From:
(click banner for original news story)
Agnes Winarti , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Sat, 05/23/2009 1:25 PM | Sports
The Indonesian Softball and Baseball Association (PERBASASI) is hoping for a place in the top 10 at the men’s Softball World Championships in Saskatoon, Canada, in July.
The championship will run from July 24 to Aug. 31.
“We wish to make a surprise achievement in the Softball World Championships by getting our men’s national team into the top 10,” PERBASASI chairman Gugun Yudinar said on the sidelines of a match in the first series of the Indonesian Softball League, at the Senayan softball field in Jakarta on Friday.
The league, which started on Thursday runs until Sunday, also serves as the selection tryouts for the national team.
“I hope our team will be able to steal winning points from the Czech and South African teams, whose skills are on a par with ours,” Gugun said.
Indonesia, the silver medalist at the 2007 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, has secured a place in world championship for the first time, after finishing third in the 2006 Asian Championships in Japan behind the hosts and runner-up the Philippines.
“I’m proud of our achievement. It’s a three-step leap from the previous sixth place,” Gugun said.
Sixteen countries will take part in the world championships. Indonesia will be in the same pool as world champion Canada.
Gugun said he hoped the league would help players improve their performance ahead of the championship.
The league incorporates three series. The second series will stay in Jakarta, from Aug. 13 to 16, and the third series, which features only the top four teams, will run in Tangerang, Banten, from Oct. 2 to 4.
Eight clubs are participating in this year’s Indonesian Softball League, including Gorgeous, OCBC NISP, Bumi Asri of Bandung, Prambors, Citramuda of Jakarta, Sriti of Surabaya, Smanda of Lampung and Bats of Banten.
Prambors was the winner of the inaugural league in 2004, while Smanda won the 2006 season.
On Friday, Citramuda defeated Sriti 10-2, while Prambors triumphed over Smanda 11-3. Later in the afternoon, Bumi Asri was beaten by Bats 4-1 and Gorgeous won 9-6 over OCBC NISP.