17th June, Manila: Local favourite, Chester King captured the Men's Open Masters title at the concluding 34th PBC-Euromed International Open while Tsai Hsin Yi of Chinese Taipei upset top-seed and team-mate, Wang Yu Ling to claim the Ladies' crown.

King, the third-seed and challenger easily defeated top-seed, Hsiao Chin Liang of Chinese Taipei, 232-180 in the first match and forced a sudden-death decider. Hsiao was no match for the 29-year-old as the champion went on to capture his second consecutive title with 210-192. King won the Euromed-Storm International Masters title two months ago at the same venue.

King, who was determine to end the Taiwanese domination in the finals, defeated first-block leader and second-seed, Cheng Chao Sheng and winner of the first match, Australian Andrew Frawley, 236-221-221 in the second match to set up a finale with Hsiao.

Frawley settled for fourth despite winning the first Men's stepladder match knocking out fourth-seed, Tsai Ting Yun of Chinese Taipei and fifth-seed,

Surasak Manuwong of Thailand, 242-210-172. Tsai and Surasak dropped one spot each.

In the ladies' division and all-Taiwanese finals, Tsai Hsin Yi upset team-mate and top-seed, Wang Yu Ling to claim the Ladies' crown. Tsai edged Wang in the first match, 197-183 before going on to take the second match convincingly, 256-223 for a well-deserved win.

The champion also showed a clean pair of heels in the second match against second-seed, Lai Kin Ngoh of Malaysia and third-seed, Chu Yu Chieh, 238-168-180 for a crack at the title. Tsai, who was seeded fourth at the end of the second block masters finals, knocked out fifth-seed Wang Ya Ting and Philippines' hopeful, Apple Posadas, 234,203-191 to move up the ladder.

Chester King won US$2,800 for the win while Hsiao Chin Liang took home US$1,400. Tsai Hsin Yi was US$1,800 richer with Wang Yu Ling winning US$900. The top 16 men and ladies made the cut for the ABF Tour Philippines leg which will be held at the same bowling center on the 18th and 19th June.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.

16th June, Manila: Chinese Taipei spinners had a field day in the first block Masters finals of the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open with the women occupying the top 3 spots and the men finishing one-two.

The first block finals kicked off with the Ladies' Open division when Wang Yu Ling topped the field of 26 bowlers with an 8-game total of 1788. Team-mate, Chu Yu Chieh took second place, 50 poins adrift with 1738 while Wang Ya Ting claimed third spot with 1707 giving the Taiwanese a 1-2-3 finish.

Ex-national, Lai Kin Ngoh was the best Malaysia women ending up in fourth with 1695 ahead of another spinner from Taipei, Tsai Ting Yi in fifth position with 1678. Sinai Open champion and World Ranking Masters first runner-up, Wendy Chai did well to take up sixth spot with 1672.

Two more spinners, Tang Joh Six of Malaysia and Huang Tsai Feng of Chinese Taipei scored 1669 and 1637 for seventh and eighth positions respectively. Choy Poh Lai of Malaysia, who made the finals in last night's

one-game desperado squad, and 14-year-old Siti Safiyah made up the top 10 with 1630 and 1629.

While the women showed the rest of the competitors a clean pair of heels, the men were equally dominant. The Taiwanese spinners again took the top 2 spots when Cheng Chao Sheng and C.L. Hsiao totalled 1866 and 1846. Thailand Open first runner-up, Surasak Manuwong of Thailand took third spot with 1831.

ABF Tour Thailand leg champion, Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand finished fifth on 1795, 28 pins behind fourth-placed Kim Young Pil, who scored 1827. Filipino Markwin Tee did well to take up sixth position with 1761 while Chester King and Kritchawat Jampako of Thailand tied in seventh with 1719.

Taipei's Tsai Ting Yun and Singapore's Remy Ong completed the top 10

with 1716 and 1679 respectively. Defending champion, Joonee Gatchalian of the Philippines, could only manage 14th position.

Both the women and men will continue to bowl another 8 games in the second block Friday, 17th June at the end of which, the top 6 will make the cut for the stepladder finals to determine the champion. The top 16 Asian men and women will qualify for the ABF Tour Philippines leg which will be held on the 18th and 19th June at the same center.

Photos by Ritchie Lai, TND.

15th June, Manila: Malaysian bowlers grabbed the limelight on the final day of qualifying in the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open when Daniel Lim and Alex Liew both scored perfect games Tuesday evening.

Newly-crowned Bahrain International Open champion, Alex Liew had opened the day with the first perfect game when he posted 300, 201, 193 and 277 for a total of 971 to take up eighth in the overseas pool. Later in the day, reigning National champion, Daniel Lim hit the second perfect 300 to finished joint-third on 1016 with lines of 212, 237, 300 and 267.

