Asian Youth Champ settles for third at U-22 Japan Bowling tilt

by Brian Yalung

Philippine national team bowler Merwin Tan of the Philippines settled for third place in the U22 5th Fukuoka Summer Cup by Storm that was held from August 7 to 11 at the Toyo Sports Palace in Fukuoka, Japan.

And the Japanese, seeming to find his groove simply proved too hot to handle. He rolled a 279 in his first match, besting Ryo Fukumitsi (206) and Hokuto Fujinaga (268). He would carry on that streak in the second match, rolling another near-perfect game of 290. Hata bested Tan who ended up with a 255 and Numan Syahmi of Singapore (202).

Hata needed a big finishing kick to Jeremiah Camacho of Guam. The Japanese punched out in the 10th frame, finishing with a 258 compared to Camacho’s 255.

When asked on his thoughts about his performance in the tournament, Tan said that he was happy making it to the top three but a bit disappointed knowing he could have won it all.

“Each tournament is a different learning experience because I play on a different pattern. I learned how to adjust and adapt to different situations. I am happy that I made it to top 3 but a bit disappointed because I know that I could have won the tournament,” said Tan.

Regardless, Tan knows he did well although he was not spared from bad shots. Looking ahead, he will try to work on those miscues and prepare for his next tournament.

“This was not a set back to me because I did well. I made some bad shots during the game and these were costly. I will practice more for the next tournament. Thank you PAGCOR PBF PSC MVP SPORTS!” ended Tan.