Perfect game keys Biboy's Masters win

MANILA, Philippines - Former world masters champion Biboy Rivera scored a perfect game and went on to capture the Ramadan Open masters crown at the Khalifa Bowling Center in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates Thursday night.

The bespectacled Rivera topped the masters qualifiers in convincing fashion, scoring a 237 average then capping his impressive performance with a victory over former World Cup titlist Saeed Al Hajri of Qatar, 267-195, in the stepladder finals.

The 35-year-old national team mainstay pocketed the equivalent of P300,000 in his finest outing yet since winning the masters gold medal in the 2006 World Men’s Tenpin Bowling Championship in Busan, South Korea.

“I dedicate this victory to my country,” said Rivera in an e-mail message to Philippine Bowling Congress secretary general Bong Coo.

On the way to the championship, Rivera nearly achieved the incredible feat of shooting back-to-back perfect games on the same night, opening his second block with a 300-297 that vaulted him to the top of the 16-game qualifying series.

Using a 15-pound Hammer Jigsaw ball, he rolled his perfect game on lanes 5 and 6 of the sprawling Khalifa Bowling Center to take the top seed in the stepladder finals.

He finished 140 pins ahead of runner-up US pro Pat Healy, another former World Cup champ and installed as the early favorite in the event featuring 20 top international bowlers and four of the finest players from the Middle East.

Al Hajri, the No. 4 seed, nipped Healy, 233-214, to earn the right to face Rivera for the championship.

Rivera’s national teammate, Chester King, finished 10th overall in the event.

The RP bets’ stint was sponsored by Prima Pasta, Ebonite, USAct, Dexter Shoes, Supreme Steel Pipes and Paul Neppes.