Tan bags Seniors crown in 18th Sletba Open

Officers of Sletba flank the winners in the Seniors class of the 18th Sletba Open. From left are Fred Martinez, Abel Ulanday, Sletba VP and president, respectively; Takihiro Yoshida, 1st runnerup; Mil Tan, champion; Sohrab Almajose, 2nd runnerup; and Frankie Uy, Sletba tournament director.

MANILA, Philippines–Mil Tan of the Sta. Lucia East Tenpin Bowling Association (Sletba) bagged the Senior Masters crown in the 18th Sletba Open at the Sta. Lucia Mall in Cainta, Rizal, on Friday.

Tan rolled a nine-bagger (nine consecutive strikes) in the 10th game of the finals to post a 10-game score of 2712 and pull away from his closest pursuers Takahiro Yoshida of Pasig Bowling Association (PBA) who had 2592 and fellow Sletba member Sohrab Almajose with 2558.

He missed posting a perfect score when he had an open in the last frame, but that didn’t matter as the overall total by that time had already decided who the winner was.

Yoshida took an early lead with a sizzling 279 in the first game, and followed this with 237-259-226 scores in the next three games.

Mil Tan shows his winning form.

Tan started slow with a 221 but gradually caught up with Yoshida in the sixth game after posting a 229-225-233-236-244 card in the next five games.

It was a close fight between the two up to the 9th game until Tan unleashed the nine-bagger in the last game.

“It was a good fight. I’m happy and proud that a Sletba member won this event in this year’s tournament,’’ Tan said after receiving his cash prize and trophy from Sletba president Abel Ulanday.

It was a high-scoring finals as the well-kept lanes of the bowling center provided the finalists with good scoring lines. Four near-perfect games kept the crowd at their feet.

The week-long tournament, which is sanctioned by the Philippine Bowling Congress, has the Philippine Daily Inquirer and Inquirer.net as media partners.