Liza: I gave it my best shot

PATTAYA, Thailand — Filipino bowler Liza del Rosario’s winning run came to a sad end late Saturday when she fell to Japan’s Nachimi Itakura in the best-of-three women’s finals of the 37th AMF World Cup here.

Del Rosario, who shared the doubles gold with veteran Arianne Cerdena in the 21st Southeast Asian Games in Malaysia last September, performed well above her average, bowling a couple of 224 games. But her 26-year-old Japanese rival from Wakayama City was hotter, firing 247 and 257.

"I gave it my best shot, but Nachimi was simply unstoppable," said the 24-year-old Del Rosario, who earned a crack at the crown only on her first stint in the prestigious, week-long individual competition.

Norway’s Kim Haugen won the men’s title by beating former champion Ahmed Shaheen of Qatar in two straight games. Haugen, the No. 8 seed, was nearly perfect as he toppled Shaheen, 238-216 and 290-186.

Haugen became the third Norwegian to win the World Cup. The other past Norwegian winners were Arne Stroem, who lost to four-time champion Paeng Nepomuceno in a one-on-one showdown in Manila in the early 80s, and Tore Torgersen.

Del Rosario matched the second-place finish of two other RP female bowlers — Bec Watanabe and Diana Tanlimco.

Before leaving Manila, Del Rosario said it was her long-time dream to win the World Cup, which only two other Filipinos outside of Nepomuceno — the late Lita dela Rosa and Bong Coo — had ruled in 1978 and 1979, respectively.

She came close to realizing her dream when she knocked out American Kristal Scott, 214-207 and 216-207 in the semifinals early Saturday.

Next year’s World Cup international finals will be held in Riga, Latvia from Oct. 20 to 26.