ASIA CUP TOURNAMENT SHIFTED FROM MANILA TO BANGKOK

The Baseball Federation of Asia has decided to move May’s Asia Cup tournament from Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila to Bangkok, Thailand after the Philippines Amateur Baseball Association was unable to come up with financing needed to stage the event.

Manila last hosted the Asia Cup in 1996, and PABA president Hector Navasero had been hopeful that up to 12 national teams would take part in this year’s event. However, organizers in the Philippines failed to come up with $200,000US from the private sector. As a result, the BFA shifted the Asia Cup to Bangkok. Navasero has announced he is stepping down from his post in April after 22 years with the PABA.

The Asia Cup is a qualifying tournament for the region in which the top two teams will advance to the Asian Baseball Championship in Sapporo, Japan in July.