Rivera, Tabora lead Team Prima 2014 awardees

MANILA, Philippines - Biboy Rivera, the 2014 Bowling World Cup Philippine representative and 2010 Asian Games gold medalist, and 2008 Philippine International Open champion Krizziah Tabora captured this year’s Bowler of the Year awards to lead all awardees recently in the Team Prima’s annual Athletes Recognition Night for their outstanding accomplishments in 2014 at the V Corporate Centre in Makati City.

Rivera, 40, made it to the 2014 Bowling World Cup in Poland after winning the BWC National Finals last August and won the Masters title in the Philippine National Games held last May. He has won the Bowler of the Year award for a record of eight times.

“It feels good to win again. It would definitely be tougher to repeat in 2015 as more talented youth bowlers start to emerge,” said Rivera.

Tabora, a member of the Philippine bowling team which competed in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea, won the Female Bowler of the Year award. Her 2014 was highlighted by her first career perfect game and a   PBA Open Masters title.

The top bowlers from Cebu for 2014 were BALP Open Masters champion GJ Buyco (male) and Sinulog Open Masters champion Samantha Lagcao (female). GJ was happy winning the award for the first time while Samantha considers it as a “challenge to embrace and a very humbling award to have.”

Enzo Hernandez, 18, who swept all the five gold medals at stake in the 2014 Asian Universities Championships and bowled six perfect games in 2014, claimed the male Youth Bowler of the Year award. “My hard work throughout the whole year paid off and it

feels great,” said Enzo. Bea Hernandez won the female Youth Bowler of the Year

award for her impressive finishes in Chinese Taipei, Singapore and Malaysian International Opens along with her wins in the PBC youth quarterly tournaments.

The Most Improved Bowler of the Year Awards went to Ray Snyder (male) and Dale Lazo (female).

Eboy Farr took home the Cyclist of the Year award for his 15 international and national titles including the ASEAN MTB Cup Series – overall Masters.

“Winning the Cyclist of the Year award feels great because it is something you can look back to and be proud of,”said Eboy.

Sonny Montilla and Camille Gotohio were awarded the Badminton Player of the Year (male and female).

Montilla’s 2014 achievements included 12 tournament titles which he considers as very fulfilling given that he had to balance training, competing and working throughout the year along with the tight competition for the top award against other equally talented colleagues in Prima Badminton.

Camille’s greatest feat for 2014 was the MVP Medal in the sixth Strike Revilla Cup for winning the most number of gold medals, in addition to the 12 other tournament titles she captured last year.

The Photographer of the Year award went to Jerry Lee who considers the award as honor just like being part of Team Prima.