TWO-TIME SM Millionaire’s Cup champion Tessa Dianne Galendez-Lim lost steam in the finals, succumbing to twice-to-beat Darius Beloy who crowned himself champion of the Datba December 2019 monthly finals tournament held at SM Lanang Premier Bowling Center Sunday, January 12.
Beloy toppled Galendez-Lim, 191-155, in just one game of their titular showdown to pocket the top cash prize of P10,000. The latter settled for P4,000. That was the first title showdown between the two pintopplers.
The champion, with a handicap of 30, earlier amassed a total of 1,315 pinfalls after six games to grab the top spot of the step-the-ladder finals.
He was followed by Galendez Lim (14) who rolled 1,233 pins in second, Ulene Rule (33) who scored 1,223 for third, and Arthur John (13) Galendez placing fourth after making 1,211 pinfalls.
In the step-the-ladder round, No. 4 Arthur John rolled over Rule, 208-185, to arrange a clash with her sister Dianne who defeated him, 224-180. Lim, thus, set up the championship match with Beloy.
“Gikulbaan ko, wala na kaayo ko naanad ug pressure maam,” she said in an interview via Facebook on Monday, January 13.
(I was nervous and I was no longer used to that kind of pressure.)
The 25-year-old mother took a break from bowling in 2017 and only got back in June 2019 after settling down and giving birth to her son Vince Dean, now a toddler.
Lim was a third runner-up in the November 2019 monthly finals.
“Abi gani nako ako na to mag champ gahapon maam. Pero deserve man pud ni sir Beloy kay first game pa lang, siya najud first always until sixth game,” she said.
(I really thought I would emerge champion but Sir Beloy really deserves it as he has been leading from the first to sixth games.)
She added that she needed to practice more to regain her championship form as she has not been regularly training and competing.
Arthur John bagged P2,000 while Rule took home P1,000.
All the top four placers also received trophies.
Meanwhile, Gabriel Velasco copped the top qualifier and highest qualifying single titles while Beloy also romped away with the highest final single.