MANILA – Ten Philippine athletes will join the 14th World Outdoor Bowls Championships in Queensland, Australia from Aug. 29 to Sept. 10, the Philippine Lawn Bowls Association (PLBA) said Sunday.
Rodel Labayo, Elmer Abatayo, Hommer Mercado, Leoncio Carreon Jr., Ronald Lising, Marisa Baronda, Rosita Bradborn, Sonia Bruce, Hazel Jagonoy and Ronalyn Greenlees will leave on Aug. 22 with Filipino coaches Reynaldo Samia and Chris Dagpin, and foreign coaches.
Also joining the trip are PLBA Board member Genaro Lopez (men’s team manager) and Sarah Greenlees (women’s team manager).
Except for Greenlees, all are medalists at the 14th Asian Championships in Ipoh, Malaysia last Feb. 26.
Labayo and Abayato captured the gold medal in the men’s pairs, Lising, Carreon Jr. and Mercado topped the men’s triples, while Baronda and Bradborn ruled the women’s pairs.
Baronda also took the bronze in the singles while Abayato, Lising, Carreon and Mercado bagged the bronze in the men’s fours.
For bagging three golds and two silvers in Malaysia, the Philippines improved on its performance at the 2018 edition in Henan, China where it finished with one silver (Bradborn and Bruce in women’s pairs) and two bronzes from the women’s fours (Bradborn, Bruce, Jagonoy and Greenlees) and women’s singles (Ainie Knight).
Greenlees, the former PLBA president who is now a Level 2 international coach, pocketed the women’s fours bronze medal with Bradborn, Bruce and Hagonoy at the 2016 World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand.
The national bowlers are regularly training at the Clark Global City in Pampanga, the same venue of the 2019 Southeast Asian Games.
(PNA)