The Art of Adjustment: PH Para Bowlers' Road to Gold

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By Brian Yalung

The PH Para Bowling team returned home with gold medals from the 13^th ASEAN Para Games held in Thailand in January, but needed to dig deep. Lane conditions and early setbacks were a factor and much of this was seen in their game scores.

First off was the duo of Francisco Endaco and Jaime Manginga. The Pinoy duo started off strong in the first two games but faded in the succeeding to sets. That proved costly as it relegated the team to third place.

Focus and perseverance pay off for PH Para Bowling at the ASEAN Para Games. [photo credit: George Manozo]

Manginga admitted that they were cautioned by their coaches. Aware of this, he took it upon himself to step up if they were to come out on top.

“After 3 games lumapit coaches. Sabi nasa 3rd place kame. Noon nag-start na yung game 4, nahirapan na ako dahil alam ko nag iba na. Yung transition ng lane. So, panibagong hanap nanaman ng Linya. Ang ending 120 plus yung score ko,” Manginga recalled.

“Alam ko sa sarili ko na na-laglag na kame sa top three. Hindi lang ako ang bumagsak…sabay pa kaming dalawa. Game 5 and 6, sabi last game na ito. Bago mag-start, kinausap ko yung partner ko. ‘Nasa top 4 na tayo. Sabi ko, kapit lang tayo laban lang.’”

This did not dampen Manginga and Endaco’s spirits. They knew the odds were not looking good but agreed to give it all in the final two games and prayed for the best.

“So nag-start ang games 5 and 6. Una pa lang, talagang hindi ako tumigil kahihingi ng dasal. Kaya bawat dampot ko sa bola, ‘Lord ibigay mo ito. Sa amin.’ Laging ganun ang pray ko. Every frame Hindi ako tumigil kaka-bulong kay Lord, ‘Please… kailangan ko. Kailangan umuwi ako sa bansa na may bitbit na medalya at para rin sa pamilya ko. Yun, binigay naman ni Lord,” Manginga shared.

The focus and prayers would pay off for Manginga and Endaco. Both overcame the 88-pin deficit, eking out a narrow four-point win over Thailand and the gold medal in the TPB8+8 class.

For Manginga, it was his second gold medal in doubles competition. He won his first in 2019 when he represented the Philippines in the Thailand World Championship.

Better late than never

Aside from Manginga and Endaco, there was also the duo of Kim Ian Chi and Patrick Eusebio. They started their series on the wrong foot, which was the reason Malaysia seized the early lead.

Eusebio admitted feeling the pressure, which prompted his coaches to calm him down.

“After game 1, kinausap ako ni coach at sabi niya i-hatid ko daw yung bola. Kasi drop ball ako at pressured,” Eusebio admitted.

That reminder got Eusebio back on track. After a low 137 score, he found his groove and went on a tear. He scored 195 in his second game and followed that up with three consecutive 200-plus games.

Combined with Chi’s high games, the duo was well-ahead of Malaysia and Thailand 1 in the TPB10+10 class. They finished with a combined score of 2366, way ahead of Malaysia (2202) and Thailand 1 (2112).

Eusebio admitted that winning his first-ever gold medal in the games was special since it was 21 years in the making.

“This is my first-ever gold medal, 21 years in the making. Ito ang best finish ko. Gawa ng hard work and consistent practice at pagsali sa mga bowling competitions,” Eusebio said.

The PH Para Bowling team made a name for itself delivering medals for the country. They have been consistently doing that in the events they have participated in.

But in the last ASEAN Para Games, coaches and players admitted there were anxious moments. But thanks to prayers and focus, the Filipino bowlers pulled through and struck gold to ensure they would not return to the Philippines without medals to show.

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Brian Yalung

Managing Editor at Sports Bytes PH

Brian Yalung is a long-time writer who covers most sports and technology. He focuses on one-on-one interviews with athletes and organizations, going in-depth. He finished his Masters in Business Administration degree at the Ateneo Graduate School of Business and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Applications at the DLSU-College of St. Benilde.

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The Art of Adjustment: PH Para Bowlers’ Road to Gold

Better late than never

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