Ten off to Shah Alam championships today

A 10-man delegation composed of eight bowlers and two officials will leave for Shah Alam, Malaysia, today to compete in the 18th Asian Intercity Tenpin Bowling Championships.

The Asian Intercity tournament will be held at the Mega Lanes of Selangor’s capital from Sept. 27 to Oct. 3 and it marks the fourth straight year Saipan will be sending at least a team to the annual event.

Leading the delegation is Saipan Bowling Association president and sports patron Jerry Tan and team manager Ross Zapanta. Saipan’s eight players will be divided into two teams—Capitol Hill and Saipan.

Making up the Capitol Hill’s team is former youth bowler and January and August Pepsi King of the Lanes champion Simon Manacop, July winner Robert Talavera, cagey veteran Dannie Robles, and up-and-coming kegler Mike Guirey.

The Saipan team, meanwhile, is composed of this year’s May Masters Tournament champion and 2003 Paranaque City masters qualifier Mark Halstead, June King of the Lanes champion John Santos, and renowned bowling brothers Joe and Frank Sablan.

Of the eight bowlers, only three—Manacop, Halstead, and Joe Sablan—are returnees from last year’s Asian Intercity championships held in the Philippines.

Tan said he expects Saipan’s two teams to do well in the weeklong tournament and give folks back home something to be proud of.

“We are sending two very experienced teams to Shah Alam. All of them, from the one with the most regional tournaments under his belt like Mark [Halstead] to newcomer Mike [Guirey], have been playing the sport most of their lives. I expect them to do well in this tournament and I won’t be surprised if they come home with a medal or even medals,” he said.

For his part, Zapanta said that like all off-island competitions, it all comes down to how our bowlers quickly adjust to the different lane conditions in Shah Alam.

“There’s really no way to prepare for that [lane conditions]. You just hope that the boys make do of the situation and their training help them go through it,” he said.

Tan and Zapanta agreed that teams to watch out for in Shah Alam are the bowlers from Chinese-Taipei, South Korea, Hong Kong, the Philippines, and of course the host city of Shah Alam.

“One thing that would definitely be working for Shah Alam is their familiarity with the lanes. They will also get the most cheers from the crowd and that support could further give them a boost in the tournament,” said Zapanta.

The 18th Asian Intercity Tenpin Bowling Championships is being hosted by the Shah Alam Bowling Club and is being sanctioned by the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress and the Asian Bowling Federation.