Nat’l girls softball tilt gets going tomorrow

ELEVEN squads, including some from the province, will join the National Girls’ Secondary Softball tournament starting tomorrow at Sto. Niño ballpark in Marikina.

Host team Marikina leads the field, with the organizing Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil) still awaiting word from two more teams from Zamboanga and Iloilo.

Also participating in the week-long, school-based event are Antipolo, Pasig, Manila, Makati, De La Salle Zobel, Woodrose of Muntinlupa; Rizal province, Nueva Ecija, and Bulacan towns San Miguel and Sta. Maria.

“We are preparing our year-round softball program for 2013, highlighted by our participation in the Men’s World Softball Championship in New Zealand in March,” said Asaphil president Jean Henri Lhuillier. “This tournament for girls gives us a good start and it will expand our grassroots program.”

Lhuillier’s PJL group of companies—Pera Padala, Cebuana Lhuillier Bank, Le Soleil de Boracay and Cebuana Lhuillier Insurance Solutions—is sponsoring the event with Phiten.

Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman and Asaphil secretary general Danny Francisco will be the special guests at the simple opening ceremonies at 11 a.m. tomorrow. Tournament format and schedule of games will depend on the actual number of team participants, according to Asaphil’s Jun Veloso.