THE Philippines secured a fourth-place finish in the U18 Women’s Softball Asia World Cup.

In the bronze medal match, they faced China and fell short with a score of 1-6.

This outcome meant that the team supported by Cebuana Lhuillier missed the opportunity to secure one of the three available slots for the U-18 Women’s Softball World Cup in 2024.

However, Jean Henri Lhuillier, the president of the Amateur Softball Association of the Philippines (Asaphil), remains optimistic despite the setback.

He emphasized that this young team gained valuable experience during the tournament and praised their dedication.

Lhuillier expressed pride in both the players and the coaches, highlighting their representation of Philippine softball on the world stage.

He also expressed enthusiasm about the team’s potential for future success.

Notably, four Cebuana Lhuillier-backed squads achieved historic qualification for various World Cup events organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC) this year.

These include the Women’s Softball World Cup, Co-Ed Slow Pitch Softball World Cup, Women’s Under-15 World Cup, and the Men’s Softball World Cup.

In the final match, Japan emerged victorious by defeating Chinese Taipei with a narrow score of 1-0, earning them the championship title.

The two finalists, along with the bronze medal-winning China, will advance to the U18 Women’s Softball World Cup.