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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Blu Boys sweep invitational tourney in Japan

Blu Boys sweep invitational tourney in Japan

Published Nov 3, 2025 07:04 pm

At A Glance

  • The tournament is part of the Blu Boys' two-week training camp for the SEAG, where they aim to reclaim their place after settling for the silver medal against eventual champion Singapore in the 2019 edition that the Philippines hosted.
The Philippine Blu Boys gear up for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippine Blu Boys gear up for the upcoming Southeast Asian Games.
The Philippine Blu Boys showed their readiness in next month’s 33rd Southeast Asian Games by sweeping the International Exchange Tournament in Higashikagawa, Japan recently.
The national softball team opened its campaign with a commanding 2-0 victory over local side Himeji and kept that momentum throughout the invitational tournament.
The Blu Boys settled for a 2-2 draw against Kagawa, Japan, before unleashing their might with a lopsided 16-0 victory over the Singapore U23 team. They capped off their campaign with a 9-0 blanking over Hong Kong that further boosted their preparations for the biennial meet slated in Thailand. 
“This run is a strong validation of our hard work and preparation,” said Jean Henri Lhuillier, President of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (ASAPHIL) and CEO of Cebuana Lhuillier.
“We are immensely proud of the boys and the way they executed as a unit. The tournament was a huge test  but the challenges ahead are bigger and we are ready to meet them head-on,” he added.
The tournament is part of the Blu Boys’ two-week training camp for the SEAG, where they aim to reclaim their place after settling for the silver medal against eventual champion Singapore in the 2019 edition that the Philippines hosted.
It was also the last time that the sport was hosted in the biennial meet.
Prior to that, the Blu Boys won the gold medal in the 2015 edition held in Singapore.
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