Liew earned 30 percent of the Php 100,000 as the first bowler to hit the perfect game while Lim had to share the remaining 70 percent with Chinese Taipei's Tsai Ting Yi and Filipino Biboy Rivera, the other two perfect game scorers.

ABF Tour Indonesia leg champion, Shaker Al-Hassan of UAE and Thailand leg champion, Yannaphon Larpapharat of Thailand maintained their first and second positions with 1077 and 1018 respectively. Surasak Manuwong of Thailand, tied third spot with Daniel Lim on 1016.

The top 4 places were totally dominated by the spinners. Chinese Taipei's T.F. Huang, Wang Yu Ling and Wang Ya Ting finished 1-2-3 in the overseas pool with 937, 930 and 927. Malaysia's ex-national, Tang Joh Six, another spinner, finished fourth with 914.

In the local pool, Lovella Catalan took over pole position with 913, from Cecilia Yap in second on 898. 2003 Philippines Open champion, Liza Del Rosario dropped to third with 895. Malaysian International Open champion, Siti Safiyah Amirah secured her Masters final spot in fifth on a total of 898. The 14-year-old had lines of 256, 224, 204 and 214 to take up fifth in the ladies' overseas pool.

Newly-crowned Thailand International Open champion, Esther Cheah and second runner-up, Choy Poh Lai have yet to qualify and will be making more attempts before qualifying ends this evening.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.

13th June, Manila: Newly-crowned ABF Tour Thailand Leg champion, Yannaphon Larpapharat and Thailand Open first runner-up, Surasak Manuwong charged into the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open Masters qualifying table posting 1018 and 1016 in their qualifying round this evening.

Yannaphon, who won the Masters Gold medal in last year's World Youth Championship in Guam, had lines of 259, 259, 225 and 275 while Surasak posted lines of 228, 256, 286 and 246. Both Thais joined UAE's Shaker Al-Hassan to surpass the 1000-mark over their 4-game qualifying round to occupy the top three positions in the table.

ABF Tour Indonesia leg champion, Shaker Al-Hassan scored 1077 to take over the lead yesterday and almost scoring the tournament's first perfect game instead had a split in the last frame. Shaker shot 298, 246, 265 and 268 to take the overall lead in the qualifying table.

ABF Tour Malaysia Leg champion, Zulmazran Zulkifli was the best Malaysia finisher with a score of 994 to take up fourth. His team-mate and newly-crowned Bahrain International Open champion, Alex Liew shot the tournament's first perfect game and totalled 971 for eighth spot.

In the women's division, T.F. Huang of Chinese Taipei impressed when she set the highest 4-game total of 937 to take over the lead. Spinners almost dominated the division when Malaysia's Tang Joh Six and Chinese taipei's Tsai Hsin-Yi occupied second and third with 914 and 873 respectively in the overseas pool.

But Filipina, Cecilia Yap scored 898 to slot into third overall and topping the local pool while Liza Del Rosario second in the same pool with 895 and fourth overall. Kathlynn Lopez and youngster, Apple Posadas qualified with 874 and 870 for fourth and fifth positions.

Jeff Chan continued to top the Youth Boy's table with 1002 becoming the fourth bowler to surpass the 1000-mark. Chan leads Ian Dychangco and Frederick Ong, who socred 975 and 937 for second and third positions.

Qualifying will end Wednesday, 15th June when the men's defending champion and top 35 men joined by 3 qualifers from the desperado squad will compete in the Masters finals over two blocks of 8 games each on 16th and 17th June. Similarly, the ladies' defending champion and top 23 joined by 2 qualifiers from the desperado squad will compete in the Masters finals.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.

12th June, Manila: ABF Tour Indonesia leg champion, Shaker Al-Hassan of UAE was in sizzling form when he topped the Men's Open Masters qualifying table of the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open at Pearl Bowling Center.

The 37-year-old, who almost shot a perfect game with 298 in his first game, posted 246, 265, and 268 to become the first bowler to surpass the 1000-mark with a awesome 1077 total to take over the overseas pool and overall lead.

Filipino, Biboy Rivera, who had been sitting at the top of the table, settled for second overall with 964 but maintained the lead in the local pool. Euromed-Storm International Masters Challenge champion, Chester King took third spot with 955.

Hamad Mohd AlMajili of UAE finished second in the overseas pool with 939 with Thailand's Surasak Manuwong in third with 913. Four-time AMF World Cup champion and Hall of Famer, Paeng Nepomuceno, who leads the All Events table, sits comfortably in eighth position in the local pool.

Meanwhile, 2003 World Championship Trios Gold medalist, Cecilia Yap continued to lead the Ladies' table with 898 from last year's Singapore and Indonesia Open champion, Liza Del Rosario in second with 895. Del Rosario has not pick up any title this year since her strong performances last year and in 2003 when she was ranked No. 1 in Asia.

