Why PH softball teams are unbeatable in SEAG

National coach Randy Dizer sat across the long table where papers lay in a heap, but his eyes were gazed on one paper which listed down the names of the Blu Girls who will face each other in a practice match at the old, historic Rizal Memorial baseball stadium.

It was a Thursday, nine days before the Philippines starts its defense of its men’s and women’s softball titles in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore.

“Puwede na yan,” Dizer instructed his assistant who hurriedly left the airconditioned room.

The interview was held inside one of the rooms underneath the covered grandstand of the 81-year-old edifice where the legendary Babe Ruth hit a homerun in 1934.

“Did you know that there are only two places where we can hold softball games?” Dizer asked.

Dizer provided the answer himself: Rizal and the Rosario sports complex in Pasig.

“The only problem is that Rosario is now without electricity. Di yata makabayad sa Meralco,” he said.

As a result, the Blu Boys and the Blu Girls have to share the lone Rizal diamond with collegiate squads.

The arrangement is not much of a concern for Dizer whose wards are heavily favored to score another sweep.

The Blu Boys suffered their firstever loss in the Games four years ago against Indonesia in Palembang, but they avenged their 4-2 defeat by edging the hosts, 2-1, in the semifinals. The two teams faced each other again in the final where the Filipinos prevailed, 7-3.

The Blu Girls, on the other hand, encountered little resistance in Palembang, sweeping all their six matches with the combined scores of 47-2.

Dizer said the Filipinos, especially the Blu Girls, will remain untouchable until their rivals develop good pitchers.

“They don’t have pitchers as strong as we have. Doon nagkakatalo,” he said.

Dizer said pitchers train twice as hard as their teammates.

“Kung tatakbo ng 10 laps ang iba, ‘yung mga pitchers, tatakbo ng 20 laps,” he said.

Dizer said pitchers also do weight training to strengthen their upper torso.

“That’s why pitchers are also some of the strongest batters in the squad. But of course, we want to conserve their energy,” he said.

For the Games, Dizer said they brought along only three pitchers instead of the ideal number of four.

Except for shortstop Garnet Agnes Blando, Dizer said there was no need to recall the five other Fil-Ams who played for the team in the Asian Games last year in Incheon, South Korea.

“Hindi naman gaano kalakas ang field. In fact, palagay ko kahit yung top collegiate teams natin kaya talunin ang mga kalaban,” he said.

Dizer, however, is not taking the field lightly.

Both teams started training last April.

“Kung kami lang ang masunod, sana year-round but the players have other commitments. Saka, we don’t have our own training venue,” he said.

Dizer also pointed out the policy of the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) to provide allowances to players three months before the event they are participating.

“Pagkatapos ng tournament, wala ng allowances. Kaya yung iba, they look for jobs abroad,” he said.

Dizer said benefactor Jean Henri Lhuillier shells out cash from his own pocket to provide for the needs of the teams.

“We’re lucky to have someone taking care of us. I think this is what Philippine sports needs,” he said.

Without sounding cocky, Dizer said the Blu Girls are using the Games to prepare for the world championship next year in Canada.

“Our main goal is to improve our world ranking,” he said.

The Blu Girls finished third behind Japan and the United States in the world championship in 1970 in Osaka, Japan.

With the recruitment of six FilAmericans, who all play in Division 1, the team gave top teams in the Asian Games a big scare.

“They began to notice us,” he recalled.

Dizer said for the Filipinos to reach the next level, it is important to have their own venue where they can train all year round.

“The absence of training facilities is what keeping us from reaching our full potential,” he said. “In our stay in the US last year, we saw the facilities of the NCAA teams. We were impressed.”

Dizer said the Philippines lag behind in the area of sports science and nutrition.

“We have many talented players. We will never run out of talents. If we could only harness their potentials, we could be world beaters,” he said.

With the return of softball in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Dizer said the Blu Girls have enough time to qualify for the event.