RP Blu Girls climb five spots in women's softball world rankings | Sports Desk - video Dailymotion

CNN Philippines

The RP Blu Girls jumping five places up in the WBSC Women's Softball world rankings!  From number 26, the national batters are now at the 21st spot following their remarkable campaign in the group stages of the Women's Softball World Cup in Italy last July.  The team finished fourth in Group C with two wins and four losses and barely missed a ticket to the finals after a narrow 6-to-5 loss against the host country in the playoffs.  Let's go all out on this story with RP Blu Girls third basewoman Charlotte Sales, utility player Reyae Mae Villamin and right fielder Alaiza Talisik.  Visit our website for more #NewsYouCanTrust: https://www.cnnphilippines.com/  Follow our social media pages:  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cnnphilippines/ • Twitter: https://twitter.com/cnnphilippines

Transcript

00:00 Happy Blue Girls jumping 5 places up in the WBSC Women's Softball World Rankings for

00:05 number 26.

00:06 The National Batters are now at the 21st spot following the remarkable campaign in a group

00:12 stages of the Women's Softball World Cup held in Italy last July.

00:16 The team finished 4th in Group C with 2 wins and 4 losses and barely missed a ticket to

00:22 the finals after a narrow 6-5 loss against host country in the playoff.

00:30 Let's go all out on this story.

00:32 With the RB Blue Girls themselves, we got 1st and 3rd basewoman Charlotte or Lottie

00:38 Salas, utility player Ray May, William Min or Ray, and right fielder Aliza Talisic or

00:47 Tal all joining us inside the studio.

00:50 Is this your first time here?

00:52 Welcome to SportsCenter CNN Philippines.

00:55 Do you want to speak Spanish, Italian, English?

00:58 I'll speak Tagalog.

00:59 Bisaya?

01:00 Bisaya?

01:01 That's fine.

01:02 Thank you so much.

01:03 First of all, congratulations.

01:04 Let's give a round of applause to our cameramen.

01:07 It's amazing.

01:08 I know it's very emotional for the RB Blue Girls.

01:11 It's not just the Filipinas in the World Cup, the football team or the GILAS.

01:15 It's us too.

01:16 First of all, Lottie, I'll go first.

01:18 You're a 23-year-old, I said 1st and 3rd, but you're more comfortable in the 3rd base.

01:23 It's a shame, I said 6-5 in the playoffs against Italy.

01:27 Do you know for yourself that you can do it?

01:30 We really know.

01:31 What happened?

01:32 Well, everyone played well because it was close.

01:36 I feel like we just lost because that win was more favorable for Italy.

01:41 Because my teammates showed good performance.

01:44 We had a good hitting and pitching.

01:47 But it wasn't just for us, it was our last game.

01:50 But it's a shame because if we win, we'll have a chance to get the World Cup Finals ticket.

01:57 How difficult was that?

02:00 How hard was it to beat them?

02:03 It was just 6-5, right?

02:06 It's a shame, but we saw everything.

02:10 We saw what we showed in the World Cup.

02:12 You gave it your all.

02:14 You said you had good hitting and pitching.

02:17 Everyone's overall performance was good.

02:21 Ray, in that game, you chased them, right?

02:25 3-1.

02:26 Actually, you were a pitcher, but you were designated a hitter for Italy.

02:31 Then it became 5-3 until you scored a 5-all.

02:36 That was a great game.

02:38 I wish they would've let it play out.

02:40 I asked Ray, he said he had good hitting, pitching, and catching.

02:45 What do you think was lacking?

02:48 Or if it was better, we could've won?

02:53 I think it was a hassle.

02:56 It was a hassle.

02:58 The hitting was a bit disconnected.

03:01 Because it was an additional momentum, right?

03:04 Even if it was just one run.

03:06 Even if it was just one run, RBI, a bit of...

03:10 Why are you laughing?

03:12 Tal is good at doing TikTok.

03:14 Let's go to Tal.

03:15 Earlier, when I came to the dressing room...

03:17 Tal, what was your TikTok?

