Men, women settle for silver in bowling trios

The RP bowling team failed to win the coveted gold medal in both men’s and women’s trio event, bowing to Malaysia and Indonesia, respectively, in the 23rd SEA Games at Pearl Bowling Center in Parañaque City.

Defending SEAG women’s trio champion Cecilia Yap, Liza Clutario, and Liza del Rosario lose the gold to the Indonesian trio of Happy Ari Dewanti Soediyono, Novie Phang, and Putty Insavilla Armein.

The Indonesians scored a combined six-game series of 772, 666, 614, 652, 617, 739 for a 4,060 pinfall aggregate. The Philippines, meanwhile, knocked down 3,988 pins (695, 729, 697, 674, 608, 585). The Malaysian team of Wendy Chai de Choo, Esther Cheah Mei Lan, and Zandra Aziela took home the bronze with a 3,840 total (600, 626, 632, 635, 751, 596).

"We bowled okay, but they (Indonesians) bowled real good. The breaks of the game went into their favor," RP coach Johnson Cheng told The STAR.

In the men’s trio division, Malaysians Daniel Lim Tow Chuang, Aaron Kong Eng Chuan, and Zulkifli Zulmazran were just too much for the Philippine troika of Chester King, CJ Suarez, and Joonie Gatchalian, as they won the gold with a combined total of 4,112 pinfalls (619, 676, 674, 746, 702, 695).

The Philippines, copping the silver medal, had a six-game series of 612, 694, 683, 604, 684, 743 for a pinfall total of 4,020. Another Malaysian trio, Azidi Ameran, Alex Liew Kien Liang, and Ben Heng Boon Hian, won the bronze with 3,914 pins (559, 676, 658, 632, 707, 682).

King, Suarez, and Gatchalian, played catch-up the whole game, only getting hold of the top position at the end of the first block.

"We were bowling good, but the Indonesians just bowled better. You have to give them credit," Suarez, who won the gold with Gatchalian in men’s doubles, said.