Japan and the Philippines have qualified for the World Cup, which will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, from November 26 to December 4, as this Asia Cup also served as a qualification for two slots for the seven nations that competed.
While there was no doubt that Japan would qualify for the World Cup by being ranked second in the world ranking, the struggle for second place was the focus in the city of Shimanto City in the prefecture of Kochi.
There were some surprises in the event, with India raising eyebrows with their effort and a fourth-place finish.
India, the Group B runners-up to Japan, also played spoiler to Singapore, whom they defeated in the Super League round.
Singapore sought retribution in the third-place match against India, defeating them 17-5. However, Singapore lost out on a World Cup berth.
After losing to Singapore in the Super round, the tournament's runners-up, the Philippines, had to reach deep into their reserves to compete in the final.
Singapore threw a wrench in the Philippines' aspirations for the final, defeating them in a come-from-behind 6-5 triumph.
The Philippines advanced in a three-way duel for a spot in the finals because they faced the fewest runs compared to Singapore and India.
The Philippines not only secured their second World Cup berth as a finalist, but they also had the distinction of being the only team in the competition to have two runs against Japan, with a 2-9 score in the finals. (Romeo Braceros, Jr.)
Photo: Asiasoftball.com
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