The all-Filipino softball team, Fate, has won the championship of the knock-out tournament, Festival of Sports, despite being made to play on a Saturday when most, if not all, of its players were supposed to be at work.
The game held at Shek Kip Mei field on May 12 ended with Fate emerging with another unblemished record, beating local team Astro, 8-0, in five innings.
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| Team members and their supporters celebrate after winning the championship. |
First to score were Myra Japitana and Eunice Locop, who each contributed a point in the first inning.
In the second inning, Editha Hidalgo made the score 3-0, in Fate’s favor. Outfielders Bambee
Abadilla and Maribel Sitchon both caught a flyball by an Astro hitter, preventing their rivals from scoring.
Astro tightened its defense on the third and fourth inning, preventing Fate from adding to its score. But the all-Filipina team bounced back with five scores on the fifth inning, to seal the game. Those who scored were: Sherlyn Gamata, Japitana, Locop, Don Gaborno and Bambee Abadilla.
Tension simmered when Gaborno was hit on the side of her knee by an Astro hitter when she tried to slide onto homebase in the fifth inning. Fate’s captain could not get up at first, but managed to do so eventually with help from her teammates.
The big win left Fate manager Law Wai Ho teary eyed as the team thanked him for his consistent and valuable support.
Gaborno said it was almost a miracle that all of the team’s 17 players, all working as domestic helpers in Hong Kong, managed to obtain permission to swap their usual Sunday off with a Saturday, so they could play in the championship.
Their mostly Chinese employers reportedly came around to support them when they learned that the organizers had insisted on holding the finals on a Saturday. “Pati yung mga among mga Intsik nagalit dahil pakiramdam nila ay dinadaya kami,” she said.
But up until Friday evening, Gaborno said she was not sure if the team would have enough players on the day.
It was the first time since they started playing in either the FOS or the regular league, that they were called to play on a Saturday.
Gaborno had earlier pleaded with organizers through Law to reschedule the final game but Astro reportedly refused to give way.
“Sabi ni Mr Law, manalo matalo, pilitin naming magpakita sa laro kasi kung hindi ay talo agad kami”, she said.
Up until Friday night, Gaborno said she wasn’t sure how many of the players would show up, but luckily, all came through the next day, along with some of their regular supporters.
It was the fourth straight victory by Fate in the league, and as in the past games, they managed to prevent their rival from scoring a single point.
Fate did even better in the regular league, when it outclassed rival Celsius in spectacular fashion, scoring 20-nil in a game on Apr 29 that lasted four innings.
The same pattern was recorded in Fate’s six previous matches in the B league of the HK Softball Championships, which it all won handily.
The tournament is expected to last until August this year, before resuming for the new season in October
Gaborno said the team has been performing better than before because of the players’ wonderful teamwork.
Fate is now said to be made up of seven former players, and 10 new recruits, who somehow have managed to work well together.
“Maganda ang teamwork ngayon kasi kapag training, puspusan talaga. Lahat sila ay nakikiisa kaya magaan lagi ang panalo,” Gaborno said.
Fate is next scheduled to play against the local team, SCAA-WSC, on May 20, 3pm, in the regular league.
