MANILA, 17 October 2003 — Another Filipino world champion in bowling and the newest toast of Philippine sports.
Christian Jan “CJ” Suarez became the second Filipino World Cup men’s champion after the legendary Paeng Nepomuceno when he reigned supreme in the Bowling World Cup held recently in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The 24-year-old Suarez, who like four-time champion Nepomuceno is a lefty, arrived home last week to a hero’s welcome.
Wearing a Philippine flag-adorned polo shirt, he proudly raised his trophy and a silver-colored replica of a bowling pin amid the cheering crowd who greeted him at NAIA.
“I’m very happy and I share this victory to my countrymen,” said Suarez upon arrival at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Para?aque City where he rode on a motorcade to the Bowling Inn on Taft Avenue in Manila.
Suarez was accompanied by his father-coach, Teody and was welcomed at the airport by Gilbert Gavino, president of Coronado Lanes and Jose Puyat III, vice president of Coronado Lanes.
With his feat, Suarez is now considered heir apparent to Nepomuceno’s throne. He promised to bring more honors to the country. Suarez became the first Filipino to rule the event since Nepomuceno claimed his historic fourth straight title in 1996.
Nepomuceno first achieved the feat in 1978 in Tehran, then did the tricks again in 1980 in Jakarta, 1992 in Le Mans, France and 1996 in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
Bong Coo also won the ladies crown in 1979 in Bangkok, while Lita del Rosario triumphed in 1978 in Bogota, Colombia.
“I hope that my victory would inspire the youth to pursue sports and continue studying at the same time,” said Suarez, who was accompanied by his father Teody in the Honduras tournament.
He defeated Marcel van Bosch of The Netherlands in the finals at the Planeta Sipongo Bowling Center.
Suarez, who missed the cut for the quarterfinals last year by just two pins, is also a triple gold medalist in the 2001 South East Asian Games, showed too much class and dexterity in beating his rival in the race-to-two finale, 205-202 and 232-209.
His victory came after a smashing come-form-behind 2-1 win (180-264, 265-214, 182-178) over Finland’s titlist, Mika Luoto during the semifinals match.
Another Filipino, Jojo Ca?are, finished fourth in the women’s bracket, in the process securing for the Philippines the Best Country Performance award in the competition among 75 nations.
“I can’t believe this is happening! I am so proud to be the first bowler from our country to win this title since 1996. I am hopeful that this victory will cause our national sports commission to give bowling even more attention and more support now,” said Suarez.
Suarez is an accomplished business solutions provider, having graduated from the University of Asia and the Pacific in Mandaluyong City. He finished elementary and high school at the Ateneo de Manila University.
“Our sacrifices and hard work have paid off and we thank the Lord for it. We’re very happy for CJ and Jojo and with their impressive performances we hope bowling will get the support it richly deserved from the private and government sectors,” said Mrs. Rose Suarez, mother of CJ.
Suarez’s World Cup conquest came on the heels of the Philippines’ success in last month’s World Championships in which Liza Clutario, Liza del Rosario and Cecilia Yap snared the trios gold with Clutario grabbing a silver and a bronze in the individual events.
Top sports officials hailed Suarez’s triumph with Philippine Sports Commission chairman Eric Buhain calling it “a silver lining,” amidst all the bad news.
“We’re very happy and very proud of CJ,” said Buhain who added that the victory has affirmed the bowling world’s respect for Filipino talent in the sport.
Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) President Celso Dayrit said Suarez’s achievement is something “which every Filipino should be proud of.”
Hontiveros himself just got back from Rhode Island, home base of the FIQ (International Bowling Federation) which recently elected him president.
Jose G. Puyat, chairman of the Puyat Sports group, also hailed the performances of Suarez and Ca?are that extended the long tradition of Filipino triumphs in the world’s most prestigious individual bowling tournament.
“CJ’s victory in the men’s division and Jojo’s placing fourth in the women’s division extend the long tradition of Filipino triumphs in the most prestigious of individual bowling tournaments,” said Puyat. “The Puyat Sports Group, organizer since 1967 of the annual local participation of the AMF Bowling World Cup, congratulates CJ and Jojo.”
Puyat Sports, organizer since 1967 of the annual Philippine participation in the AMF Bowling World Cup, reiterated its pledge to support bowlers and billiards players whose skill, spirit and sportsmanship win accolades for the country.
Suarez said there were signs pointing to his victory. “As I was watching television,’’ Suarez recalled, “I suddenly saw the (MTV of) “Top of the World. And when I entered the bowling center, I heard “We are the Champions’’ and I even told Jojo (Canare) that these could be signs. And even before we left for Honduras, I was told by my dad that we would be going home immediately. Now I know why I heard those tunes and why my dad was hurrying to go back home.’
Although the food, billeting and local conditions did not have a lasting impression on Suarez, the new Philippine sporting hero was quick to remember the hospitality bestowed on him by the Hondurans.
“They were warm. They rooted for us because their bet in the World Cup who had been eliminated also carried the surname Suarez,” he said.
A veteran of some 40 international events, Suarez believes winning the World Cup is just the start of bigger things.
