Pamintuan, Gambalan top bowl rookies

MANILA, Philippines - Youth bowler Van Gambalan and Merlen Pamintuan bagged the men’s and ladies’ Rookie Masters crowns in the 38th Philippine International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships at Paeng’s Midtown Bowl at the Robinson’s Place in Malate, Manila Monday night.

SLETBA’s Gambalan missed scoring a perfect game in Game 7 – 289 – of his 10-game series in the finals but nevertheless romped away with the championship with a 2,035 card in the event sponsored by University of Perpetual Help System, Department of Tourism, Amway Philippines and the Philippine Sports Commission.

MBA’s Pamintuan rolled a 10-game series of 1,726 to rule the distaff side of the kegfest backed by Chowking, Pagcor, Colgate-Palmolive Philippines, USAct, Pearl Garden Hotel, Paeng’s Midtown Bowl, Nestle, The City Bowling Shop, and Pan Pacific Manila.

Meanwhile, the youthful bowlers of the Singapore Sports School shared the spotlight as they took charge in both the Class A men’s and ladies’ trios competitions.

Alex Tan, Jovi Ang and Jaris Goh pooled together 1,211 pinfalls to wrest the lead in the men’s Class A trios from the troika of PTBA’s Sherwin Go, Sheldon Co and Charles Tee, who slid to second with 1,196.

TBAM-Prima’s Enzo Hernandez, Bryan Gabay and Kevin Cu pooled 1,173 for third.

The Singaporeans also took the 1-2 posts in the ladies’s Class A trios with Lay Teng, Tracy See and Joan Tan showing the way with 1,129 and the team of Joan Tan, Audrey Tan and Teng assembling 1,094 for second.