Baseball Classic

Manila, Philippines – The Philippines will compete in the World Baseball Classic qualifying slated September in Chinese Taipei.

The Filipinos will match prowess with New Zealand, Thailand and host Chinese Taipei with the winner competing in the World Baseball Classic Championship next year.

“We will send a team as part of PABA’s commitment to the International Baseball Association Federation and Baseball Federation of Asia,” said PABA president Hector Navasero.

“The tournament is less expensive as well as the travel time,” noted Navasero, who will leave for the United States on Thursday to attend the World Classic meeting in New York.

The meeting will tackle salient matters, including the World Baseball Classic dubbed as the “Olympic of Baseball”.

IBAF organized the World Baseball Classic to give the member countries to dish out their skills following the scrapping of baseball in the Olympics.

IBAF has 120 member countries, 18 in Asia, including the Philippines. IBAF is headed by its president Riccardo Fracarri, who assumed the top post two years ago following the death of fellow Italian Aldo Notari.

The World Baseball Classic is similar to the Chess Olympiad. Baseball and chess are excluded in the Olympics forcing the leaders of the two sport associations to organize their own Olympic style competitions.

Philippines ranked No. 1 in Southeast Asia, 5th in Asia, and 18th in the world. (Clyde Mariano).