Basa, Kuwaiti bag Graded Masters titles in RP Open

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino Gene Basa shared the limelight with comely Hanadi Al Mezezail of Kuwait Saturday in ruling the men’s and ladies’ Graded Masters finals of the 38th Philippine International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships at Paeng’s Midtown Bowl at the Robinson’s Place in Malate, Manila.

PBAP-Bowlmart’s Basa bowled a 12-game series of 2,499 in capturing the men’s Graded Masters title in the tournament sponsored by the University of Perpetual Help System, Department of Tourism, Amway Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission, Chowking, Colgate-Palmolive, The City Bowling Shop, USAct, Pearl Garden Hotel, Nestle Philippines, Paeng’s Midtown Bowl, Goldbridge Dental Services and Pan Pacific Manila, the tournament’s official hotel.

Basa earned P90,000 for his efforts while SLETBA’S RJ San Diego settled for runner-up honors after shooting 2,455 and pocketed P40,000. UAE’s Fuaad Almas was third (2,405), earning P20,000 for his performance.

Kuwaiti national player Mezazail, a 33-year-old Kuwait Airways ground staffer, made her maiden stint in the kegfest memorable by overcoming a close fight with TBAM-Prima-Metro Pacific’s Ellen Ramos to capture the ladies’ Graded Masters championship with a 12-game series tally of 2,265. Mezazail, who won the Sinai Open Ladies’ Masters plum a few months ago, got P50,000 while Ramos (2,233) received P25,000 for second. TBAM-Prima Portal’s Girlie Solis (2,166) was third, worth P15,000.

Action in the tourney organized by the Philippine Bowling Congress and sanctioned by World Tenpin Bowling Association shifts to the finals of the men’s and ladies’ Open Masters competitions scheduled for today.

Noteworthy was the showing of bowling legend Paeng Nepomuceno, who advanced to the next stage after showing flashes of his old brilliance in finishing No. 2 in Saturday’s first round with an eight-game series of 1,804, 91 pins behind Malaysian top placer Zaid Izlan (1,895). American Tim Mack, a 2003 world men’s championship gold medalist, also survived the first-round cut by finishing strong in his later games and placed third with a 1,744 output. Defending champion Benshir Layoso bucked a sluggish start and likewise qualified for the next round by placing seventh with a card of 1,714.

The top 12 bowlers from Saturday’s round 1 will be joined by the 12 bowlers who drew opening round byes in Round 2. Starting from scratch, the qualifiers will bowl another eight games to determine the top 6 bowlers who will advance to the stepladder finals.

PBAP-Bowlmart RP’s Apple Posadas topped the first round of the ladies’ Master by scoring an eight-game aggregate of 1,744, while TBAM-Prima RP’s Kim Lao was 47 pins off at No. 2 (1,697). Malaysian Fatin Syazliana (1,678) came in third.