Ramin, Macatula show way

MANILA, Philippines — National junior bowler Zach Ramin and former World Cup champion Krizziah Tabora-Macatula took the early lead in the men’s and women’s open divisions qualifying round, respectively, of the Philippine International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships Monday.

A member of the Philippine squad that saw action in the Asian junior bowling kegfest in Bangkok, Thailand last August, Ramin totalled a six-game series of 1413 (783-630) while Macatula, the 2017 World Cup women’s champ, tallied  1276 (622-654) at the Coronado Lanes inside the Starmall in Mandaluyong.

Ramin was seven pins ahead of second-running national team veteran Ivan Malig (1407) while fellow national teammate Patrick Nuqui was in third spot (1375) in the tournament organized by the Philippine Bowling Federation.

Defending men’s open champion Merwin Tan had problems finding his line and scored a six-series total of 1344 (682-662) in the kegfest supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and Senators Bong Go and Sonny Angara.

Tan was expected to bounce back in the remaining qualifying rounds of the championships backed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp., Cuisiniers, Starbalm and Robinson’s Land Corp.

On the distaff side, Macatula held a slim two-pin lead over No. 2  Grace Gella (1274) and 10 pins ahead No. 3 Rachelle Leon (1266) in foreign-laced championships  likewise supported by The Bowler, and Pasig Bowling Association.

Among the early birds to arrive from overseas over the weekend was the 23-man Singaporean squad, with Darren Ong (1303), Joel Tan (1283) and Daniel Zheng Yi (1261) taking the top three spots in qualifying stage of the men’s open foreign bracket.