The OFBC (Overseas Filipino Bowlers Club) staged the first in a series of monthly tournaments leading up to the Bowler of the Year Championship 2014 last Friday at the Ice Land Bowling Center here.

Drawing first blood as the Bowlers of the Month for January were Jameel Gabrera and Christine Stone in the men’s and ladies division respectively. The winners for the first Bowler of the Year tournament of the new season both took different routes to the title although they both narrowly qualified for the two games finals. Gabrera qualified 9th out of the 10 finalists and Christine sixth and last.

Gabrera, a Class B bowler with 12 handicap per game emerged an easy winner beating OFBC Commissioner and Class A player Joel Nidoy in the finals 422 to 401 pinfalls.

Class B Toto Lim took the second runner-up position on 380 with Rudy Ramos completing the podium winners at third runner-up on 366.

Stone had a plus 20 advantage in handicap over the youthful Patayan but still had to battle hard winning by just one pin at 362-361.

The second runner-up was Shirlet Sagmit on 360 with Carms Lim third runner-up on 338.

All winners received cash prizes courtesy of OFBC.

Finalists after four qualifying games (Classification in brackets):

Men’s Division — 1. Louie Pacia (Class D) 767 2. Jun Ejanda (Class D) 747 3. Rudy Ramos (Class D) 737 4. Gino Vallejos (Class C) 737 5. Rico Parcon (Class D) 731 6. Toto Lim (Class B) 706 7. Robert De Guzman (Class B) 704 8. Nap Patayan (Class A) 631 9. Jameel Gabrera (Class B) 627 10. Joel Nidoy (Class A) 624

Ladies Division — 1. Farida De Guzman (LD) 747 2. Carms Lim (LC) 741 3. Sharmaine Patayan (LB) 722 4. Shirley Sagmit (LD) 704 5. Fedelyn Bustinra (LB) 688 6. Christine Stone 656