Falah shines to take daily high series prize

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

Multi-titled Bahrain national team star Yousef Falah made his presence felt on the 15th day of qualifying in the Funland Ramadan Bowling Tournament 2022, currently being held at Funland Centre’s lanes. Falah scored the day’s high series of 692 pins in Group A to take home one of the daily prizes.

Ziyad Al Awadhi did the same in Group B with a trial of 597 pins. Bowlers in the tournament are being divided into two groups, with Group A for advanced competitors and Group B for beginners and ladies. Contestants from both groups in this first phase attempt trials as much as they need, with the total pinfalls including handicap for their best three trials being considered.

Each trial is composed of three games. Qualifying action continues today and goes on until April 21. It is the first of the championship’s five stages.

Falah’s top score was his second-best so far in the competition and it added to his other leading series of 725 and 681. He improved his total to 2,098 pins for a 233.1 average, which propelled him to seventh on the Group A standings after previously being ranked 10th.

Falah is one of the favourites to challenge for the competition’s crown, and is gradually making his way up the ladder. Still in first place is Emerson Gotencio from the Philippines with a 2,283 total and 253.7 average. Sitting in second place narrowly behind him was Abdulla Abdulkarim with a 2,265 total and 251.7 average, while Abdulrahman Al Kheliwi from Saudi Arabia was third on marks of 2,174 and 241.6.

Fourth through sixth, just in front of Falah, were fellow Bahrain internationals Ahmed Al Khaja (2,132, 236.9), Ahmed Al Goud (2,129, 236.6) and Ali Al Mass (2,118, 235.3), while completing the division’s top eight was Ahmed Fareed with a 2,081 total and 231.2 average.

In Group B, Al Awadhi’s 597 trial was his best in the tournament to date. His other top marks were 556 and 554, as he raised his aggregate to 1,707 for a 189.7 pins-per-game average. Al Awadhi went up to 15th on his division’s standings with his outing.

Euly Salcedo (1,986, 220.7) from the Philippines continued to lead Ahmed Al Ansari (1,964, 218.2) atop the table, followed by Ronald Seralvo (1,893, 210.3), also from the Philippines, in third.

Isa Akbari (1,871, 207.9) was fourth, Khalid Al Goud (1,863, 207.0) fifth and Sami Saloom (1,824, 202.7), while rounding off the top eight with a similar 1,821 total and 202.3 average were Khalid Sameer and Dexter De Asis from the Philippines.

At the end of the qualifying round, bowlers ranked first and second from Groups A and B will advance directly to round three, while bowlers ranked third to 16th from each group will play in round two. The Funland Ramadan Bowling Tournament is being held in memory of the Late Murtadha Qudrat Rasti, the Late Shaikh Ebrahim bin Mohammed Al Khalifa, and the Late Shaikh Mohammed bin Abdul Rahman Al Khalifa. Nearly BD4,000 in prize money will be on offer to the top 16 finishers.