Krizziah Lyn Tabora with her parents poses with her trophies which she won in winning the 53rd Qubica AMF Bowling Worldcup held in Hermosillo Mexico during an interview at Paeng Bowl in Eastwood City, Pasig on Sunday, November 19, 2017. INQUIRER PHOTO / GRIG C. MONTEGRANDE
“I never thought she would get to the level where she is right now. I only wanted her to enjoy the sport I loved,” the 62-year-old businessman said.
But fate works in mysterious ways, and with that, Junky found himself in an unfamiliar position, not as a player but among the crowd, as he and wife Thelma prayed for the heavens for their daughter fighting for flag and country at the 53rd QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup in Hermosillo, Mexico.
The Taboras have gone a long way since the days when Junky was bringing young Krizziah Lyn to the bowling centers, unconsciously exposing her to the sport whenever he unwinds in the bowling alleys of Ever Gotesco Commonwealth.
But the itch to knock down pins soon bit Krizziah, and one fateful afternoon, the then-14-year-old asked her father if she could give it a try.
“She told me she wanted to play,” recounted Junky, unbeknownst of the potential his daughter possessed. It didn’t take long, though, as the girl who was throwing balls for fun gave the elder Tabora a glimpse of what her future holds, scoring 243 points in their game.
“As a bowling aficionado, it brings me great pride to see my child excel in the sport I love,” said Junky.
That passion drove Krizziah to continuously hone her craft, earning her a ticket to her first Bowling World Cup in 2012 and finally, got her in the semifinals of the 2017 event, where she dispatched Rocio Restrepo of Colombia, 249-222. On the cusp of greatness, the younger Tabora found a familiar face as she faced regional rival Siti Safiyah Amirah Abdul Rahman of Malaysia for all the marbles.
But even before the title clash, Junky had a premonition of sorts with the way his daughter has performed this year. “We had a dinner and I told her that I felt we had a bit of a trend. She won bronze (in the women’s team of five) in SEA Games, and then silver (in the women’s team of four) in the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games. Maybe, we can get gold this time because I can see that her practice runs have always been good,” he shared.
Then, the pins started to fall as Krizziah confidently downed her frames against the equally motivated Malaysian foe.
Though the match was tense at first, the 26-year-old Tabora gained a bit of a breathing room midway through the match as she scored strikes in frames five to nine, building a 167-133 cushion and prompting the Malaysian opponent to give her a low-five in an apparent admission of defeat as the crowd started to buzz with anticipation.
Though the noise, Junky remained silent as she waited for his daughter to finish off the frames, waiting for the moment all the pins dropped before he celebrated.
On the 10th frame, Krizziah first had a spare before closing the match with another strike to end the game, 236-191 as her father jumped in jubilation with his arms spread out, celebrating her triumph in the crowd.
“I was really waiting for that moment when the ball hit the bowling pins. It was only there when I felt I could celebrate,” said Junky, as his daughter gave the Philippines its first World Cup conquest after CJ Suarez’ victory in 2003 and become the eighth Filipino Bowling World Cup winner. Tabora also joined the ranks of legends Lita dela Rosa and Bong Coo to win the plum in the women’s division, a first for the country in 38 years.
Junky would have to wait a full hour before Krizziah made it out of the lanes and into his arms, giving her a tight hug to cap off what was an amazing night for the Tabora family.
Though the Tabora partiarch is well aware of what this Bowling World Cup victory means, not just for Krizziah but also for the whole bowling community, he’s just hopeful that this will open the floodgates for the public to reinvigorate its interest for the sport of bowling.
“With the publicity given to her accomplishment, I’m wishing that bowling will once again rise here in the Philippines,” he said.
But Junky is aware that for that to happen, the burden should not solely lie on the athletes reaching for the stars, but also for the powers-that-be to provide the support the sport needs to compete on a world-class level.
“It’s hard to dream. We never thought that this will happen to Krizziah. Again, all we wanted was for her to enjoy. But if I have a wish to the Lord, I’m wishing that the bowling team can win gold in the Asian Games. It’s more appealing to the ear if it’s the Philippine team and not just the individual,” he said. “But for us to do that, we need to have better facilities and ample budget. If we get that, it won’t be too far-fetched that the Philippine team gains a good finish in those tournaments.”