Blu Boys prepare for SEA Games
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Aug 2011
Erasing the stigma and enigma of losing the men?s softball championship for the first and only time in 1997 in Indonesia will be what the Philippine Blu Boys will be aiming in the coming Southeast Asian Games in that same country. The competition venue will be at the City of Palembang and not the Indonesian capital Jakaata, but just the same, the three survivors of the 1997 debacle will be out there in the field in proving that the Indonesians? title victory over them was a fluke.
?Masakit pa rin sa min ang nangyari kahit na 14 na taon na ang nakararaan,? Orlando Binarao, still a amember of this year?s squad, said in Friday?s SCOOP Sa Kamayan weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant-Padre Faura.
?At kailangang patunayan namin ngayong taong ito sa bansa kung saan kami ay natalo na natsambahan kami ng Indonesia noon,? Binarao, one of three softball/baseball playing Binarao brothers from Zamboanga, asserted during the public service forum, sponsored by Coca Cola Export, FILA, TV-5 and UNTV.
Pitcher Rogelio Roxas and infielder Darius Bacarisas did not join Binarao in Friday?s session, but Ronnie Pagkaliwagan, also a Blu Boy that year who is now the pitching coach of the PHI Blu Girls, assured members of the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines they shared Binarao?s feeling.
?Well, we actually avenged that championship defeat in the subsequent edition of the Games, but the victory this year in Palembang before the Indonesian crowd would surely come sweeter,? Pagkaliwagan, who is fresh from a coaching stint in China, said. Air Force Masrter Sergeant Roberto Iturralde, many time member of the Blu Boys in the 70s, said that 16 members of the 2007 Blu Boys who won the title the last time softball was played in Thailand stay as members of this year?s team.
?Balanse ang team this year. Maraming beterano at may ilan ding bago from ASA-PHIL?s (Amateur Sopftball Philippines) talent search program, kaya palaban,? Iturralde said, adding though that the Blu Boys need not be over confident in their campaign to keep the title.
?Softball was re-included in this year?s calendar obviously because the host county is dying to recapture the overall championship from Thailand,? Iturralde reasoned out. ?Reports are that the events inserted and re-inserted in the calendar of events are those where the host country is strong and sure to win the gold medal.?
?This only means that host Indonesia believes it can win, softball, too, aside from the other sports where they are traditionally strong,? he said. ?But, boasting aside, barring any unforseen circumstances, di namin papayagang mawalang muli ang korona.? ?This is the reason why chose more veterans than rookies to make up the team. To ensure that the chamspionship stays with us,? ASA-PHIL operations manager Jun Veloso, who was also at the SCOOP session, said.
Besides, Binanrao, Roxas and Bacarisas, the veterans of the 2007 champion squad are Victorio Enriquez, Marlon Pagkaliwagan, Isidro Abello, Jasper Cabrera, Ben Maravilles, Anthony Santos, Emerson Atilano, Oscar Bradshaw, Michael Pagkaliwagan, Apolonio Rosales, Gelmark Ilao, Joh Paul de leon and Eric Francisco. Lending young blood in the lineup are Leo Barredo, named in the top 10 pitchers in the World Men?s Championship two years, ago, Gregorio Marquez, Jerome Bacarisas, Edmer del Socorro and Romeo Bumagat.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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