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By Llanesca T. Panti, Reporter
WINNING and redemption have been elusive for the
Philippine bowling team this year as it only managed to chalk up one
silver medal from international competition for the last two years.
The bowling team, graced by Philippine sports
legends and multiple world champions Paeng Nepomuceno and Bong Coo,
was shut out in three international tournaments—2006 Asian Games,
World Women’s Championships and the second Asian Indoor Games—a
very far cry from the intimidating team that won four golds and six
silvers in the 2005 Manila SEA Games.
“Napaghandaan na tayo ng husto ng mga kalaban
natin [Our rivals were able to prepare for us],” resigned national
coach Gene Tonolete said. “They totally went after us as seen with
their numerous international competitions and we have to understand
that players from other countries have really made a living out of
bowling.”
Only former World Men’s masters champion Biboy
Rivera and Liza del Rosario were able to provide the solace for the
beleaguered national squad when they rallied from 58 pins down to
settle for silver in the mixed doubles on the last day of the
competitions.
Both players made the final push for the gold,
but they could only trim to trail by 12 pins at the end of the
match.
“We really felt frustrated and pressured
because it’s the last event of the competition and the other
countries are finding it strange that we are yet to win a medal,”
Rivera, who is still nursing a left knee patella injury, said.
“But we just stayed focused and pushed ourselves to the limit
because we don’t want to go home without any medal for the
country.”
Curiously, the RP bowlers’ SEA Games demise
came after the coaches decided to remove 2005 gold medalists Markwin
Tee (men’s Masters) and Joone Gatchalian (men’s doubles with
Christian Suarez) four days before the team’s departure to
Thailand.
The sudden ouster of Tee and Gatchalian was a
product of the blanket authority given by the Philippine Bowling
Congress President Stephen Hontiveros to the coaches, giving
Tonolete, Caloy de Leon and Madoka the power to select their
players.
The authority, however, will mean the coaches’
resignation letter should the team fail to bag one gold and two
silver medals.
But despite what had happened, Tonolote
recognized Rivera and del Rosario’s efforts of winning for the
country.
“The [medal] output does not really reflect
the athletes’ hard work and what the rigid training they had gone
through just to make the country proud,” Tonolete said. “I would
like to give credit to them because they were able to fulfill their
responsibility.”
With regards the controversial decision of the
coaching staff not to field RP’s top two bowlers, Tonolete has no
regrets and still believes that the once outstanding bowling team is
bound to bounce back.
“We stand by our decision, and we take full
responsibility of it because it is a risk we have to take,”
Tonolete said. “Besides, the team can still take off as long as
they work together even though bowling is an individual sport. There
should not be envy.”
“Lastly, they should trust and respect their
[future] coaches wholeheartedly because they [coaches] will not be
appointed by the PBC if they are not competent.”
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