Phl youth bowlers compete in Hong Kong Asian tourney

MANILA, Philippines - Eight junior bowlers, headed by Enrico Lorenzo Hernandez and Madeline Mae Llamas, are competing in the 17th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championship slated Sept. 7-14 at the 60-lane South China Athletic Association Bowling Center in Hong Kong.

The team includes Ivan Dominic Malig, Jose Mari Tajo and Jose Paolo Gabriel Darroca (boys) and  Jailah Mara Ramirez, Jhoana Lualhati and Christelle Peig (girls).

Head coach Carlos de Leon, who will be joined by fellow coaches Biboy Rivera, Edmundo Boy Florencio and Purvis James Granger, said the junior bowlers will compete against 126 bowlers from 21 nations led by powerhouse Korea, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

The team is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Bowling Congress, Cebuana Lhuillier, Jag Jeans, Mar Lualhati and Prima Pasta.

In the last edition of the tournament in 2012 hosted by Egypt, the Philippines captured one gold medal courtesy of Alexis Sy in the girls’ masters’ event, three silvers – Janine Kuwahara (girls singles), Kenneth Chua and Enrico Lorenzo Hernandez (doubles)and Chua (boys’ masters) – and a fifth medal, a bronze, in the girls’ doubles by Patricia Tajo and Sy.

 PBC committee youth chairman Alexander Lim said the team is dedicating the game to the late PBC president Toti Lopa.