Bowler snares bronze as RP ends AYG stint

Collins Jose of bowling finally struck when he won the bronze medal in the boys’ masters event and gave the Philippines a medal it can cherish and hold as action in the first Asian Youth Games came to a close yesterday.

The 17-year-old Jose, whose ability to hang on was put in question after a fumbling finish in the singles event, delivered against the odds with a total of 3507 pinfalls before a small but jubilant Filipino crowd at the Orchid Country Club.

Basil Low of Singapore took the gold with 3576 pinfalls while Choi Kiung Hwan of Korea won the silver with a 3558. Jose could have landed in the stepladder finals, needing two strikes in his last two rolls, but missing out on the first.

“I lacked the follow-through on that roll. But I was stable today and I was able to get the high scores,” said Collins, seventh in the singles event where caught some attention after a 251 in his first game, only to falter with a 190 on his next.

“I got nervous, too, because it was my first time to play in a match play,” said the student of San Beda and a resident of Imus, Cavite.

Jose’s bronze medal will serve as the highlight of the Philippine participation in this huge event reserved for athletes aged 14 to 17 years. Stephanie Cimatu won the silver in girls’ javelin because there were only two entries in the event.

Dyan Coronacion was sixth in girls’ masters with 3338 pinfalls. The gold went to Singapore’s New Hui Fen (3524), followed by Krishna Darshini, also of Singapore (3502) and Korea’s Sim Ui-Jin (3491).

“We’re very proud of Collins,” said Col. Cesar Binag, chef-de-mission of the RP delegation. He said that in his meetings with the leaders of the sports where the Filipinos competed in, it was only those in bowling who predicted a medal finish.

“They were the only ones who said they could win a medal of any color. And it was tough for Collins to win the bronze because as early as the elims, you can see how tight the competition was,” added the PNP official.

The final batch of the Pinoy athletes who participated in this 43-nation event flies home today, and it includes the bowlers, swimmers and those from beach volleyball. The shooters and basketball players left for home the other day.

Organizers will formally close the AYG with a dinner affair at the Raffles Convention Center.

After more than a week of competition, China ruled with 24 gold, 14 silver and eight bronze medals, followed by South Korea (18-14-14), Thailand (7-5-2), Japan (5-6-4), Singapore (5-3-12), India (5-3-2) and Hong Kong (4-6-4).

Jasmine Alkhaldi, a tall and tanned 16-year-old, gave her best in the girls’ 100-meter freestyle finals but finished eighth and last with her time of 59.04 seconds, barely improving on her qualifying time of 59.53 set the other day at the Singapore Sports School.

Jessie Lacuna was seventh in the boys’ with his 53.07. What’s important, however, is that Alkhaldi and Borja have qualified for the 2010 Youth Olympic Games along with Banjo Borja in the 200-m individual medley.

Dorothy Hong was fifth in the 50m backstroke finals with her time of 31.27 seconds.