Charlotte Sales, Royevel Palma, Rizza Bernardino of the Philippine Blu Girls at the PSA Forum, August 4, 2026 at the PSC Media Room. ABS-CBN News
MANILA -- Bolstered by a confidence-boosting performance in the Women's Softball World Cup, the Philippine Blu Girls are hoping to finally make it to the podium of the Asian Games later this year.
The Blu Girls have made it to the semifinals in three separate editions of the Asiad, only to fall short each time.
They are determined to finally end that string of heartbreak when they compete in the 20th edition of the continental showcase in Nagoya, Japan from Sept. 19 to Oct. 4.
"This Asian Games pinapangako namin sa mga sarili namin na yung iyak namin happy tears naman this time," said team captain Charlotte Sales.
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Sales was joined by co-captain Royevel Palma and assistant coach Rizza Bernardino in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission media room on Tuesday.
"Yung huli (2023 Hangzhou) heartbroken pa rin kaming lahat kasi natalo pa rin kami sa bronze medal match," she added, recalling a 3-2 loss to Chinese Taipei that kept them out of the podium
This time around, the team -- composed of 12 local players and five Filipino-Americans -- are determined to break the jinx.
"Hindi kami nawawalan ng pag-asa. And hard work talaga kami na makuha talaga yung goal namin na podium (finish)," said Palma, who was part of the teams that also missed the podium in Jakarta 2018 and again in 2023.
Bernardino, herself a former Blu Girl, said the team is slated to hold another training camp in Japan prior to its stint in the Asiad.
The Blu Girls are coming off a fifth place finish in the just concluded WBSC Women’s Softball World Cup in Peru, Lima in a performance that was also enhanced by a similar training camp in Japan.
"Naging maganda yung training camp kasi ang daming nag-improve (sa team). Maraming tinuro sa amin yung Japan team. Hindi sila madamot magbigay ng skills and anything na makakatulong sa amin," Bernardino explained.
Currently training at the Polo Club, the Blu Girls will leave for the training camp on August 21, after which they will go straight to Nagoya for the softball competitions that kick off on Sept. 26.
The host nation Japan is the favorite to win a seventh straight gold since bagging its first during the 2002 Busan Asiad.
The format remains the same, according to Bernardino, where the eight teams play a single round robin and then the top four will advance to the semis.
Other countries seeing action aside from the host and the Philippines are Chinese Taipei, China, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Thailand.