Int’l Open bowl offers P.6M in prizes

MANILA, Philippines - Prizes and trophies worth more than P600,000 will be up for grabs in the 42nd Philippine International Open tenpin bowling championships which starts at 10 a.m. today at the third floor of the Sta. Lucia Mall in Cainta, Rizal.

The major prizes are P150,000 and P60,000 for the men’s and ladies’ Open Masters champions, respectively.

Other major awards are P80,000 and P40,000 for the men’s and ladies’ Graded Masters titlists, P50,000 and P30,000 for the men’s and ladies’ Associate Masters winners, P25,000 and P20,000 for the men’s and ladies’ Rookie Masters champions, P40,000 and P25,000 for the men’s and women’s Senior Masters topnotchers and P25,000 and P20,000 for the boys’ and girls’ Youth Masters winners.

The Toti Lopa Memorial Cup titlist will also receive P30,000 while the perfect game scorer/scorers will bag or divide equally P50,000.

Cainta Mayor Kit Nieto and PSC commissioner Iggy Clavecilla have been invited as guests of honor in the opening ceremony of the 15-day kegfest sanctioned by the Asian Bowling Federation and organized by the Philippine Bowling Congress in cooperation with Sta. Lucia Mall, Boysen Paints, the Philippine Olympic Committee and the Philippine Sports Commission.

The international event is also supported by the University of Perpetual Help System, Richmonde Hotel Ortigas and the National Bowling Tour.

PBC president Dr. Ronnie Mendoza will deliver the welcome remarks.

The Toti Lopa Memorial Cup will also be disputed in the team and individual Masters events in memory of former PBC president Ernesto “Toti” Lopa who died recently.

Lopa was in Las Vegas, Nevada attending the WTBA World Championships and Congress when he passed away last August.

Local and international bowling stars, including defending Masters champions Jonas Baltasar and Liza del Rosario, are expected to vie for honors in the tournament.

Events on tap are singles, doubles, trios, men’s and ladies’ Open Masters, Graded Masters, Associate Masters, Rookie Masters, Senior Masters and Boys’ and Girls’ Youth Masters.