Team Prima athletes aim for more crowns

MANILA, Philippines - The Team Prima athletes hope to scale greater heights after ruling most of the events in bowling, badminton and mountain bike in the 2014 Philippine National Games held recently.

Long-time national bowler and 2010 Guangzhou Asian Games gold medalist Biboy Rivera and co-team member Alexis Sy captured the gold medal in the men’s and ladies’ Masters.

“We were all inspired to win in our recent competitions and I’m glad that our co-team members in the other sports did great in the PNG,” said Rivera, who is also a bowling world champion. “I’m hoping also to win the gold again in the Incheon Asian Games this year.”

Rivera beat Benshir Layoso, 222-209 and 225-190 during the finals.

He also finished second in the preliminaries with 2,238 pinfalls and outlasted youth team member Ren Cremen, 202-190, to reach the final.

Team’s Prima’s Sy nipped Lara Posadas in the women’s masters final, 180-179. Madeline Llamas, also a fellow Team Prima member, finished second runner-up also in that category.

In badminton, Team Prima chairman Alex Lim’s  team performed creditably well in the men’s and ladies’ doubles, men’s singles and mixed doubles.

“I’m very glad that our Prima badminton team made a huge impact in the PNG and we’re looking forward to bigger achievements not just in badminton but in bowling and cycling as well,” said Lim.

Nationals Joper Escueta and Ronel Estanislao won the men’s doubles title, while fellow Prima players Carlos Antonie Cayanan and Paul Pantig finished first runner-up. Paul Vivas and Ariel Magnaye and the Aries Delos Santos-Gerald Sibayan tandem won the bronze.

Aires Montilla and Kristelle Salatan finished first runner-up in the ladies’ doubles.

In the men’s singles, Prima players Antonino ‘Tobi’ Gadi, Kevin Cudiamat and Jayson Oba-ob had a 1-2-3 finish.

In mixed doubles category, Montilla partnered with Ariel Magnaye to take the trophy, while Geva De Vera and Ronel Estanislao finished first runner-up. The bronze medal went to Kristelle Salatan-Vivas, and Lea Inlayo-Escueta.

Prima cyclist Jerich Farr won the downhill class title, while fellow EJ Flores settled for second runner-up in the XC Under-23 category in the MTB cycling event.