Philippine bowlers cop silver in Asian Schools tilt

After languishing outside the Top 10, the Philippines finally broke through with a silver medal finish behind Japan in the boys’ team- of-four event in the 16th Asian Schools Tenpin Bowling Championships in Hong Kong Thursday.

Phl-A bets GJ Buyco, Louis Cantorna, Ivan Malig and Merwin Tan rolled a six-game series of 5062 to take runner-up honors. Japanese Sayoto Takahira, Shinpei Sakahara, Ren Sameshima and Riku Masui captured the gold with 5174.

Korea Team B’s Lim Seong Yul, Jeong Ho Hyeon, Lee Jun Won and Oh Hun settled for the bronze with 5035. The powerhouse nation missed out after sweeping the first four events.

Buyco, Cantorna, Malig and Tan charged back in the last two games, carding the highest score of 952 and following it up with a solid 868 to vault into contention. But the Japanese held on and closed out with a 790 to finish 112 pins ahead of the Filipinos.

Phl-B’s Kenzo Umali, Cole Co, Duke Gella, and Andrei Malig couldn’t match their compatriots’ showing and ended up 17th with a 3973 effort.

In the distaff side, the country’s A team composed of Bea Hernandez, Rjoy Daval-Santos, Angela Lazo and Nina de Vera managed only ninth after rolling 4114.

Korea later won its fifth gold of the meet with Team A’s Kang Chae Rim, Kim Jin Yeong, and Kim Dong Yo ruling in 4793.