OFW from Kuwait tops Balikbayan kegfest

MANILA, Philippines - Manuel Garcia bowled the game of his life to rule the 2009 OFW Worldwide Balikbayan bowling tournament Monday night at Paeng’s Midtown Bowl inside the Robinson’s Place-Manila.

Gaining the No. 1 seed after topping the 60-man semifinals, the 50-year-old Kuwaiti-based systems programmer polished off Hashim Guinomla, 225-218, in the finals to bag the grand prize – a brand-new Toyota Avanza.

“Maganda talaga ang pagbalik ko ngayong Pasko,” said the beaming Lingayen, Pangasinan native, who earned the top rank and the twice-to-beat edge in the stepladder finals after shooting an eight-game series of 1,871 for a sizzling 233 average.

The son of former Philippine Ambassador to Turkey Bahnarim Guinomla, who was watching in the gallery, the bespectacled Guinomla settled for the runner-up purse of P150,000.

“We tried our best, but those are the breaks,” said the 32-year-old Dubai-based banking executive who also finished second in the semis behind Garcia by rolling 1,855.

Enrico Jordan, who lost to Guinomla, 191-206, earlier in the stepladder finals, placed third and went home with P100,000.

Sharing the spotlight was Filbowler member Anthony Balabbo, an IT specialist working in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia, who bowled the tournament’s lone perfect game of 300 in his final game in the semis.

Balabbo used a 15-pound Storm ball to attain the feat – his ninth recorded perfect game – to pocket the special prize of P50,000 in the two-day event sponsored by GCC Marketing Arabian Testing Services, White Sand Engineering, Advance Technical and Testing Services Est. HWN Trading, Abdul Rahman Al-Otaishan and Ayala Land, Inc.

“We would like to thank all our OFW participants and our supporters who truly made this tournament possible,” Boy Tuazon, president of the Filipino Tenpin Bowlers Eastern Region (Filbowler) in Saudi Arabia, said.

Present during the awarding ceremonies were Philippine Bowling Congress secretary general Bong Coo and Jeddah-based Skyfreight general manager Emy de Guzman, a long time sports patron in the Middle East.

Garcia, who used to work for the Philippine National Bank before moving to Kuwait and is presently employed with its government’s pension fund, virtually settled the issue in the championship match with a five-bagger from the third to seventh frames.

Needing to beat Garcia twice to cop the title, Guinomla, on the other hand, struggled early and found his groove late in the match, but by then his foe had already built an insurmountable lead.