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By Krista Angela M. Montealegre, Reporter
THE cream of the crop in Philippine bowling will
pit their skills against foreign rivals in the 37th Philippine
International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships slated June 12 to 28
at the SM Mall of Asia Bowling Center in Pasay City.
Leading the RP contingent is Liza del Rosario,
who will defend the women’s title in the P2-million event
organized by the Philippine Bowling Congress (PBC).
Other Filipinos competing in Asia’s
longest-running tournament held in cooperation with Ebonite
International are 2006 world masters champion Biboy Rivera and
three-time Southeast Asian Games champion Paolo Valdez, who is
coming off a three-year layoff.
Also joining are national players Chester King,
Frederick Ong, Raoul Miranda, Tyrone Ongpauco, Elaine Florencio
Ongpauco, Dyan Coronacion and Lovella Catalan and newcomers Kim Lao
and Alexis Sy from Cebu City.
Hong Kong’s Wu Siu Hong is the reigning open
masters champion.
“Our bowlers are ready to compete,” said
national coach Nico Valderrama during Tuesday’s PSA Forum at the
Shakey’s Restaurant in United Nations Ave. “I’m confident that
a Filipino can bring home a title in the coming tournament.”
With promising rookies coming into the team this
year, Villarama is optimistic that the RP contingent will continue
to be competitive.
“We are not promising a glorious year but this
is a glorious start. We have a good set of young bowlers who will
define Philippine bowling in the future,” Valderrama said.
International Hall of Famer Bong Coo, who is
also a nine-time PBC champion, is also hopeful that the current set
of young bowlers will bring back the glory days of bowling.
Kuwait, Malaysia, Korea and United Arab Emirates
are also sending their best bowlers in the 17-day tournament which
will have competitions in the
Men’s and Ladies’ Open Masters, Graded
Masters, Associate Masters, Rookie Masters, Senior Masters, and Boys
& Girls’ Open Masters.
The top 16 in the Open Masters will qualify for
the Philippine leg of the Asian Bowling Federation Tour slated June
29 in the same venue.
Meanwhile, Valderrama announced that the PBC
will send a team to the Asian Championships scheduled July 2 to 19
in Hong Kong.
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