Bowling for bowling in college sports

CEBUANO bowlers GJ Buyco and Xyrra Cabusas are currently in Nebraska, competing with the world’s best young bowlers in the World Youth Championships. The stint of the two in the tournament is proof that Cebu’s bowlers are world class, and that’s despite not having as many tournaments compared to other sports.

Bowling, as we all know, is not part of the college sports scene and it’s a pity considering its potential. It has massive draw since most folks go to the bowling lane to unwind, but perhaps, that too is its biggest setback as it is just considered a past-time, and not a serious sport.

But Buyco and Cabusas stint in Nebraska should prod our sports officials, especially those running the college scene, to perhaps take a different stand.

That they are competing with the best of the world in their age group shows they belong and since four years from now, bowling will be an Olympic sport in Tokyo, perhaps we should now begin to look at the sport as a serious contender for a medal?

We’ve had a lot of world-class bowlers in the past in Bong Coo and Paeng Nepomuceno and bowling, too, has contributed regularly in the SEA Asian Games and the Asian Games medal tally, and I’m confident that it will just be a matter of time before the sport add to the Olympic medals we’ve won.

Didn’t Ariane Cerdena win the Olympic gold when it was just a demo sport in 1988?

So, how come bowling is still not in the school calendar? It’s not sexy enough? Not macho enough?

I know it’s not for the lack of players but perhaps the lack of a local body to oversee the sport, and to coordinate with the college league is a hindrance?

It’s going to be in the Olympics four years from now and players like Buyco and Cabusas, or any of the other top players in their generation, could be playing for a gold medal. Cerdena won the gold the first time the sport was played in the Olympics, when it becomes an official event, I’m confident another Pinoy will win a medal.

It would be a shame, wouldn’t it, if when the Tokyo Summer Olympics comes around. an athletic scholar for bowling in the Philippines would still be a figment of our imagination?

Look how bowling is performing without the benefit of it being a college sport. Add it in the college scene, you increase the population of competitive bowlers and increase, too, the level of competition.