Bong Coo’s story of adversity, success

Bowling legends Bong Coo and national team coach Paeng Nepomuceno. Photo by Randolph B. Leongson

Olivia “Bong” Coo vividly remembers her first trip to the bowling lanes in Makati in the 1970s.

Low-spirited after parting ways with her husband and with two children to take care of, the 21-year-old Coo immediately fell in love with the sport, a romance that installed her as the greatest female Filipino bowler of all time.

On Thursday, Coo will be among the 10 heroes who will be enshrined in the 2018 Sports Hall of Fame at Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
She will be joined by fellow bowling icon Paeng Nepomuceno and sprint queen Lydia de Vega-Mercado.

“Athletes go through adversity before they succeed,” said Coo. “Mine came when I played bowling to forget my separation from my husband.”