PH bags 2 golds, 5 other medals in Asian senior kegfest

THE PHILIPPINES, led by veteran international campaigner Benny Dytoc,  bagged seven medals, including two golds, in the recent 13th Asian Seniors Bowling Championships held at Puyat Sports Coronado Lanes in Starmall, Mandaluyong City.

Dytoc, a multititled pintoppler during his younger days, shared the gold medal with Hermie Ape in the senior men’s doubles event, copped a silver in the senior men’s Masters and snatched a bronze in the senior men’s all-events.

The other Filipino medalists were Baby David who won a gold in the Grand senior ladies’ Masters, Nelia Santos, who took a silver in the senior ladies’ singles event, Sammy Say Sy, who pocketed a bronze in the senior men’s Masters event, and the foursome of Mon Camba, John Mendoza, Takahiro Yoshida and Mar Serac, who earned a bronze in the senior men’s team competition.

“It was a good finish for our team,” said Philippine Senior Bowlers (PSB) president Steve Robles, “and a big success for the biennial competition which drew the participation of 220 bowlers from Australia, Chinese Taipei, Guam, Korea, Japan, New Zealand and the Philippines.”

The tournament was hosted by the PSB and sanctioned by the World Tenpin Bowling Association, Asian Bowling Federation and the Philippine Bowling Congress.  The foreign participants were billeted at Linden Suites in Ortigas.

Six-time world champion Paeng Nepomuceno of the Philippines and former back-to-back world titlist Jeanette Baker of Australia led the entries.  Baker flashed her old form, shooting a 299 to win the senior ladies’ Masters plum and share the doubles crown with Julie Harrison.  Nepomuceno managed just a fifth-place finish in the senior men’s Masters event.

Dytoc and Ape combined for 2359 to beat Korea’s Lee Soo Ho/Yang Geun Suk (2341) and New Zealand’s Roger Tucker/Housham (2316) in doubles.  Dytoc then finished second to Guam’s Manny Tagle in the Masters and third behind Suk and Korean Son Yong Mok in all-events.

David carded 3103 pinfalls to topple Japan’s Junko Kuji (3098) in the ladies’ Masters, Santos pocketed a silver in singles with 1124, Sy scored 3278 in the senior Masters and the group of Camba, Mendoza, Yoshida and Serac collected 4479 for a bronze in the senior men’s team event.

Korea collected 156 points to emerge as overall champion, followed by Japan with 137, Australia with 75 and the Philippines with 53.