Hernandez, De Vera cop doubles bronze in Asian Youth bowl

MANILA, Philippines — First-time partners Bea Hernandez and Niña de Vera produced the country’s first medal in the 19th Asian Youth Bowling Championships by bagging the girls doubles bronze medal at the Coronado Lanes inside the EDSA Starmall in Mandaluyong last Tuesday.  

In their debut as a tandem in international competition, Hernandez and De Vera stunned the crack 15-nation field by wresting the lead midway through the six-game series before slowing down in the home stretch, grittily hanging on in salvaging the bronze with a combined tally of 2322.

The Pinay duo finished 208 pins behind the powerhouse South Korean squad of Yang Da Som and Lee Jung Min, who teamed up for 2530 pinfalls in securing their country’s third gold in four events of the tournament organized by the Philippine Bowling Federation and sanctioned by the Asian Bowling Federation and World Bowling.

Singapore’s Charlene Lim and Jermaine Seah, running eight with two games left, sizzled in the fifth and sixth games in rallying to snatch the silver medal with a 2345 aggregate in the tournament sponsored by the Philippine Sports Commission, Boysen Paints, Prima Pasta, Cebuana Lhuillier, F.R. Sevilla Industrial & Development Corp., Promax, Vectron Trade Corp. and Amstar Co. Inc.

“We were just concentrated on our game and refused to be bothered by the crowd,” said the bespectacled Hernandez, 17, who carried her squad at the start with high scores of 244, 210 and 267, respectively, in the first three games.

“All the hard work and sacrifice somehow paid off,” said De Vera, a Team Prima mainstay, following her debut in the competition also backed by NTN bearings, PLDT, Smart Communications, Rain Forest Mineral Water, R & M Preserves, Coronado Lanes. EDSA Shangri-La and Linden Suites are the official hotels of the 19th AYC.

 “I am proud of these girls. Hindi sila bumigay even it was their first international competition together,” said national girls coach Jojo Canare, beaming. “I hope this breakthrough will help us in the remaining events we have.”

“Bea told me last Monday after her poor outing ‘babawi ako dad,’ and I am so proud she did,” said Assistant Solicitor General Bernard Hernandez, who took time off from his busy schedule together with wife Myriam in watching her daughter perform and garner her first medal in international play.

With the younger Hernandez waxing hot early and De Vera playing steadily, the local pair surged to the front after three games with a 1289 output, 28 pins ahead of the second running Yang-Lee duo, who had 1257 at that point, much to the delight of the hometown gallery.