Pinoys reign supreme in Dutch bowling league

Pinoys reign supreme in Dutch bowling league

By LOUI GALICIA
ABS-CBN Europe News Bureau

Filipinos in Holland once again proved that they are the royals of the bowling alley when they reigned supreme at the Tuesday Dutch Bowling league.

Just last March, Pinoys ruled in the biggest inter-agency bowling event held in The Hague. (see article: http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryID=112569)

The 2007-2008 league, which is on its sixth year, is held every Tuesday, from September to May at the Dolfijn Bowling Center in Scheveningen and ends with a grand awards night when winners receive recognition and participants get tokens of appreciation for their hard work and effort for the whole season.

A total of 12 teams with four players each participated this season in the league. Among the 48 players, 10 were Filipinos.

Although outnumbered, the Pinoys swept all the awards.

In the team category, the first to third placers had one Pinay player each.

The Lord of the Pins team, with Brigitte Galura, bagged the championship, followed by Beer Frame with Cynbelle Cons on second place and Split Happens, with this writer, in third place.

Even the individual awards for the best season’s scores were dominated by Pinoys.

In the Men’s division, Leandro Bautista won the third-highest handicap game while Ener Gonzales had the second-highest handicap game series.

In the Women’s division, this writer won the third-highest handicap game and also the second-highest handicap game series.

The event's Dutch organizer, who has been playing with the Pinoys for six years now, could not help but salute the Pinoys for their bowling prowess.

"They’re very, very good bowlers, and they impress me every time, every year again. They’re really good players, very nice, very friendly, and I love their food," Frog vander Heuvel said.

The Pinoys said they seem to have a natural talent for bowling.

"Natural ata yang galing ng Pinoy sa sports eh, lalo na sa bowling kaya palagi tayong nananalo kahit na kokonti tayong Pilipino na naglalaro ng bowling dito sa Holland. Parati tayong nakakakuha ng award. So ngayong gabi eh ang dami nating napanalo. I think it proves na me talent tayo lalo sa sports," Joey Gonzales said.

There are only about 20 Filipinos who regularly join bowling tournaments and leagues in Holland, but they always outplay the Dutch and other nationalities and are feared in the Dutch bowling circuit.

"Sa ligang ito, madami ring mga puti ang magagaling, at kaming mga Pilipino, halos sampu lang kaming naglalaro pero nangi-ngibabaw pa rin kami sa pagkapanalo. Talagang likas na ata sa ating mga Pilipino kaya magaling tayo sa bowling," Galura said.

The Pinoys are now preparing for the biggest singles’ bowling tournament in The Hague this Saturday.

The Bintang Bowling Cup is organized by the Indonesian Embassy, and 150 bowlers are expected to compete for the best of the best awards.

SOURCE: WWW.ABS-CBNNEWS.COM

http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/storypage.aspx?StoryId=124141