SBA hoping to send bigger team to Asian Inter-City bowling tilt

Saipan Bowling Association president Jerry Tan is eyeing to have a bigger Saipan delegation to the 23rd Asian Inter City Tenpin Bowling Championships later this year.

Tan during the SBA’s awards banquet for the 2008 season held at Shirley’s Coffee Shop in Susupe announced that Guam will be hosting the Inter-City tournament and this will allow the CNMI to send more bowlers to the annual tournament.

“I am hoping to send more bowlers including a women’s team in this year’s Inter-City tournament,” said Tan, who acknowledged that financial constraints forced SBA to field only a men’s team in the Inter-City tournament in Macau last year.

“But this year with our neighbor, Guam, hosting the tournament, it will be easier to send a full team (men’s and women’s) to the Inter-City. Despite the difficulties were are experiencing right now, I am confident we will find ways to bring many bowlers to Guam,” he added.

Last season, only four male bowlers from SBA participated in the Inter-City meet held at the 24-lane Macau Bowling Center in Taipa-Coloane. The list included Ross Zapanta, Jorge Soledad, Ador Dimaano, and Percy Omechalang.

The Saipan keglers were pitted against bowlers from Taipei City, Chinese Taipei; Tamuning, Guam; Happy Valley, Kowloon, and Victoria, Hong Kong; Bangalore, Chennai, and Delhi, India; Daegu, Pohang and Uiwang, Korea; Kuantan and Shah Alam, Malaysia; Macau, Macau Coloane, and Macau Taipa; Paranaque City and Pasay City, Philippines; and Singapore.

Besides the Inter-City tournament, Tan is encouraging SBA bowlers to join Guam Bowling Association’s Annual Guam International Open.

“This is not a team format tournament, but does attract many top caliber bowlers from Asia to join as individual bowler,” Tan said.

“So I hope SBA can also encourage a few of our top bowlers to join this tournament since the cost of joining a Guam tournament is much lower than other countries,” he said.

Tan added competing in Guam will give Saipan bowlers the needed exposure to move their game to the next level.

“We have good bowlers here and it will be great if they will play against Guam and some top players from Asia through the Guam Open besides the regular tournaments we have here,” Tan said.

SBA is holding 12 monthly tournaments for male, female, and youth keglers on Saipan. The association also has weekly tournaments, Masters tournament, PBA Player of the Year, and the Annual PBA Classified in its calendar of events.