By MARK REY MONTEJO

The future looks bright for Philippine bowling after the success of the boys team in the recent 21st Asian Youth Tenpin Championships in Bangkok, Thailand.

(From left to right) Stephen Diwa, Art Barrientos and Marc Custodio.

Art Barrientos, Stephen Luke Diwa, Marc Dylan Custodio and Singapore-based Zach Sales Ramin delivered the gold medal in the four event after a come-from-behind win against South Korea, 4933-4922.

As if it was not enough, Barrientos bagged the masters’ gold by beating Blake Walsh of Australia, 443-349.

The team went on and finished overall champion in the boys’ side.

Barrientos, 19, and a hospitality management student at FEU Roosevelt, became the first Filipino to accomplish the feat since Biboy Rivera in the 1986 edition of the meet in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The accomplishment of the four team, meanwhile, is the first for the country in the continental youth meet since 1981.

“Ang bowling naman hanggang ngayon is still evolving talaga. And I believe right training and proper support will be good enough, we could bring back the glory days of bowling in our country,” said Barrientos.

Diwa and Custodio were with Barrientos in the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and expressed the same sentiment of competing and winning for the country in international tournaments.

“I want to continue representing our country very well, hope to win more medals, and continue working on my game,” said Custodio, 19, who is taking up accountancy at La Salle.

Added the 18-year-old Diwa, “We’ll continue to practice hard. Next international tournament, hopefully we can go and win some more medals.”

The victorious Filipinos brought with them medals and trophy they won during the session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).