The BFA XII U-15 Baseball Asian Championship was recently concluded in Tainan, Chinese Taipei, with the hosts taking top honours. They defeated the world’s No. 1 ranked nation, Japan, to clinch the title, while South Korea claimed the bronze medal with a thumping victory over the Philippines.
After a disastrous preliminary round, the Sri Lankan lads bounced back with back-to-back victories against Pakistan and Thailand to secure 7th place.
In their first encounter, Sri Lanka faced the challenge of the world’s 24th-ranked team, the Philippines. The Lions put up a good fight during the first three innings, but the Philippines eventually pulled away to record a comfortable win.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Sri Lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 |
| Philippines | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 11 | 0 |
In the second game, the formidable Japan outfit came up with a clinical performance to demolish the Sri Lankan side.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
| Japan | 1 | 9 | 0 | 14 | 24 | 22 | 0 |
In the final game of the preliminary round, the Lankan youths delivered an improved performance against the Hong Kong, China outfit, but it was not enough to overcome their formidable rivals.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Sri Lanka | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 7 | 2 |
| Hong Kong | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | X | 10 | 11 | 2 |
After suffering three straight defeats, Sri Lanka dropped into the placement matches. In the penultimate game, however, the young Lions rose from the ashes to secure a 7–3 victory over Thailand.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Thailand | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 4 |
| Sri Lanka | 3 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | X | 7 | 8 | 0 |
In the final game, Sri Lanka clashed with subcontinental giant Pakistan. The rivals started strongly, taking a 5–2 lead after three innings. However, in the fifth inning, the Junior Lions fought back with three runs to level the score. While the batters did their part, the pitchers and fielders were outstanding in shutting down Pakistan’s scoring over the last four innings. With the game tied, Sri Lanka produced a dream performance in the extra inning, scoring four runs while conceding none. With this remarkable victory, the Junior Lions bowed out of the tournament on a high note, securing 7th place overall.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | Runs | Hits | Errors |
| Sri Lanka | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 9 | 7 | 1 |
| Pakistan | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 |
6 |
The Sri Lanka U15 Team
Match Results
Group A : Japan 14 – 01 Hong Kong China
Philippines 11 – 01 Sri Lanka
Hong Kong China 02 – 03 Philippines
Japan 24 – 01 Sri Lanka
Japan 10 – 00 Philippines
Sri Lanka 03 – 10 Hong Kong China
Group B : South Korea 05 – 03 Chinese Taipei
Pakistan 16 – 02 Thailand
South Korea 16 – 00 Thailand
Chinese Taipei 27 – 00 Pakistan
South Korea 24 – 00 Pakistan
Chinese Taipei 18 – 00 Thailand
Placement Matches
Sri Lanka 07 – 03 Thailand
Pakistan 04 – 03 Hong Kong China
Thailand 02 – 12 Hong Kong China
Sri Lanka 09 – 05 Pakistan
Super Round Matches
South Korea 01 – 05 Japan
Philippines 00 – 10 Chinese Taipei
South Korea 16 – 01 Philippines
Japan 07 – 10 Chinese Taipei
3rd Place Match
South Korea 15 – 00 Philippines
The Final
Chinese Taipei 03 – 00 Japan
