Nationals attract 27 baseball, softball teams<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Twenty-seven teams from 14 provinces will take part in the
\nNational Baseball & Softball Championship beginning here on
\nSunday, the organizing committee said.<\/p>\n
The week-long event will crown champions in men's baseball,
\nmen's softball and women's softball. In addition, Perbasasi, the
\ncountry's baseball and softball managing body, hopes to use the
\nchampionship to discover players for national teams.<\/p>\n
\"We hope the teams in the field will yield players good enough
\nfor the national team,\" Harry Trisnadi, Perbasasi's official in
\ncharge of development affairs, said on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
Papua, which is participating only in the softball events, was
\nthe first contingent to arrive for the event. Also taking part
\nonly in the two softball events are North Sumatra, West Nusa
\nTenggara, South Sulawesi, West Kalimantan and East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
South Sumatra, West Java, East Java and Jakarta will compete
\nin all three competitions. Lampung, Central Java and Banten will
\nsend baseball teams along with either a men's or women's softball
\nteams, while Yogyakarta will feature only in the baseball
\ncompetition.<\/p>\n
Suryo Adi Prasetyo, a Perbasasi official, said eight provinces
\nhad decided to skip the tournament due to financial constraints.
\nAmong the absentees is Central Kalimantan, which won the 2002
\njunior baseball event.<\/p>\n
The teams will be divided into two pools. The top two baseball
\nteams in each pool will qualify for the semifinals, where teams
\nfrom different pools will play each other for a place in the
\nfinal.<\/p>\n
The softball competition will adopt a page system, in which
\nthere will be a playoff to decide the grand final entrants.<\/p>\n
Harry said the tournament should help Indonesia in the next
\nAsian competition.<\/p>\n
\"We will have to prepare immediately after the tournament for
\nthe Asian softball championship in Manila in May,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"We also will be trying to keep our baseball team in the Asian
\nfirst division when we take part in the competition in Sapporo,
\nJapan, in October,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/nationals-attract-27-baseball-softball-teams-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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