The 17-man Bacolod-Negros softball team delegation, led by Bacolod City councilor Homer Bais, returned home yesterday morning minus the pomp and fanfare that marked its previous arrivals from the United States.

Bais said he failed to relay to other city officials the exact time of arrival of the Ba-Neg squad, and that was why there was no welcome prepared for the Asia-Pacific champions and Junior League World Series ninth placers when they arrived at around 6 a.m. yesterday via Cebu Pacific.

Last year, the Ba-Neg girls returned to a heroes' welcome after bringing home the runner-up trophy. They received a similar treatment when they came home from Portland in 2004 and 2005 with the third place trophies in the Little League World Series.

Bais attributed the loss to the girls' lack of time to acclimatize themselves in the United States.

The softbelles left Manila Aug. 13, the same day the tournament started, and forfeited their first match to the Netherlands. They won over eventual losing finalist US-West, 6-2, a day after they arrived but suffered back-to-back losses later, paving the way for their elimination. Bais said the girls only managed to play true to form in the abbreviated victory against Canada in the ninth place battle.

Despite the team's worst finish in the World Series this year, Bais said he will still push for continued support for the softball program when he meets with Bacolod Rep. Monico Puentevella and Mayor Evelio Leonardia.

"The World Series is a prestigious tournament. We can capitalize on our participation by promoting Bacolod as a tourism hub," Bais told the DAILY STAR last night in a telephone interview.

The councilor said he was overwhelmed by the support of the Filipino community in Washington, that committed to extend financial aid for the training and future participation of the softbelles in the United States.

"They took good care of us," he said.

The support of the Filipino community in Washington may increase the Ba-Neg team's chances of competing in the Junior League event again, he said.

He will also push for the participation of a local squad in the girls' (11-12) Little League World Series in Portland, which he said he believes had more media mileage in the US.

Bais admitted that the Filipino community was hesitant to help the team at first because of the negative impression created by former Paglaum Village National High School coach Guy Fuentes.

Fuentes has not returned to the Philippines since he flew to the US in August 2005, shortly before PVNHS forfeited its slot in the Senior League World Series due to lack of funds. He failed to settle accounts of close to P.5 million from a Cebu City-based travel agency that advanced the ticket of his wife and three players to the US in 2003.

Bais said he and Ba-Neg delegation officials Tess Himpolaran, Lagrimas Ciokon, Tony Oquindo and Fr. Tony Limchaypo of the University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos assured the Filipino community that there won't be another case similar to that of Fuentes'.

We told them we will be transparent when it comes to funding, Bais said. "Hopefully, the support will come," he added.

Bais said Ciokon, who served as team manager, was responsible for holding the financial assistance from the US-based Filipinos and releasing it to the 10 players.*CPT

back to top

No heroes' welcome for Ba-Neg softbelles
Teenager reaches pool finals