Tarra’s theme is a hit–softbelles raring to compete

SACRAMENTO—Rescued by an Inquirer story, our national team to this year’s Big League Softball World Series has arrived safe and sound in Kalamazoo, Michigan, to the delight of tournament organizers.
The 32nd edition of the Series would have suffered a hit in terms of competitive level and international flavor, had the Manila little league team, the 2010 runnerup, failed to make it to the championship played yearly in southwest Michigan’s largest city, said tournament spokeswoman Debbie Sloan.
Worse, the team’s absence would have broken the heart of the city’s sizeable Filipino American community, whose members have housed and treated team members like family since the national squad started playing in the Series a decade ago, said Beth Lopez Tourney, a Fil-Am businesswoman originally from Guagua, Pampanga.
Tourney and Sloan had been Series volunteers for years under long-time tournament director, Bud Vandenberg, the grand old man of Kalamazoo sports who is his early-80s.
Its trip to the Wolverine State threatened by lack of government funding, the team suddenly found itself the recipient of a windfall of goodwill and monetary pledges and contributions after Tarra Quismundo, an Inquirer reporter wrote about its plight.
Among the donors who staged the team’s dramatic rescue included sports philanthropists and several corporate sponsors that may have found the team’s dilemma a bitter aftertaste after the staging of two expensive exhibition matches featuring locked out NBA superstars against their cousins in the PBA and the Philippine national basketball team.
In any case, Tarra’s theme of support for a sport we can excel in the world stage played well. With apologies to  Glen Miller, our softbelles will not only be among the sweetest girls in Kalamazoo, but will be among the fiercest competitors to hit town.
The Philippine team for the World Series for 16- to 18-year-old players plunges into action Thursday (Friday in Manila), confident of improving on its runner up stints last year and in 2008. Coach Ana Santiago said the girls are primed after winning a couple of tune up matches in Chicago.
The round-robin tournament leading to the world championship on August 10 starts with the Manila lasses, the Asia-Pacific champions opening their campaign against the Southwest regional  champs from Alice, Texas, Thursday morning and the Canadian national team in the afternoon. They continue the quest the next day against  Milan, Italy, the European, Middle East and African representative and against the Central team from Grand, Rapids, Michigan, in the twilight feature. Grand Rapids beat the Manila softbelles for the title last year and in 2008. The team will also play Puerto Rico, the Latin American champion at some point in the round robin.
The heat dome over the American Midwest has disappeared. Temperatures in the low to mid 80s are predicted for the duration of the Series.
Ms. Quismundo and supporters of the team will be glad to know that for first time in its 32-year history, the Series will be streamed live on the internet. Now fans and the media alike at home can follow the Manila little league softball team by visiting   www.softballworldseries.org.
All games will be played at Kalamazoo’s Vandenberg Park named for the Series’ long-time director. The two teams with the best records will tangle for the World Series next Wednesday in a game that will be broadcast by the sports cable network ESPN2.
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Two words, slum and oversees were used in error in my last column. So sorry… The new Candon Hotel in my adopted city, Candon City, Ilocos Sur is getting more praises. Among the fresh rave reviewers are close friends from Vallejo and Antioch, California, who spent the night at the hotel on their way to the beaches of Pagudpud. No need to go farther north. The sand and surf of Candon, Santiago, San Esteban and Santa Maria are just as fine.