Merwin Tan ended the country’s seven-year, gold-medal drought in the 20th Asian Youth Tenpin Bowling Championships by topping the boys’ singles event at the Megalanes Sarawak, Batu Kawa, Kuching City in Malaysia recently.
Tan, 19, won the gold by hitting 1,352 pinfalls in six rounds to outclass Australia’s William Clark’s 1,334 and South Korea’s Park Sang-Hyeok’s 1,326 in the tournament participated in by 40 boys and 36 girls from all over the Asian region.
“I just did my best in every game, every frame and every shot. I really needed to score at least a 200 in the last game and I’m really happy I was able to do just that,” said Tan, who is playing his last Asian Youth Championship. “This gold medal is a blessing for me, especially that I’m playing my last year here.”
The last time the Philippine youth team won a gold medal in the Asian Youth was in 2012, when Alexis Sy snatched the mint in the girls’ Masters event in Egypt.
Tan, a member of Philippine Team and Team Prima, and who just finished his K-12 study at Marist School, was also a member of the team that bagged a bronze in the boys’ team event in the 2018 World Youth Championship in Detroit, Michigan, USA, the country's first medal in 26 years.
Besides the boys’ singles event, Tan will also play in the boys’ doubles, team and possibly in the masters' events.
National teammate Kenzo placed 10th in the boys’ singles with 1,261 pinfalls, while Alyssa Ty ended 18th among the girls’ singles participants with 1,092 pinfalls.
Other members of the Philippine junior team are Kenzo Umali, Patrick Nuqui and Kayle Abad for the boys and Bea Hernandez, Norel Nuevo and Grace Gella for the girls.
Recent achievements can be attributed to the continuing programs of the Philippine Bowling Federation in uplifting the sport of bowling in the country.
The team is supported by the Philippine Sports Commission and coached by Biboy Rivera and Jojo Canare, Mental Skills coach Marcus Jarwin Manalo and their Strength and Conditioning coach Albert Gerald Rolle.