03:18 Let's show it to Aliza.

03:21 Aliza, what was your TikTok?

03:23 Show it to me.

03:24 Oh.

03:25 Okay, okay.

03:26 I'm embarrassed.

03:28 Because we're live.

03:29 At that time, what were you talking about, Tal?

03:34 After that...

03:36 Because you were one of the ones who needed to be on the team.

03:40 What did you tell each other?

03:42 Ray said that it was a tough loss.

03:45 We talked about it as a team.

03:49 No matter what happens, we'll fight.

03:52 Although the opponent is strong,

03:56 we trained for almost a year.

04:02 We didn't rest.

04:04 After UAP, we went straight to the field.

04:07 Straight, right?

04:08 Yes.

04:09 We talked about it.

04:12 We trained.

04:14 We'll go there to fight.

04:16 We won't give them...

04:20 We'll give them a good fight.

04:25 We won't just...

04:27 We were number 26 in the world at that time.

04:30 We'll show that we have a right to be here.

04:34 That's why we're here.

04:35 I told you that you were number 26 in the lottery.

04:38 But you beat number 29 in New Zealand.

04:40 And number 8 in Italy.

04:42 You were the host.

04:43 That's big.

04:44 What did you feel when you beat them?

04:46 What did you feel when you entered the AC More?

04:49 That you can compete with one of the top 10 best softball teams in the world.

04:54 Yes.

04:55 We can't explain how we felt.

04:58 Especially when we beat New Zealand.

05:00 We were very happy.

05:02 Our next opponent was Italy.

05:04 Which is number 8.

05:06 We lost to them.

05:07 We can't explain how we felt.

05:09 We were just happy that we showed a good performance.

05:13 We were able to say that all our training went well.

05:18 That's why we won.

05:19 You should be noticed by the Blue Girls.

05:21 Yes.

05:22 I know that you play basketball, volleyball, and football.

05:28 But you should be noticed by us.

05:29 Because we beat Italy, which is number 8 in the world.

05:32 They have a home field advantage.

05:36 Ray, you're the underdogs.

05:38 Because aside from New Zealand and Italy,

05:40 the group C is also very strong.

05:41 You're also number 5.

05:43 Canada is just number 5.

05:44 And number 1 is Japan.

05:46 Yes.

05:47 Japan.

05:48 We know that Japan is known for playing baseball.

05:51 And you also played against them in the 22nd game in Venezuela.

05:53 You lost in the first three games.

05:55 Those teams that I mentioned.

05:56 How did you bounce back?

06:00 How did you get the positive feedback?

06:02 How did you do it?

06:06 It's hard.

06:07 Coach said that every game has a different story.

06:12 As long as the tournament is not over,

06:14 we just fight.

06:16 We just give our best.

06:18 Is it really hard for them to fight?

06:20 As in, is it really tough?

06:21 It's tough.

06:22 They lose.

06:23 But our outfield is also tough.

06:26 In the solo.

06:28 That's the only thing.

06:29 The hit.

06:31 That's the only thing.

06:33 Because you need runs.

06:34 You need hits.

06:35 Your defense is good.

06:36 But you also need to bounce back to get points.

06:38 Okay, let's continue our conversation.

06:40 Let's time out first.

06:41 We need to do a commercial.

06:42 Maybe you want to do a TikTok.

06:43 A conversation with RFP Blue Girls members,

06:46 Charlotte Salas, Ray May, Viliya Min, and Alaysa Talisig.

06:49 We'll continue after this quick time out.

06:51 You're watching Sports Test Only here on CNN Philippines

06:54 where we go all out for the day's top sports stories.

06:56 Stay tuned.

06:57 [music]

06:59 Welcome back to Sports Test Only here on CNN Philippines.

07:01 Our guests today, Charlotte Salas, Ray May, Viliya Min, and Alaysa Talisig

07:06 of the RP Blue Girls.

07:07 There they are still joining us fresh from--

07:09 Fresh, not fresh.

07:10 From their campaign in the WVSC Women's Softball World Cup.

