Del Rosario, Rivera stay in race for bowling crown for BWC title

MANILA, Philippines - Veteran Filipino bowlers Liza del Rosario and Biboy Rivera remained in strong contention for the 50th QubicaAMF World Cup Saturday by advancing to the quarterfinals of the prestigious individual competition at the Sky Bowling Center in Wroclaw, Poland.

Del Rosario, a former world champion in the trios event, checked in fourth in the women’s group while Rivera, ex-world FIQ titlist making his third international finals appearance, came in fifth in the men’s division.

Del Rosario rolled a total of 6151 pinfalls in 28 games for a 219.68 average to finish behind new leader Clara Juliana Guerrero of Colombia, who tallied 6225, Malaysia’s Li Jane Sin (6213) and the United States’ Brittni Hamilton (6167).

Rivera posted 6461, also in 28 games, to average 230.75 and trail Germany’s Tobias Bording, who maintained his lead from the start with 6758, Sweden’s Magnus Johnson Jr. (6518), American pro bowler Chris Barnes (6506) and Australia’s Glen Loader (6468).

The other remaining contenders are Russia’s Maria Bulanova (6127), Canada’s Caroline Lagrange (6101), Sweden’s Rebecka Larsen (6084) and Ukraine’s Daria Kovalova (6075) in the women’s bracket and Colombia’s Manuel Otalora (6374), Israel’s Oron Cohen (6367) and Ukraine’s Mykhaylo Kalika (6361) in the men’s division.

The bowlers will play a round robin with a position round with bonus points of 30 for a win and 15 for a draw to determine the top three who will compete for the crown.

Kovalkova and Mexico’s Sandra Gongora tied for the eighth spot after 28 games in the women’s competition but the former clinched the spot by beating her rival, 246 to 214, in a one-game playoff.

The Philippines’ Paeng Nepomuceno has the distinction of being the only bowler to have won four titles so far.  The other former Filipino World Cup champions are the late Lita dela Rosa, Bong Coo and CJ Suarez.