Phl bowlers vow to end drought in World Youth

MANILA, Philippines - Eight junior bowlers headed by 2014 Asian Schools bronze medalist Merwin Tan and Janine Kuwahara will try to end the Philippines’ 16-year medal drought in the 13th World Youth Bowling Championships set  Aug. 6-15 at the South China Athletic Association Bowling Center in Hong Kong.

Aside from Tan and Kuwahara, the Philippine delegation will also parade young guns Ivan Dominic Malig, Kherwin Ren Cremen and Ariel Young in the boys’ side and  Xyrra Patrize Cabusas, Christelle Peig and Anne Bernandette Ipapo in the girls division.

“We’re all excited and we’re ready to do our best to win a gold or any medal there,” said Tan, 14, who bagged two bronze medals in the 15th Asian Schools in Jakarta, Indonesia last February. “We’re not pressured anyway.”

The country will compete against more than 40 countries led by powerhouse Korea, Japan, Singapore, Kuwait, Germany, Canada, USA, Qatar, Malaysia, Australia, Russia, France and Sweden, among others.

Coaches are Josephine Canare and Edmundo Florencio. The campaign of the youth bowlers is supported by Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Team Prima, US Polo Association and Cebuana Lhuillier.

Philippine Bowling Congress youth chairman Alexander Lim said he is hoping the Philippines will finally end the medal drought 16 years ago, when RJ Bautista settled for the bronze medal in 1998 in Incheon, Korea.

The last gold medal and silver came from Angelo Constantino in 1992 in Caracas, Venezuela.

“We are hoping all the best and let’s pray for our national youth bowlers to finally win a medal hopefully gold,” said Lim, a benefactor of youth bowlers under Team Prima Pasta.

The World Youth Championship was organized and first hosted in Manila in 1990 under Jose Cojuangco Jr.