Sunday, November 17, 2019 – Megabowl Bowling Center, HO CHI MINH CITY, VIETNAM
JD Castro and Aaron Elliott took to the lanes and dished out an old-fashioned strike fest during the 33rd Asian Intercity Bowling Championship contested at Megabowl, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from November 13-20, 2019.
Castro and Elliott topped the leader board with a dazzling performance of 1860 over four games averaging 232 pins per game. They took pole position on game three and held on to beat Happy Valley’s duo of David Tsang and Leo Tse by 39 pins. Happy Valley’s second tandem of Jason Sin and Michael Tsang were 57 pins adrift while Dededo’s Charles “Mama Char” Catbagan and Dorian Herrero held on to the final medal spot after an electrifying 500 pin count which they led the field on the onset of the event.
In the medal round match ups, Tamuning’s Castro and Elliott ousted 4th seed Catbagan and Herrero of Dededo in the Baker’s format 215-191 while Tsang and Tse won the battle of Happy Valley to set up the gold medal match.
In a hotly contested doubles event finale, Castro and Elliott escaped the match after forcing the anchor from Happy Valley to double on the tenth frame. A solid strike on the tenth frame by Tsang made the match quite interesting and nerve racking. On the must strike fill frame, Tsang felt that ball come out flat from the fingers and watched as it flailed into the head pin leaving pins 3-6-10, as they fell short of the gold by five pins and watched the Tamuning tandem celebrate the 216-211 victory. For their efforts, Castro and Elliott were awarded the gold, Tsang and Tse took silver while Jason Sin, Michael Tsang, Catbagan and Herrero claimed the bronze medals.
Catbagan led all bowlers in the doubles event with a scintillating 954 set with games of 267, 211, 275 and 201. Castro poured in games of 247, 210, 258, 231 for a 946 set. Elliott dropped in 914 pins on a steady set of 236, 248, 216 and 214, Herrero punched a 846 set.
Tamuning’s second team of RJ Santos pinned 883 and John John Ada added 797 to the total to finish in 9th place with a 1680. Justin Mendiola (816) and Cesar Villanueva (708) of Dededo ended the event in 18th of 33 teams.
In singles competition held the previous day, Elliott led Guam’s contingent with a 906-set landing in 6th place as he missed the medal cut by 30 pins. Catbagan bowled an 881 series (9th place), Santos 862 (13) Castro 847 (16), Mendiola 841 (17), Herrero 819 (23), Villanueva 781 (34) and Ada 770 (38).
Guam Bowling 