Farewell to Pappy

Six-time world bowling champion Paeng Nepomuceno’s father and coach Angel passed away last Saturday, the eve of All Saints’ Day, and it was surely God’s way of immortalizing the man who gave the Philippines a lot to be proud of in sports.

Whenever we celebrate All Saints’ Day from now on, we’ll remember Pappy the day before for the special things he did for Philippine sports.

Pappy was how Paeng and his brother (the late Angel Jr.) and four sisters (Marissa Go, Susie Pineda, Ditas Samson and Len Guiao) called their father. That was also how their mother, 1951 Miss Philippines Teresita “Baby” Villa-Real, used to call him.

Whenever I phoned Paeng’s father for the scoop on his son and his mother answered, she would always say, “hold on, I’ll call Pappy.” Soon enough, I called him Pappy, too. Coincidentally, that was how my brother, sisters and I also called my late father Gregorio.

Pappy guided Paeng throughout his storybook bowling career – from when the Hall of Famer was only 19 in winning the first of his four World Cups in Tehran in 1976. Paeng repeated in Jakarta in 1980, did it again in LeMans in 1992 and took his fourth World Cup in Belfast in 1996. The 6-2 southpaw is in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest ever to capture a World Cup and the only man to win the crown in three different decades.

In two weeks, Paeng will bid to reset his own Guinness records when he represents the country at the World Cup in Melaka, Malaysia. If he wins, Paeng will bag his fifth World Cup in a fourth straight decade.

“This is the first time that I will be playing the World Cup without my father and coach,” said Paeng. But he knows that his father will be by side, every step of the way, in spirit.

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Pappy was 81 when he died due to a lingering illness. Without hesitation, Paeng said he wouldn’t have achieved his success in bowling if not for Pappy. To date, Paeng has won 119 tournament titles since pocketing his first crown at the age of 15 in 1972.

Aside from Paeng, Pappy also coached several top-caliber Filipino bowlers. He guided Bong Coo to the Masters championship at the FIQ Asian Zonals in Perth, Australia, in 1992. He coached Dianna Tanlimco to second place at the World Cup in Guadalajara, Mexico, in 1988. He also guided Crystal Soberano to four gold medals at the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Jakarta in 1987. Linda Reyes was another Pappy protégé and won six consecutive Masters titles under his tutelage in the late 1970s.

Pappy was the Philippines’ bowling head coach in 1987 when the team brought home a record seven gold medals at the SEA Games in Jakarta. In 1992, the Philippine Sportswriters Association awarded Pappy “Coach of the Year” honors.

At the 1994 Asian Games in Hiroshima, Pappy was the oldest member of the Philippine delegation. He was 66 and accompanied Paeng as his son’s personal coach. Unfortunately, Paeng failed to strike gold because of unfamiliar lane conditions.

“We never expected those conditions,” said Pappy. “The lanes were too oily and not fit for the pro game. Bad shots got good results. The lanes seemed to suit the amateur style, not ours. Our power bowlers had a difficult time with the light pins which flew in different directions when our balls hit them.”

Pappy noted that the Chinese-Taipei keglers introduced the “helicopter” technique where the ball went on a spin after a release off a vertical wind-up. He mentioned that the spin made it easier to topple the light pins with the slightest deflection.

It was in 2002 when Paeng finally won a bowling gold in doubles play at the Asian Games in Busan. After the breakthrough, Pappy proudly predicted his son was good for 10 more years. That was seven years ago and today, Paeng is 52 and looking stronger than ever in knocking down those pins.

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Even as he continues to compete, Paeng has followed his father’s footsteps as a coach. He has been certified by the United States Bowling Congress as a Level I and bronze instructor in Asia.

One of Paeng’s goals is to promote bowling for inclusion in the Olympic calendar. It’s a dream he shared with his father and he’s now even more committed to the goal with Pappy gone.

“I can try to convince people to put bowling in the Olympics by talking to the right people,” said Paeng who once received the highest accolade from the International Olympic Committee – the President’s Trophy – despite bowling not being an Olympic sport. “I believe that bowling is truly an Olympic sport. It’s a genuine sport. I don’t see why it’s not in the Olympics.”

A tale often told about Pappy was when in 1970, he built a makeshift alley at home to allow Paeng to practice despite a one-week power outage in Manila due to typhoon Yoling. That was when Paeng was 16. The makeshift lane was made of plywood about three feet wide and 30 feet long, leading to a wall in the house. A mattress from an old bed was used to protect the wall from the pounding of Paeng’s 16-pound ball. At each side were plywood panels, six inches off the floor. Even at night, Paeng rolled the ball to practice the snap of his wrist and smooth release with candles lighting up the house. Paeng’s dedication was an offshoot of his father’s total devotion to his son and the game they both loved.

When Paeng underwent surgery to repair his left wrist in 1999, he seriously considered retiring for good. He took a two-year layoff then decided to make a comeback – with Pappy at his side. Paeng would never have returned to action if not for Pappy’s encouragement and guidance.

Bowling Digest writer Chris Capulso said Pappy taught Paeng the virtues of practicing diligently. And Paeng readily acknowledged he wouldn’t be what he is today without his parents.

“They were supportive, especially during my early years,” said Paeng, quoted by Capulso. “They sacrificed so much, in so many ways, to help me. It would have been impossible for me to become a bowling champion without their support.”