Saipan bowlers compete in Asian Intercity

Four Saipan bowlers were in Guam over the weekend and represented the island in the 27th Asian Intercity Bowling Championships held at the Central Lanes Bowling Center in Tamuning.

Raymond Zapanta, Raymond Angeles, Ariel Dumapit, and Simon Manacop competed in the men’s singles and doubles events of the annual tournament that also drew teams from Hong Kong and host Guam and various cities in Korea, Philippines, Malaysia.

Zapanta was the best finisher among four Saipan bets in the men’s singles after collecting 1,181 pinfalls in six games. He recorded 200-plus pinfalls in Games 1 (232) and 3 (225) and logged 194, 180, 180, and 170 to average 196.83 pinfalls per game and place No. 11 among 43 competitors.

Manacop and Angeles occupied the No. 23 and 24th places, respectively, while Dumapit finished at No. 41. Manacop was sluggish in the first three games, registering 142, 170, 179, but redeemed himself in the last three games, gaining 180, 213, and 202 pinfalls for a six-game total of 1,086 and average of 181. Angeles had a roller-coaster performance in the men’s singles, carding 158, 194, and 192 in the first three games before recording 181, 149, and 205 in the last three for an average of 179.83 pinfalls and total of 1,079. Dumapit also struggled, as his best score stood at 164 pinfalls (Game 4). He averaged 144.33 and missed the 1,000-pinfall mark after posting 131, 160, 150, 129, and 132 in the five other games.

Sun Byung Choi and Young Pyo Kim of Daegu, Korea had a 1-2 finish in the men’s singles, while Hong Kong’s Mike Chan completed the Top 3. Choi was consistent in his game, knocking down more than 200 pinfalls in five of the six games (223, 203, 191, 222, 234, and 216) for a total of 1,289 pinfalls and average of 214.83. He won by 35 pinfalls against Kim, who tallied 219, 176, 227, 175, 215, and 242 for an average of 209 and six-game total of 1,254.
Chan made it to the podium after earning 1,222 pinfalls in six games and slipping past Tamuning’s John John John Ada, who collected 1,221 pinfalls.

Round out the Top 10 were Dededo’s Gregory Borja (1,205) and Manny Tagle (1, 203), Shan Alam’s Mohn Sharif (1,202), Hong Kong’s Joshua Chow (1,196), Daegu’s Hee Jeong Park (1,188), and Pasay’s J-Em Ang (1,186).

Daegu also topped the doubles event with Kim and Pyo combining for 2,468 pinfalls. Both bowlers averaged more than 200 pinfalls in six games with Choi posting 209.17 (1,255 pinfalls) and Kim logging 202.17 (1,213). Tamuning’s JD Castro and Jay Leon Guerrero took the runner-up honors after gathering 2,416 pinfalls with the former contributing 1,179 and the latter adding 1,237. Chow and Chan completed the Top 3 with their 2,367 pinfalls (1, 227 and 1,140).

Zapanta and Manacop teamed up in the doubles and finished at No. 13 after combining for 2,203 pinfalls (1,112 and 1,091). Angeles and Dumapit did not hit the 2,000-pinfall mark as they totaled only 1,989 for 19th place, but the duo still finished ahead of three other pairs.