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| Members of the team display their medals after placing 2nd in the 6th Asian Junior Men’s (19 & under) Championship 2017. |
By Emz Frial
Playing brilliantly, the Philippine clinched silver on Nov 5 in the 6th Asian Junior Men’s (19 & under) Championship 2017. The team bowed to the region’s softball powerhouse, Japan, in the final.
The duel for the title between the two Asian softball giants climaxed the five-day event hosted by Hong Kong that kicked off at Tin Kwong Field in Kowloon on Nov 1.
Relying on clockwork precision, the feisty and fast Japanese youth awed the multinational crowd as they outplayed the Filipinos, 5-2, in the final match on the sandy diamond of Tin Kwong to bring home the bacon.
Takuro Inagaki of Japan was the star of the event, receiving the Best Batter award for his feat.
The loss was a disappointment for the Philippines, which had earlier advanced to the first semi- final playoff when it outclassed Japan, 3-2.
Overall, the Filipino youth scored 4 wins and took 2 losses in the annual regional tournament as they ploughed their way toward the finals.
All throughout their matches, they received moral support from the gallery of OFW softball and baseball players who did not pass off the opportunity to watch the national youth team compete.
Seven countries competed in the event: Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand.
Final rankings :
1. Japan
2. Philippines
3. India
4. Indonesia
5. Singapore
6. Hong Kong
7. Thailand
