still in the plane losing their first two games by default.
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The biggest scandal, of course, happened in 1992 when the Philippine team that won the World Series Little League (11-12) boys baseball championship was stripped of the title for fielding a selection (not over-aged players as played by local media) instead of the Philippine Series winner Zamboanga City, a violation of the territorial boundary rule of Little League International
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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