4 August 2010

VENEZUELAN WOMEN WIN GOLD
Like their men’s team, Venezuela’s national women’s softball team members are 2010 Central American & Caribbean Games gold medalists. A 2-0 victory in the title game last Friday over the Dominican Republic gave them a perfect 8-0 won-lost record at the multisport event in Puerto Rico. The Dominicans had defeated Guatemala earlier that afternoon, 4-1, to move on to the gold medal game. The host team, Puerto Rico, finished fourth, followed by Mexico, the Netherlands Antilles, and El Salvador.

Mariangee Bogado, shown here pitching at the 2010 ISF Women’s World Championship, led all pitchers at the XXI Central American & Caribbean Games softball competition in wins (four) and strikeouts (31). (Photo by Carlos Puche)

For more on the (women’s or men’s) softball competition at the quadrennial event, visit www.mayaguez2010.com.

SOFTBALL EVENT ONLINE
Yet another regional softball tournament is playing in another part of the world. The IV European Coed Slowpitch Cup began yesterday in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Six teams are participating in the five-day event. Two different fields are being used for the games, with those from “Field 1” being broadcast on the Internet. The tournament is run under the auspices of the European Softball Federation.

THREE QUALIFY FOR ISF CHAMPIONSHIP
This past Saturday in Vienna, Austria, the XI European Junior Girls Championship concluded. Played over seven days, the event consisted of 15 national teams. The top three finishers (in order) were Italy, Germany, and Russia, giving that trio the three European berths in next year’s ISF IX Jr. Women’s World Championship. The (age) 19-and-under fast pitch tournament will take place from December 6-17, 2011, in Cape Town, South Africa. The other participants (in order of finish) in last week’s European event were: Czech Republic, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, France, Great Britain, Belgium, Romania, Croatia, Israel, Serbia, and Austria. The tournament website remains online at http://www.softball2010.at/index.php?id=45. The qualifier for the Americas gets underway Friday in Colombia.

DENMARK TAKES MEN’S EURO TITLE
The same day that the event in Austria was concluding, the week-long X European Men’s Championship wrapped up in the Czech Republic. The host team fell to Denmark in the gold medal game, which was broadcast by Czech National TV and made available on the Internet as well. Great Britain took home the bronze medals followed by the Netherlands (4th place), Israel (5th), Belgium (6th), Croatia (7th), and Slovakia (8th). Find out more at http://ec2010.hrosihb.cz/.

PHILIPPINES WINS IN INDONESIA
There has been activity on yet another continent of late too. Three days ago the 10th South East Asian Women’s Championship concluded in Jakarta, Indonesia. The Philippines posted a 6-0 victory over one of two Indonesian teams to take the title. Thailand won the bronze medals, with Singapore coming in fourth, the other Indonesia team finishing fifth, and Malaysia placing sixth. The tournament had begun on July 29 when opening ceremonies took place and International Olympic Committee Member Rita Subowo threw out a ceremonial first pitch. ISF Secretary General Ms. Low Beng Choo was on-hand for the event as well.

The champion Philippines team poses with their trophy & medals.