07:15 Okay, where did we stop in our mindset?

07:19 Okay, as Tal said, other countries are our enemies.

07:25 Lottie, how far are we from--

07:30 Now that you've seen how we lost to Italy, number 8 in the world,

07:34 your opponent, number 5, Canada, number 2, Japan.

07:36 If we compare it to our materialists, our players,

07:41 how far are we from being able to keep up with the best of the best in the World Cup?

07:45 Well, to be honest, we're still a bit far, but at least we're still far.

07:50 We're still competing, and we lost to them.

07:54 So, I feel like we can still do better in the next ones.

07:57 We just need to improve our training.

07:59 Because everything starts from there.

08:01 You can get everything from training.

08:02 In the human piece, where do you think we can recruit,

08:09 or do we need to add more?

08:11 To pitcher, catcher, outfielders?

08:14 I think it's the pitchers.

08:16 Because in the world, all batters are really good.

08:20 You can't hide anything.

08:21 So, I feel like we need to strengthen the pitchers,

08:25 and also the hitting.

08:26 Because hitting is not an easy mechanic.

08:29 So, we really need to train harder to follow up.

08:33 You're a pitcher, right?

08:35 Ray, how good are the pitchers you saw?

08:40 What kind of batters?

08:42 Not just fastballs, curveballs?

08:44 Not just fastballs.

08:45 They're really good.

08:46 There are a lot of variations of the ball.

08:47 There are slow ones, then there are slow ones that spin fast,

08:51 then there are high ones, and there are low ones.

08:54 They're really good.

08:56 Their hands are strong.

08:58 There are also lefties, I'm sure.

09:00 Yes, there are a lot.

09:01 A lot?

09:02 The weather was also canceled, right?

09:05 How did that affect you?

09:08 Well, it didn't really affect us.

09:10 But we were also surprised because the ice was...

09:15 We were covered in ice because it was like an ice cube.

09:18 Really?

09:19 The ice was really big.

09:21 Because it was in Italy, right?

09:23 Yes.

09:24 But we were safe that night because we were evacuated before it started raining.

09:29 Wow, Tal was amazed.

09:32 "Hey, an ice cube is raining!"

09:35 Right?

09:37 Aside from that, what other weather challenges did you have?

09:42 Jet lag? No?

09:44 Sleep?

09:45 No, we were able to adjust to sleep.

09:48 What about practicing?

09:51 You had time in the...

09:53 Yes, we had time for everything.

09:55 And you were together for a long time in Italy, right?

09:59 How long was that?

10:00 11 days.

10:02 More than a week.

10:03 What was...

10:04 This is a good question, Tal.

10:06 I'll ask you.

10:07 What are the things you will never forget?

10:09 Because I'm sure you had a lot of pizza, pasta, and gelato there.

10:13 Right?

10:14 For sure.

10:15 But in Italy, what are the things you will never forget?

10:18 For me, when we went to the castle.

10:23 It was so beautiful.

10:26 The view.

10:27 The castle?

10:28 In Italy.

10:29 Where in Italy?

10:30 Do you remember?

10:31 In Udine.

10:32 In Udine.

10:33 Okay, okay.

10:34 The buildings were old-fashioned.

10:37 The buildings were old-fashioned.

10:40 They were far from the Philippines.

10:43 And the food was good.

10:47 We're not used to rice here.

10:50 We're used to rice because we live here.

10:53 There was no rice there.

10:55 There was only pasta and pizza.

10:57 We were so thankful that a lot of Filipinos helped us to bring rice, adobo, and fried fish.

11:04 After they gave us the food, we regained our strength.

11:10 What about you two?

11:12 What about you, Lottie?

11:13 For me, we walked every lunch because our lunch was in a different restaurant.

11:19 I feel like we talked about the game and life while walking.

11:23 I think that's how we became friends.

11:25 It's beautiful in Italy.

11:27 What about you, Ray?

11:28 It's the same.

11:29 Didn't you miss looking for rice?

11:33 We did.

11:34 We looked for it for days.

11:36 Okay.

