Philippines’ team at the World Classic baseball competition in Sydney, Australia. SBS NEWS PHOTO
SAN FRANCISCO–Filipino baseball players born in the U.S. have traveled to Sydney, Australia to help the Philippines’ baseball team, which was competing at the World Baseball Classic last month.
The U.S.-born players and Philippines players met for the first time at the event, and player Brad Haynal said it was a cultural journey. “I’m happy to meet new guys who share my Filipino heritage,” he told Australia’s SBS News.
With baseball no longer in the Olympics, the Australian Classic is the biggest international baseball tournament of the year.
The tournament includes host Australia, as well as New Zealand and South Africa and the Philippines. The winner will qualify for the tournament proper next year.
An estimated 80,000 people are from Filipino backgrounds in the area in and around Blacktown in New South Wales, and the team expected strong support.
Baseball lags well behind boxing and basketball in popularity in the Philippines, and the current crop of players want to change that.
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