Chua charts Cooley collision course

Four-time bowler of the year Kenneth Chua knows that it would take more than just consistency to defeat an outstanding bowler like Australian Sam Cooley.

For the past four days, Chua has been leading the foray in the men’s open qualifying round of the Philippine International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships that positioned the 27-year-old in a possible head-on collision with the defending champion Cooley.

“It’s a very strong foreign opposition out there. We have to maintain our focus for us to earn a chance to win the title,” said Chua, currently the country’s top male kegler.

The 2017 Asian Indoor Games men’s singles silver medalist pooled 1483 pinfalls late on Tuesday evening after scoring 743 in the first game and leading the way in the second with a 740.

“I hope to be in the best shape possible in the finals. Anything can happen there,” Chua said.

At distant second and third are national youth mainstay Kenzo Umali (1433) and Singapore’s Timothy Tam (1441).

Cooley has already gained automatic seeding into the finals as the defending champion, leaving 12 local players and 12 foreigners out to qualify in the first round of the championship on Saturday.