GUANGZHOU, China – A Philippine Little League official yesterday put pressure on two Bacolod-Negros little league teams to raise funds not later than next week to ensure their participation in the World Series in the United States in August after they clinched the Asia-Pacific titles in the 11-12 and 13-14 age groups.

“We will have to give the slots to Guam if you fail to assure us of your funds to participate in the World Series by next week,” Jolly Gomez, Philippine Little League district director, said.

The same message was conveyed to the teams earlier by Little League Philippines Deputy Director Chito Gonzales, who said that the Bacolod teams had suffered from financial problems in their foreign participation in the past years, causing the national Little League Philippines embarrassment.

Guam finished runner-up to the Philippine players, who swept their best-of-five matches in the zonal competition.

The “pressure” apparently stems from time constraint as the U.S. series will be held as early as Aug. 4.

Gomez said PLL may receive sanctions from the international body if it fails to send an entry in any age category.

Bacolod-Negros team officials expressed their disappointment after Gomez told them that they “should lie low next year because they are always beset by financial problems.”

The current trip of the three Negros teams to the China tournament has been bankrolled by the Philippine Sports Commission with the assistance of the provincial government of Negros Occidental and a pledge of support from the Bacolod City government.

The Bacolod-Negros teams have qualified every year for the World Series since 1998 with its best finish as first runner-up in the 2006 competition among 13-14 groups and second runner-up at least twice in the same category and also in the 14-16 age group.

In an earlier interview with Philippine sports journalists covering the event, Gomez said the Little League Philippines counts heavily on the support of local governments to fund the teams that qualify for the U.S. championships.

He said he is willing to write the local government officials to solicit their help to support the U.S.-bound teams.

The World Series will be played in Portland, Oregon for the 11-12 group, Kirkland, Washington (13-14), Lower Sussex, Delaware (14-16) and Kalamazoo, Michigan (16-18).

Another Bacolod-Negros team, the 14-16 (Seniors) squad, is seeking the title today against host China, which it nipped, 2-1, in their elimination match yesterday.

A win by the Philippine Seniors League players will assure them of full air fare subsidy to and from the World Series – equivalent to $20,000 while the 11-12, 13-14 and 16-18 qualifiers are entitled to only $10,000-assistance since their qualifying attracted only two teams. The Seniors’ championship featured the Philippines, China, Guam and Indonesia teams.

Gomez told Bacolod-Negros league officials his organization is willing to extend a P100,000 cash advance for visa processing expenses to ensure that the team leaves in time for the opening of the series on Aug. 4.

Gomez and the other Philippine Little League officials are scheduled to leave Guangzhou together with the Manila team  on Monday while the three Bacolod teams will leave for Manila on Tuesday.

Since organizers have declared that accommodation will be shouldered by the host until mid-day of July 13, Gomez said he will take care of the hotel and food charges of the four RP teams for one day with the Bacolod group, numbering about 50, wondering where they will get funds to pay the reduced $16 per day charge of the hotel for their one more day’s stay.

The Negros team officials have been appealing to Little League Philippines officials as of press deadline to extend to two days their hotel and food subsidy amounting to about P8,000.*NAB

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