11:38 When we talk about the Philippine sports, I'm sure you know about the Philippines.

11:46 They also won the World Cup.

11:47 They're doing amazing things.

11:49 We won the first gold medal in the Olympics.

11:51 We have Aydlin Diaz.

11:53 We have Alex Ayala.

11:55 These are the female athletes.

11:57 The next ones are the RP Blue Girls.

12:00 We have Gilas Women's.

12:03 Coach Pat Aquino.

12:04 Uma Arangkada.

12:06 A lot of people are giving attention to you.

12:11 What can you say about that?

12:12 I'm sure you want more.

12:15 I remember you noticed us.

12:17 What else can you say about the attention you're getting now?

12:22 We're super happy.

12:24 After a long time, we noticed that we're women.

12:28 We admit that softball is not well-known in the Philippines.

12:32 We're happy that the whole country is noticing us.

12:36 By that, softball is also getting more attention.

12:43 There are more kids who want to play softball.

12:45 What about you, Ray?

12:48 What do you think?

12:50 You're an inspiration to the young girls who want to play softball.

12:55 They say, "It's hard because of baseball."

12:59 But you're showing that we can do it.

13:01 In this sport, even if we're small,

13:04 even if we're strong,

13:07 the Philippines can still follow.

13:09 Yes, the Philippines can still follow.

13:12 Softball and baseball,

13:16 if people don't know,

13:19 softball is a game for men.

13:21 But, of course, women can still do what men can do.

13:26 Do you want to add something?

13:28 You're laughing again.

13:30 No, because some people think that we can't do what men can do.

13:40 They're wrong.

13:42 Even if we're women, we can do what men can do.

13:44 What will follow after this WBSC?

13:50 Is this the most popular?

13:53 We still have our main competition, the Asian Games.

13:57 So, the Asian Games is more popular than the World Cup?

13:59 Yes.

14:00 We need the Asian Games more.

14:02 But this World Cup is a prestigious event.

14:06 But the Asian Games,

14:08 you're all in Sabac.

14:10 Yes.

14:11 What do you think about our competition there?

14:13 What's the most important?

14:15 Of course, Japan.

14:17 We need to be able to finish.

14:20 That's our goal in the Asian Games.

14:22 So, I think all the lapses that we had in the World Cup,

14:25 we need to be able to finish them in our training for the Asian Games.

14:30 What do you want to say?

14:32 We're live on CNN Philippines.

14:34 I know that before you flew,

14:35 even our correspondent, Versoza,

14:37 she told me that the R.P. Blue Girls are doing well,

14:40 but they haven't been given much attention,

14:43 help, and support.

14:45 What do you want to say to them?

14:47 Well, we're still thankful.

14:52 Even though we weren't supported in the past,

14:55 now they're giving us everything.

14:57 Especially the Philippine Sports Commission,

14:59 they helped us to get to Italy.

15:03 The PSC Chair, Dickie Bachman,

15:05 she's giving a lot of support to the athletes.

15:07 Thank you so much.

15:08 Keep fighting.

15:09 You can do it in the Asian Games.

15:11 You can do it.

15:12 You can do it in Japan.

15:13 Can you do it in Japan?

15:14 Yes, we can.

15:15 And also, I just want to thank our host,

15:19 Sir Jen Henry Luwilier.

15:21 Thank you for your support from the beginning.

15:25 Until now, I hope you don't get tired.

15:27 Keep supporting the Blue Girls.

15:29 Thank you so much for being here.

15:31 Congratulations.

15:32 Long live.

15:33 Keep fighting so that they'll be noticed.

15:35 Next time, you'll owe me.

15:37 Again, we just spoke to Charlotte Orlotti-Sales,

15:42 Ray May, or Ray Villamin,

15:45 and Alizer Tal Talisig of the R.P. Blue Girls.

15:49 Thank you so much.

15:50 Thank you for your fresh after campaign

15:52 at WBSC, Women's Softball World Cup in Italy.

RP Blu Girls climb five spots in women's softball world rankings | Sports Desk

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