The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Clyde Mariano
In an effort to give bowling a shot in the arm, the Philippine Bowling Association is planning to get the services of four-time World Cup champion Rafael “Paeng” Nepomuceno to train the bowlers and bring back the respect and adulation of Filipinos in the world stage.
Philippine Sports Commission executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr. told The Market Monitor the bowling association is dead set in harnessing the bowlers back to deadly form to win honors for the country and duplicate the feats of Nepomuceno and other Filipino keg legends like Lita de la Rosa, Bong Coo, and Arianne Cerdena. Nepomuceno, de la Rosa and Coo became World Cup champions and Cerdena won the gold in 1988 Seoul Olympics when bowling was played as demonstration sport.
“One of the staff told me about the plans of the PBA to commission the services of Nepomuceno to handle the bowlers. Well and good. It’s a wise decision at the time the bowlers are preparing for the 28th Southeast Asian Games,” said Iroy.
Iroy said Nepomuceno would finish first all his commitments before handling the bowlers taking part in the Singapore SEA Games in June.
The plan to get the services of Nepomuceno comes in the aftermath of the disappointing showing of Filipiino bowlers in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. Seasoned campaigners Engelberto “Biboy” Rivera, Liza Clutario, Liza del Rosario and other members of the team failed to win any medal to the dismay of Chief of Mission PSC Chairman Ricardo Garcia, POC president Jose Cojuangco, and former bowling president and POC secretary general Steve Hontiveros.
Dubbed as the next Nepomuceno, Rivera, former Asian Masters champion, lost the singles title he won in 2010 in Guangzhou, China. The Filipino bowler failed to dish out the same deadly form he showed in Guangzhou and other international competitions.
“Paeng indeed is a big asset to bowling because he has a wealth of experience being four time World Cup winner,” noted Iroy, a former football player and coach before he was appointed executive director by Chairman Garcia.
“SEA Games is one of numerous international competitions the Filipinos will compete in this year. The presence of Paeng will re-energize and re-invigorate the bowlers because Paeng serves as a moving force in their campaign for fame and fortune,” noted Iroy.
Dubbed the Michael Jordan of bowling, Nepomuceno was installed World Hall of Famer in recognition of his remarkable achievements in bowling that spanned more than three decades.
Nepomuceno became the only bowler on this planet that won the World Cup of Bowling in four different generations -1976, 82, 92, and 96. A former golfer, Nepomuceno also won the World Masters in London. His name was inscribed in the Guinness Book of World Records.
Bowling is a priority sport of the PSC being a certified achiever. In the Asian Games, however, the Filipinos failed to win a single medal. In Singapore, the bowlers are all out and determined to bounce back from mediocre showing in the Asian Games and regain the respect and admiration of their foreign peers.