Tuesday, July 17, 2007 Junior RP keglers revive Pinoy pride
JUNIOR Filipino bow-lers ended RP’s drought as they went home with three medals in the 10th Asian Schools Bowling Championships, which wrapped up last Sunday at the Mei Foo Super Fun Bowling in Kowloon, Hong Kong.
After a dismal finish in Bangkok last year that saw the Filipinos without a single medal, the RP team made up for it, and finished third overall in both the boys and girls contests.
The national team will have Cebuano Jomar Jumapao to thank for as he came home with two silvers after winning second place in the all events of the boys class. Jumapao and his team Kenneth Chua, Jose Collins and Mar Vincent Reyes took the second place honors in the team competition.
Jumapao actually qua-lified for the masters event, but only ended up in 10th place.
Jumapao last won a medal in the Asian Schools in 2005 in the masters event, where he won the bronze alongside fellow Cebuano Kim Lao, who also finished third in the distaff title.
However, the biggest win last weekend came from lone lady kegler Anne Marjorie Reyes, who won the team’s only gold medal.
What makes the feat more remarkable is that it is the very first gold medal won by the RP team in the girls division in the tournament’s 10-year existence.
The week-long competition was participated by 13 countries of 21 teams in the boys division and 17 teams in the girls class.
The tournament was hosted by the Philippines in 1999. Next year, it will be held in Melbourne, Australia next year. (MCB)
