KUWAIT CITY, July 4: Considered the dark horses in the just concluded finals of the 2011 Indian Bowling League (IBL) Tenpin Bowling Tournament held at the 300 Club Bowling Center in Bneid Al Ghar, the Striking Force pin busters defied the odds by clinching the IBL Season 1 Division A title over the favored West End Watches Company time masters and the Just Smile strikers who settled for the first and second runner up honors respectively. The closing week also saw the winners of the team and individual events finally getting hold of their medals and trophies in the awarding ceremony that followed.

Going back to the championship round the top four teams after the double round robin qualifying round headed by top qualifier West End Watches Company, Just Smile, Striking Force and Marol Ball Burners contested the title in the 6-game series round robin finals.

By virtue of their top finish in the qualifying, the time keepers were installed by the odds makers as early favorites with Just Smile looming as the most probable contender considering the lane familiarity of its bowlers. Despite its edge in team composition, Striking Force remained as the dark horse of the competition with the only other team Marol Ball Burners considered as a long shot.


Through the superb form of Janice Manocha and Shirley Castelino who rolled a 202 and 181 respectively in the opening game, West End Watches Company storm in front of the field carrying 974 pin falls in game one of the 6-game series event. Surprisingly, Striking Force (924) and Marol Ball Burners ( 900) were able to stay close behind the early leader with Just Smile who was expected to be one of the front runner dead last after posting a meager 861 score. In game two, the Just Smile (1786) keglers bannered by Yousef Al Huraibi and Aisha Cabanero finally got their acts together and submitted the top score of 925 pin falls which lifted them to third just three marks off the pace setting West End Watches who collected a 2-game tally of 1809 after crashing with an 835 score.

Still in second and just 20 pins away was Striking Force (1789) while slipping down to fourth was Marol Ball Burners with 1766. Approaching the halfway mark, Striking Force led by Edwin de Mesa, Khalil Al Salim and Jun Domingo struck their targets with pin point accuracy on their way to a remarkable 992 output in game three. The effort paved the way for Striking Force who carded a 3-game series score of 2781 to take over the driver’s seat followed by Just Smile-2689, West End Watches-2683 and Marol Ball Burners-2678 in that order.


Comfortably ahead by 92 pin falls going to the next three games, the fired up Striking Force (3756) crew once again blew the opposition off the ground by carding a 975 score in game four. Meanwhile, the time masters of West End Watches (3642) regained second spot after submitting a 959 followed closely by Just Smile and Marol Ball Burners with 3616 and 3589.

In the penultimate game, Striking Force (4670) easily retained their 11-mark lead by carding a 914 as West End Watches (4560) barely gained a mark after garnering 918 pin falls. With relative ease, Striking Force bannered by Edwin de Mesa, Sarel Pascual, Khalil Al Salim, Greggy de Leon, Cris Bulacja and Jun Domingo, clinched the Division A title after closing out with a 940 and a 6-game total score of 5610 pin falls. Grabbing the first runner up post was West End Watches Company (5477) composed of Uly Menezes, Nelson D’ Souza, Rudolph Castelino, Jason D’ Souza, Shirley Castelino, Fatima Sequiera and Janice Manocha with Just Smile (5397) and Marol Ball Burners (5247) taking home the second and third runner up honors.


In a come from behind victory in Division B, the Bowligans rolled game scores of 809, 827, 875, 832, 823 and 969 to beat Peppers & Rogers Group who submitted game scores of 837, 908, 847, 861, 767 and 872 via a final tally of 5135-5092. The Under 18 Masters title on the hand was lifted by Anastasius Menezes of the Bowligans who nipped Joel Fernandes of West End Watches Company 692-691.

The other winners of the league who received their prizes and trophies in the awarding ceremonies held the same day were follows:

Ladies Masters Event
Shirley Castelino – Champion
Sarel Pascual –1st Runner up
Ramona Soares – 2nd Runner up
Men Class B Masters Event
Mudassir Tungekar – Champion
Julian D’ Silva – 1st Runner up
Ansley Jeremiah – 2nd Runner up
Men Class A Masters Event
Edwin de Mesa – Champion
Yousef Al Huraibi – 1st Runner up
Hamoud Al Rashed – 2nd Runner up
Mixed Doubles Event
Yousef Huraibi/Aisha Cabnero – Champion
Marvin D’ Souza/Ramona Soares – 1st Runner up
Mohammad Al Rashed/Sarel Pascual – 2nd Runner up.