IMUS Tenpin Bowling Association’s (ITBA) Simeon Papa beat Cebuano Rey Velarde, 225-218 in the finals to bag the Masters trophy in the Fourth National Tenpin Open of the Cebu Tenpin Bowling Association (CETBA) held at the Bowling Center of SM City Cebu last weekend.
Papa led the top 32 qualifiers in the Masters event with 434 pinfalls followed by Cebuano elite bowlers Andrew Yap and Rey Velarde. Yap trailed Yap in the Top 32 with 421 pinfalls followed by teammate GJ Buyco (419) in third and Velarde at fourth with 413 pinfalls.
In the quarter final round, Velarde, the pride of team Chanieka, dumped Buyco, 241-170 then finished off the last remaining PRIMA kegler, Yap in the semifinals, 200-177, to forge a titular battle with the top seeded Papa.
In the one-game finals, Papa edged Velarde, 225-218 to walk away with the P50,000 prize.
Of the 32 bowlers who qualified for the coveted Masters finals, eight are from out-of-town including Ilo-ilo, Davao, Imus Cavite and Bacolod.
Meanwhile, PRIMA topped the team event followed by Chanieka and Cebu Institute of Technology-University (CIT-U).
A total of 42 teams competed in the three day event organized by CETBA headed by president Gretchen Tormis, vice president Cynthia Kua and Engr. Angelito “Docdoc” Gothong. /CORRESPONDENT DALE G. ROSAL