THE Philippine Bowling Federation has appealed to the Philippine Sports Commission to allow its national pool of bowlers to begin actual training as part of the preparation and selection of the national team for overseas meets this year, including the 31st Vietnam Southeast Asian Games in November.
PBF secretary general Bong Coo made the request in a letter to PSC chairman Butch Ramirez last Jan. 9 coursed through acting PSC executive director Atty. Guillermo Iroy Jr.
“We respectfully request for our national training pool of athletes for the sport of tenpin bowling to start their onsite training at the Coronado Lanes, Starmall EDSA, in Mandaluyong City.
“The Coronado Lanes already resumed their bowling center strictly following the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases,” Coo wrote.
The former multi-titled bowler and national team standout said the PBF has submitted its healthy and safety rules and guidelines for the conduct of play and management of tenpin bowling in the country to the PSC, which will also apply to the national pool members once they are allowed to work out.
She said that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, the athletes were able to continue their strength and conditioning plus mental and psychological training online under the strict monitoring of the PBF.
In the event the PSC approves the bowling federation’s request, Coo said they intend to conduct practices thrice a week — Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) — at the bowling center “during dead hours” so there would be virtually no recreational bowlers around to join them.
“We intend to use a few lanes only because it is a 38-lane center and stagger the practices so not all of the pool members will be there at the same time,” Coo said of the proposed training venue that was the site of the 30th Southeast Asian Games bowling competitions in 2019.
She addedthe PBF earlier submitted a list of 24 names — 20 senior and four youth bowlers — to the PSC last December for approval.
They are Kayle Cedrick Abad, Jordan Matthew Dinham-Alcantara, Christian Dychangco, Emerson Gotencio, Ivan Dominic Malig, Patrick Neil Nuqui, Angelo Kenzo Umali, Merwin Tan and Lorenz Michael Tugade for the men’s pool.
