MANILA, Philippines — The future of Philippine bowling looks promising following the rousing success of the boys’ team in the recent 21st Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.
The quartet of Art Barrientos, Stephen Luke Diwa, Marc Dylan Custodio and Singapore-based Zach Sales Ramin clinched the gold in the team event after a come-from-behind win against South Korea, 4933-4922, and then added another one when Barrientos bagged the Masters’ gold by beating Blake Walsh of Australia, 443-349.
The team went on and finished overall champion in the boys’ side.
Barrientos, 19, a hospitality management student at FEU Roosevelt, became the first Filipino to accomplish the feat since Biboy Rivera in the 1986 edition of the meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The accomplishment of the four, meanwhile, is the first for the country in the continental youth meet since 1981.
“Ang bowling naman hanggang ngayon is evolving talaga. And I believe the right training and proper support will be good enough, we could bring back the glory days of bowling in our country,” said Barrientos.
Diwa and Custodio were with Barrientos in the PSA Forum yesterday at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and expressed the same sentiment of competing and winning for the country in international tournaments.
“I want to continue representing our country very well, hope to win more medals, and continue working on my game,” said Custodio, 19, taking up accountancy at La Salle.
“We’ll continue to practice hard. Next international tournament, hopefully we can go and win some more medals,” said Diwa, 18.
The victorious Filipinos brought with them the medals and trophy they won during the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Philippine Sports Commission, Milo, Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).