Fiery Lazo, Dinham bag youth titles
Dale Lazo claimed her first international career victory after topping the youth girls masters category of the Philippine International OpenTenpin Bowling Championships 2019.
The 16-year-old national youth kegler from Imus, Cavite pulled off the surprise win after rolling 180 pinfalls to beat the fancied Bea Hernandez (177) in the gold-medal finale yesterday at the Coronado Lanes, Starmall in Mandaluyong City.
“There were no expectations kaya walang pressure. I just tried to enjoy the game,” said Lazo, who trailed Hernandez in the qualifying rounds and defeated Grace Gella in the step-ladder finals, 212-171, that arranged the thrilling finish with the tournament runnerup.
Filipino-Australian Jordan Dinham exhibited the same consistency as Lazo to subdue Asian youth champion Merwin Tan, 189-155 and rule the youth boys masters in their single-game finals of the tournament backed by Pagcor, Cafe Puro, Boysen Paints, Prima Pasta and Linden Suites.
Dinham, whose claim to fame was a stunning victory over 2018 World Cup champion Sam Cooley in a tournament back in Australia, downing Kishan Ramachandrai of India, 248-185, in the step-ladder to face the top-seeded Tan.
Prior to the finals, the 18-yearold Dinham rolled an eight-game series of 1626, which was good for third place behind Tan (1689) and Ramachandrai (1652), to advance to the step-ladder of the meet supported by the MVP Sports Foundation and the Philippine Olympic Committee.
As for Lazo, she wound up second overall entering the finals with an eight-game series of 1508 while Hernandez, another national youth mainstay, compiled 1580 and Gella 1482.