DECA Homes sponsors Asia Pacific Pony League championships

DECA Homes, the premier mass housing development arm of 8990 Holdings Inc., is sponsoring the Asia Pacific division championships of the Pony League being held here since Monday.

Pony Baseball Inc. recently inked a sponsorship agreement with DECA Homes to hold the championship matches in the country which will see the Philippine team compete against Indonesia, Japan, Korea and Taiwan.

The games are being held at the Alabang Country Club in Muntinlupa City from July 11 to 16.

The Pony is a transition league for baseball players who have graduated from the Little League and is designed for athletes ages 13 to 14. It began in the US in 1951 and now boasts of around 500,000 participating players annually.

“Sports like baseball pro- vide an environment where our children can realize the value of teamwork, respect for authority and for each other, and most importantly, understand the context of winning through the game. In this way, sports becomes a real tool to mold the nation’s youth,” said Januario Jesus Atencio, president and CEO of 8990 Holdings Inc.. “This is congruent with our company’s mission to provide a level of family life that attracts happiness, togetherness and growth.”

Representing the Philippine team is a mix of 13 and 14 year-old young athletes from Batangas, Laguna, Marikina, Muntinlupa, and Cavite — all selected from among 35 aspirants who underwent a series of try-outs which started in December last year.

Leading the team are head coach Eduard Tuazon from the De La Salle Zobel Baseball The Philippine Pony team Club and asst. coach Ricardo Jimenez, team manager of the Dumaguete Unibikers.

“This tournament is very important for us because it will allow us to represent the Asia Pacific region in the World Series,” shared team manager Manny de Castro. “We are confident we will put up a good fight during the championships. Our players have been practicing three times a week since the first try-outs in December.”

The series will also feature a Southeast Asian match which determines the champion for the region. The overall champion of the Asia Pacific Zone qualifies for the World Series to be held in Virginia, USA this August.