Queen bowler Bong Coo inspires FBC charity event

FBC members pose with world bowling champion Bong Coo and Labor Attache Jolly dela Torre at the charity tournament of the group on April 24 at Dragon Bowling in Oi Man Plaza, Ho Man Tin.

By Vir B. Lumicao

Pin Bombers downed 2794 pins to top Class A event in the Filipino Bowling Club of Hong Kong’s 5th Charity Tournament on Apr 24 graced by Filipina four-time World Champion Olivia “Bong” Coo.
The tournament at the Dragon Bowling in Oi Man Plaza in Ho Man Tin was preceded by a seminar on tenpin bowling conducted at Football Club on Apr 23 by Coo, regarded as the queen of Asian Bowling.

Bong Coo holds
a bowling clinic.

Individual honors went to Miko Cabazor, who won the men’s high series with a score of 658 pinfalls, while the women’s high series was dominated by Emy Clarke took the women’s high series title by downing 521 pins.
FBC founder and chairwoman Jenny Gafate, an OFW and champion bowler herself, told The SUN the tournament was held to support the scholarship program of Wimler Foundation Philippines, which will send two poor but bright students to high school this year.
“FBC has been organizing the charity tournament for the past five years and have supported several students,” Gafate said.“In FBC, we always say we don’t play bowling for the scores, but we play bowling for a cause.”
In individual games, Cabazor scuttled 658 pins to hold off No 2 Ming Wong, who dropped 617 pins, and surging above the rest of the pack.
Joining them in the Top 3 was Benray Francisco, who racked up a score of 598 pinfalls.
Clarke, the current FBC president, trumped her closest rival, Racquel Salas, who settled for 482 pinfalls. Iris Cheung came in third with 469 pinfalls.
In team competition, The Warriors toppled 1892 pins to lead Class B after a duel with Wimler, which scored 1705.
Gafate was visibly absent from the lanes because she was running the tournament as its organizer. “No one could do the task of handling the event,” she said.
She distributed trophies and medals to the participants, and attended to Coo, who, Gafate said, is coming back this year for another clinic.
Gafate said the clinic participants had learned a lot from Coo, as FBC prepares itself for its participation in the Melbourne Australia Bowling Tournament on Nov 19-20.