S’pore’s softball teams out to break Filipino dominance

As Team Singapore make their final preparations for the 28th SEA Games, TODAY explores the 36 sports in which the nation’s athletes will compete as they look to improve their 50-gold-medal haul in 1993, the last time the biennial event was held here. The focus today is on softball and table tennis.

SINGAPORE — Like how Singapore has dominated water polo at the SEA Games, the Philippines has enjoyed a similar ironclad hold on softball at the biennial meet.

But ahead of the 28th edition of the Games here, the Singapore men’s and women’s teams are pitching to break tradition. Respectively ranked No 3 and No 2 in the region, the teams have closed the gap with the Filipinos in the past few years, and they believe they can turn the tables on the champions with a home advantage as well as improve on their silver-medal finish at the 2007 Games.

Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand will also vie for honours when the softball competition starts at the Kallang Softball Field on June 6.

Women’s team manager Foo Pei said Singapore boasts a well-balanced side that packs a punch defensively and offensively, while pitchers Agatha Cheong, Zesa Chen, Kang Meisian and Claire Lim have the ability to keep the reigning champions from scoring runs. “In pitching, if you have different styles, opponents need to constantly adjust, and our pitchers are just that,” said Foo.

“Batting-wise, we have an array of strategies in the long and shorter hits. Our strength is that we are all-rounded. So, winning gold is not too much to ask for. We have never won it, and we can make this the first time.”

Captain Cerigwen Ng, a rookie during the team’s silver outing eight years ago in Thailand, said they started training intensively since March last year.

“There is an obvious difference in our play now,” said the 24-year-old. “We’ve got a good mix of experience and youth, and there is confidence that we can be South-east Asian champions in our own backyard.”

Taking on the Philippines for the gold is trickier for the men’s squad as they must first upstage Indonesia, the region’s No 2, but the Singapore side has been boosted by the return of coach John Tan, who plotted their third-place finish eight years ago.

The hosts also have the region’s fastest pitchers in Gerann Ngiam, Jeron Tan and Watson Tan. The coach said he had agreed to help the team as there is a chance to pull off something special this time round.

His confidence stems from Singapore winning last year’s South-east Asia Cup Men’s Softball Championships in Indonesia, in which the Philippines did not participate.

“In previous SEA Games editions, we could not dream of getting into the final because the gap between Singapore and the top two was too large,” said John Tan. “I’ve been in this sport for 40 years, and I feel the Philippines and Indonesia are not as commanding as before.

“Our standard has also risen and, after two months of coaching this team, I told myself the final is measurable.” Ian De Cotta