Ex-national, Yap Seok Kim of Singapore led the overseas pool with 866 from Philippine-based, Sharon Limansantoso of Indonesia in second with 852. Kuwait International Open champion, Vanessa Fung of Hong Kong took third spot with 831.

Two large contingents from Malaysia and Singapore arrived late Sunday evening and will be taking onto the lanes at Pearl Bowling Center for their

attempts Monday and will sure make their presence felt. Qualifying will end on Wednesday, 15th June and the Masters finals will be contested 16th and 17th June. The top 16 Asian men and women will qualify for the ABF Tour Philippines leg at the end of the two-day Masters finals.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.

7th June, Manila: Filipino National bowler, Biboy Rivera took over pole position in the Men's Open Masters qualifying table of the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open Bowling Championship at Pearl Bowling Center Tuesday afternoon.

Rivera posted 246, 215, 233 and 270 for a 4-game total of 946 to take over the lead from overnight leader, C.J. Suarez. The 31-year-old businessman from Manila will be hoping to end a long draught since winning the Doubles Gold medal in the 2002 Asian Championship.

2003 AMF World Cup champion, Suarez dropped to second after a brief lead with 935 followed by Markwin Tee in third spot with 927. Jeff Chan and Arnold Lecaros finished in the top 5 taking up fourth and fifth positions with 920 and 911 respectively.

Bowlers from the United Arab Emirates were the first overseas bowlers to arrive the Philippine capital to compete in this year's championship. Leading the overseas table was UAE's Hamad Amohd AlMajili who scored 878 with

2004 ABF Tour Indonesia leg champion, Shaker Al-Hassan in second with 862.

2003 World Championship Trios Gold medalist, Cecilia Yap grabbed the lead in the Ladies' Open division with a score of 898. Liza Clutario took second spot with a 4-game total of 895 while Filipino youth, Apple Posadas claimed third place with a superb 870.

Ex-Singapore international and now residing in Manila, Yap Seok Kim finished fourth with 866 ahead of 2004 ABF Tour Philippines leg champion, Irene Benitez in fifth place with 842 and Jojo Canare in sixth with 826.

Meanwhile, Asian Schools Masters Bronze medalist, Jomar Jumapao heads the Youth Boy's Masters qualifying table with 879 followed by Ian Dychangco in second and Jonas Baltasar in third with 876 and 874 respectively.

The Youth Girl's lead went to Angeli Lao of PBAP with a score of 829. Holly Josef of PBAP, who was the overnight leader, dropped to second with 777 while Anne Marie Kiac of TBAM finished third with a score of 757.

Euro-Med is the proud title sponsor of the 34th PBC Euro-Med International Open Championships. The perfect game award is sponsored by Standard Insurance Co., Inc. Wave Ark International, Storm products, Casino Filipino PAGCOR and Bowlmart Pro Shops are some of the major sponsors of this championship.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.

3rd June, Manila: Team Bowlmart showed the way in the Team event on the opening day of the 34th PBC-Euromed International Open Bowling Championship at Pearl Bowling Center Saturday evening.

The trio, led by 2003 ABT Grand Slam champion, Purvis Granger, topped the team event with a score of 1260. Granger posted 477 with team-mates, Markwin Tee scoring 429 and 2003 AMF World Cup champion, C.J. Suarez knocking down 354.

Another team, PBAP-Bowlmart completed a 1-2 when Sandy Cotoco (451), Diego Candano (423) and Botchock Rey (377) took second place with 1251, just 9 pins adrift.

Team PBAP-Bowlmart also finished top in the Ladies' division when Kathlynn Lopez (388), Apple Posadas (377) and Jacklyn Sabater (339) totalled 1104. TBAM-Prima's Trixie De Luna (366), Ditas Red (420) and Cheche Abrantes (302) took second spot with 1088.

Meanwhile, Joey Velez (429), Edgar Gatchalian (317) and Mon Leon (399) of Team Ebonite led the Men's Class A division with a total of 1145. Team-Prima comprising of Rachelle Leon (348), Kia Enriquez (316) and Marjo Reyes (323) finished top of the Ladies' Class A division with 987.

The highlight of the opening ceremony before the team event got underway was when two cheques were presented to the Under-Secretary of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Ms. Lualhati F. Pablo by Mr Steve Hontiveros, World FIQ and PBC President, and Mr Johnson Cheng, Chairman of the Organizers of the Euro-Med Storm International Masters Challenge. A total of Php 375,000 was collected during a Charity Bowl to raise funds for the Tsunami Victims and Quezon Province Disaster Victims.

This was the bowlers' way of saying "We Care" for our fellow brothers and sisters. "As One" Charity Bowl was participated not only by bowlers from the Philippines but also bowlers from around the world in April.

Photos courtesy of MTBC.