2020 PBAK-GCC Tour Challenge Cup Invitational Bowling Cup rolls off

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Al Qwassem, GOAN Strikers and Swooping Eagles leaders on opening day

KUWAIT CITY, Jan 20: After a week furlough in team competition, the pin busters of the Philippine Bowling Association in Kuwait were back in action as the PBAK – 2020 GCC Tour Challenge Cup Invitational Bowling Cup rolled off at the Kuwait Bowling Sporting Club in Salmiya on Friday. The fifteen teams joining the tournament were composed of different nationalities in each line up. In its inaugural showdown the seven teams that posted victories was led by the defending champions the Al Qwassem followed by GOAN Strikers, Mangaf Strikers, Pongky Strikers, SKARZ, Swooping Eagles and “X”-Trikerz while the new team Sandigan-Kuwait played bye. 

This Cup is in preparation to the forthcoming 23st GCC-All Filipino Bowling Tour to be held eventually here in Kuwait sometime this August 2020. Bowlers to represents PBAK will be chosen through selection process to compete against Filipino bowlers from Bahrain, Oman, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and United Arad Emirates. GCC-AFBT is an annual event for the GCC Filipino bowlers residing and working in the gulf region whose objective is to foster closer relationship and camaraderie which are the focal point in achieving unity and solidarity not only for the bowlers and their families, friends and OFWs in general. Other Filipino bowlers are invited to play provided they will play under the banner of PBAK.

The tournament was launched in the morning with a short program. Starting with the parade of  the competing teams and playing the national anthems of Kuwait and Philippines. Welcome remarks of the President Rudy de Lima thanking the members and team captains of different participating teams, tournament directors and officers. The recitation of the Oath of sportsmanship by Fadi Al Masri, followed by ceremonial ball by all team captains and finally the declaration of Tour open by the tournament director Chris Carungay.            

The fifteen participating teams with their members were: Al Qwassem – Fadel Al Qassem (team captain), Saleh Faraj, Ali Al Qassem, Hassan Al Qassem, Yakoub Al Shatti, Ali Jawli. Ali Al Qattan, Yousef Al Qassem, Ayoub Al Shatti and Abdul Wahab Al Shatti; Asian Air Safari – Sonia Mathews (team captain), Farid Gabriel, Mohd Jassim Abdullah, Aqeel Al Farisy, Wahab Al Ali, Neveen Wasel, Ghadeer Al Sarraf, Hassan Karam, Abdullah Al Ali and Qasem Maitham; Rhino Dozers – Mar Evangelista (team captain), Camilo Baker lll, Eddie Pena, Joel Tizon, Moises Amahan, Pilar Behbehani, Rene Marzan, Sam Behbehani and Danilo Dalino; SKARZ – Lionel Mendes (team captain), Agnello Fernandes, Ignatius Fernandes, Stephen Sequiera, Melwin Isaac, Solomon Moras, Diago Camilo and Roland Rebeiro; “X”-Trikerz – Chris Carungay (team captain), Rocky Castil, Joe Presenta, Reygan Percy, Imelda Daguio, Bima Nitikusumo, Abel Nitikusmo, Hussein Adnan, Nawwaf Al Salman and Ronell Valencia.

Pongky Strikers – Adolfo Prena (Team Captain), Jess Tolentino, Gener Calingasan, Imelda Calingasan, Jocelyn Barros, John Narvasa, Christine Moreno, Erick Chang, Bert Alilay and Hamad Al Dosari; Magic Hornets – Rudy de Lima (Team Captain), Ruben Cervantes, Waleed Al Ghareeb, Rashid Akher Ali, Mousa Abdulla, Alex Nodalo, Jang Hosiung and Lim Jong Pil; Swooping Eagles – Alonzo Bush (team captain), Riz Roque, Jessica Balagat, Benjie Roque, John Caldwel, Mona Corpuz, Myrah Manalo, Clinton Cathers, Angie Bush and Marjorie Mercado; GOAN Strikers – Lloyd Fernandes (Team Captain), Colin Eric Nelson, Brian Fernandes, Lloyd D’Souza, Vasant Harshan, Raj Reddy, Bala Sabramanyam and Samantha Fernandes; IBL Tigers – Ulysses Menezes (Team Captain), Fatima Sequiera, Vishnu Devarastty, Nadine Dias, Jason D’ Souza, Anastacius Menezes, Abdulaziz Al Aslawi, Joel Fernandes, Aman Agarwal and Yaqoub Adel.

Jordan Elites – Ali Adel Khalil (Team Captain), Aji Varghese, Basma Amar, Fadi Al Masri, Ali Hikmat, Mahmoud Dashti, Yousef Waled, Valentine Gonzalves and Emad Tayeh; Mangaf Strikers – Jayson Gamba (Team Captain), Ahmad Fahmi Husen, Robert Opena, Jun Jamoras, Ceddie Faa, Joe Sto Domingo, Chis Bulacja and Chat Sarne; Panthers – David Rood (Team Captain), Alma Turley, Lito Michael, Ahmad Fadil Karam, Abdulaziz Ashkanani, Redah Ramdan and Mohammad Othman; SKARZ Bees – Katherine Fernandes (Team Captain). Neeta Fenandez, Fatima Fernandes, Andi D’Souza, Nikshita Shetty, Eden Danan, Siddarth Nair and Allan Fernandes; Sandigan-Kuwait – Aisha Al Bakit (Team Captain), Rosalina Lacanilao, April Anne Parrenas, Leah Bandali, Jinky Escuadro, Los Mary Perlas, Marites Maranan, Anne Mary Miranda, Elmina Sangga and Josephine Tecson.

Competing teams will be playing with handicapping system and after the elimination round, the top eight teams known as Top 8 Elite – Group 1 will be playing for a two-week round robin while Desperado – Group 2 will be playing for one week and the highest will be declared champions. The tourney also features the Masters and Doubles event for the ladies and men’s categories. Special awards will be presented to bowlers with high game, high averages, most improved bowlers and for team’s best. 

The maiden games, champions Al Qwassem (2,990) were fitted with and the first runners-up Asian Air Safari (2,497). It was not so exciting to watch the match although everybody knows that Al Qwassem aims to snatch the top rank from Week 1 to 10 to win for free lane fee which they missed in the last league. GOAN Strikers (2,879) tamed IBL Tigers (2,672), Mangaf Strikers (2,756) outsmarted the Jordan Elites (2,325), Pongky Strikers (2,598) subdued Panthers (2,383), SKARZ (2,683) doused Rhino Dozers (2,522), Swooping Eagles (2,807) swallowed Magic Hornets (2,587), “X”-Trikerz (2,801) struck SKARZ Bees (2465) while the newest team composed mainly of lady bowlers (1819) played bye.  

First Week Standings: 1. Al Qwassem (2,990); 2. GOAN Strikers (2,879); 3. Swooping Eagles (2,807); 4. “X”-Trikerz (2,801); 5. Mangaf Strikers (2,756); 6. SKARZ (2,683); 7. IBL Tigers (2,672); 8. Pongky Strikers (2,598); 9. Magic Hornets (2,598); 10. Rhino Dozers (2,522); 11. Asian Air Safari (2,497); 12. SKARZ Bees (2,465); 13. Panthers (2,383); 14. Jordan Elites (2,325) and 15. Sandigan-Kuwait (1,819).

By Archie Delos Reyes

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