The White Sox will look to improve from their disappointing performance at this year's World Softball Championships when they play in the 2019 Asia Pacific Cup.
The White Sox have confirmed their entry for the 2019 tournament in Sydney with the likes of World No.2 Japan, No.4 Australia, No.5 Chinese Taipei and No.9 Italy all expected to attend.
The Kiwis dropped to 11th in the world rankings after finishing 13th in Japan at the world champs in August, taking just two wins from seven matches at the tournament.
The result makes the team's goal of qualifying for the Tokyo 2020 much more difficult with only six teams earning spots at the Olympics.
But head coach Kevin Gettins isn't deterred, confirming he will use the tournament to "blood domestic players against the best players and teams in the world".
"This as a great opportunity for domestic players to get selected and be measured against some of the world’s best players. Being able to compete at this level of competition consistently is critical for the White Sox going forward."
Selectors will attend two big club tournaments, the Benny Luke Memorial Tournament in Hutt Valley and the Bev Smith Memorial in Auckland next month before announcing the team in early December.
The White Sox attended this year's Asia Pacific Cup but failed to pick up a win in the tournament.
SHARE ME