PHIL Razcals prepare for overseas stints
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 17 Jul 2011
If the Philippine Football Federation has the ?Azkals,? the Philippine Tot Baseball Foundation has the ?Little Razcals.? Both the Azkals and the Razcals are currently carrying the country?s colors in the separate international arenas.
But while the former are still fighting to gain international recognition, the latter have already earned the honor of being the Asia Pacific champions, a distinction that gave them the right to represent the Philippines and the region in the Mustang division of the Pony Baseball World Series for players 9 years old and under.
Another distinction between the two national teams is that while the Azkals have amassed abundant funding that enable them to train abroad, the Razcals don?t. Their moniker is inspired by an old movie about a rag-tag team of unruly boys that was able to reach a surprisingly high achievement.
PTBA is affiliated with Pony Baseball International, an association that stands for the Protection of Our Nations? Youth.?
To prepare the boys for the world championship, the Razcals had to play games against their counterparts in the higher Bronco (11-12) age bracket, according to PTBF president Rodolfo ?Boy? Tingzon Jr. who appeared as guest in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session.
?The boys had just emerged champions in the Dominador Pangilinan boys baseball tournament recently held in Carmona against a field made up of players aged 11-12,? Tingzon said during the forum, sponsored by Coca Cola Export, FILA and TV-5. ?Pati nga kami sa PTBA na-surprise na tinalo nila lahat ng mga nakalaban.
Tingzon was referring to the tournament organized by the PTBA in honor of baseball?s project director Dominador Pangilinan, father of businessman-sportsman Manny V. Pangilinan, who led a resurgence of the sport during the President Marcos era.
?Well, we?re not promising the moon in representing the country and the region in the World Series. First time pa lang natsing lalahok in said division,? clarified Tingzon, son of Rodolfo ?Totoy? Tingzon Sr., the acknowledged father of boys baseball movement in the country.
? We will be targeting a slot in the semifinals at pag nandun na, bigay tody na para pumasok sa finals and, who knows, baka maka-tsamba na maging world champion, ? the younger Tingzon vowed. ?Ang sinisiguro ko sa mga kababayan natin, laban ang mga bata. May puso. They swept the Asia Pacific elimination against the best boys baseball players in Asia, which I believe is one potent weapon they will be carrying in the World Series.?
?Being a selection of elementary students, half of them coming from Metro Manila and the others from Tanauan City, the Nationals meet and train together on weekends, while practicing individually on weekdays, ? Tingzon disclosed.
The Nationals represent the opposite sides of Philippine Society with the Big City boys Zian Eleria, Javier Sale and Nathan Carpio all students of Ateneo and Dax Fabella and Carl Castandeda of Marist School of Marikina City; Enzo Montemayor and Javy Limpo of similarly elite Waldorf School.
The Tanauan boys in the team are mostly students of Altura Bata Elementary School Sagrada Familia Elementary School and Maranatha Elementary School. They are Lloyd Cinco, Vincent Noprada, CJ Castillo, Marty Ranada, Kiel Agojo, Ian Mercado, Atong Natanauan, named MVP in the Asia Pacific regional and Emman Manaig.
Head coach is Eric Gesmundo, who will be assisted by Christian Cinco and Vio Roxas. Timoteo Leus is team leader with Edison Jallores, team manager.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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