Fresh from their win from the international baseball game recently, members of the Ganduyan Bucks of Sagada, Mountain Province are preparing for the Little League Philippine (LLP) Series 2020.
The team placed second in the junior category in the 2020 Pacific Super Game held at The Village Clark Sports Complex in Pampanga on Jan. 2 to 5.
The group, specifically its little league composed of 12 years old under, is now training hard for the regional LLP series set April 15 to 22 in Ilagan City, Isabela.
Coach Allen Angway said the Sagada Bucks will play against formidable teams from the Ilocos Region, Cagayan Valley, and Central Luzon.
The top two teams in each division will qualify for the national finals of the LLP series in Dumaguete City, May 21 to 28.
During the little league’s stint in the Pacific Super Game, Angway said the group trained even during the Christmas break, to which they attribute winning four out of five games and defeating the Taipei TYSA Athletic Baseball Team. The Global Vision Christian Schools GVC of Korea was the tournament’s champion.
The challenge for the group now concerns financial resources, reason why it is currently raising funds for the needs of the young athletes. The members also have to deal with the warm weather during the Philippine league.
Asked if he is pressured to lead the team to gain the top spot, Angway said the community’s support enables him to do it well.
“There is pressure but through the help of the athletes’ parents and supporters, we are able to do it,” he said.
Angway is also preparing the Ganduyan Bucks, representing Mountain Province, for the annual Cordillera Administrative Region Athletic Association Meet set Feb. 16 to 21 in Baguio City.
Established in 1996, the Ganduyan Bucks was founded by the late Ben Yodong, Sr. and Atty. David Daoas. Angway said the group’s name originated from the venison meat served during the meeting of its founders.
The current group is composed of young batters competing in the little league (12-under), junior league (13 to 15 years old), and big league (16 and above).
The little and junior leagues are mostly active members from the town’s barangays. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 20, 2024
