Zapanta, Soledad struggle in Doubles

Team Saipan’s Ross Zapanta and Jorge Soledad finished last in the Men’s Doubles Squad A of the 22nd Asian Inter City Tenpin Bowling Championships yesterday in Macau, China.

Struggling to get accustomed to the lane conditions of the Macau Bowling Center, the pair wound up with 2,131 pins to come in last in the division.

Zapanta wasn’t able to rekindle the spark that allowed him to finish 30th in the 80-man Singles competition the day before, by registering a pinfall total of 1,095 in the six-game Doubles series.

He looked sluggish from the beginning, knocking down a mere 162 pinfalls in the first game before improving a bit with rolls of 185, 184, and 179 in his next three. He then tattooed 206 in his penultimate game before recording a 179 in his last to finish with a 182.5 average.

Soledad also failed to get going, putting together a six-game series of 173, 139, 144, 186, 204, 190, to finish with 1,036 pinfalls and 172.67 average.

Daegu’s Kim Young Pyo and Lee Tae Ju topped Men’s Doubles Squad A with an eye-popping pinfall total of 2,717.

Michael Tsang and Ken Lin of Hong Kong came in second with their 2,627, while Hong Kong’s Byoung Hee and Cha Ji Hyun were third with their 2,533.

Results for the Men’s Doubles Squad B, where Ador Dimaano and Percy Omechalang played, were still not available as off press time.

In the women’s division, Paranaque City looks set to regain the overall champion title they lost last year when Liza Clutario and Cecilia Yap gave their city a second gold medal in the Women’s Doubles event.

Winning the women’s Singles gold medal may have taken its toll on Clutario as she had an awful start. Fortunately, her partner and ex-international Cecilia Yap backed her up and the pair wound up with the championship.

A record number of participants from 22 cities are taking part in the 22nd Asian Intercity Bowling Championship which kicked off last Monday at the 24-lane Macau Bowling Center in Taipa-Coloane.

Participating cities are Taipei City from Chinese Taipei, Tamuning from Guam, Hong Kong, Happy Valley, Kowloon, Victoria from Hong Kong, Bangalore, Chennai and Delhi from India, Daegu, Pohang and Uiwang from Korea, Kuantan and Shah Alam from Malaysia, Macau, Macau Coloane, Macau Taipa, Saipan, Paranaque City and Pasay City from the Philippines and Singapore.

The 22nd Asian Intercity Bowling Championship’s Team of Four will be held today with the Masters finals closing out the competition over two days on Dec. 4 and 5.