TWO FORMER UST Softbelles will don the national colors anew in the upcoming 2018 World Softball Championships at Chiba, Japan on Aug. 2 to 12.
CJ Roa and Ann Antolihao, who earned the UAAP Season 80 Best Slugger and Best Pitcher plums, respectively, are among the 17 members of the Cebuana Lhullier-backed Philippine Blu Girls team.
“It is a pleasure to be part of the Philippine National team again and I am honored to represent the country once more,” Antolihao said in an online interview with the Varsitarian.
Both players were part of the Blu Girls squad which won silver in the Asian Softball Championships last year.
The squad was supposed to play in the USA Softball International Cup this July in California but opted out to focus on the Japan tournament instead.
Antolihao, who was one of the pitchers of the squad that stunned world no. 3 Canada and world no. 7 Australia in separate tournaments last year, said the team is confident of booking a seat in the 2020 Olympics.
“We’re preparing for it and we are up for any challenge. We are giving our very best sa bawat laro,” she said.
The RP Blu Girls have been training since March.
Held biannually by the World Baseball Softball Confederation, the tournament automatically secures a spot in the 2020 Olympics for the champion team.
The Philippines will battle South Africa in its first game on August 2.
The Blu Girls will need to do well against eight other international teams, including top-ranked USA in Group 1 qualifiers to qualify to the playoff rounds and the championship.
