MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine women’s national softball team is shifting its focus to the 2026 Asian Games in Aichi-Nagoya, Japan, after a solid fifth-place finish in Group B of the 2027 Women’s Softball World Cup.
The Philippines has not won an Asian Games medal since 1998, but the Blu Girls have consistently come close, settling for fourth place in the 2014, 2018, and 2022 editions, including the 2023 Hangzhou Games.
Team captain Charlotte Sales still vividly remembers the heartbreak of their bronze-medal match against Taiwan in Hangzhou, where the Philippines fell short, 3-2.
“Although we showed a good fight, we were still heartbroken because we lost in the medal match. This time, we know we can hopefully get a different result since now we have a training camp in Japan,” Sales said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Rizal Sports Complex in Malate, Manila.
With another Asian Games campaign looming, Sales vowed that the Blu Girls are determined to turn their previous heartbreak into triumph.
“This Asian Games, we have this promise to ourselves that our tears before will turn to happy tears this time,” she said.
Assistant coach Riza Bernardino also revealed a significant change in the composition of the squad. Unlike the previous Asian Games team, which was largely made up of Filipino-Americans, the current roster features 12 homegrown players from Iloilo, Bacolod, and Makati City, along with five Filipino-Americans.
Bernardino credited the team’s overseas training in Japan as one of the key factors behind its recent success, saying the exposure allowed the players to sharpen their skills and gain valuable experience.
“The Japan training is really a game-changer since they learned a lot of skills, and that really helped them to grow as a player. They were able to pick up more. That training camp really did help the team, so we really thank our sponsors,” she said.
The Blu Girls will return to Japan for another training camp beginning August 21 as part of their preparations for the Asian Games.
With the Rizal Sports Complex currently undergoing renovation, the team is holding its training sessions at the Manila Polo Club.
The Philippines is currently ranked No. 13 in the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) women’s softball world rankings and fourth in Asia.
The Blu Girls also reinforced their credentials in Southeast Asia, capturing the gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games in Thailand after defeating Singapore in the final.
With their recent international experience, improved roster, and another training stint in Japan on the horizon, the Blu Girls are hoping that their next Asian Games campaign will finally end the long medal drought.
