Dubai-based international bowler Paolo Joquico emerged champion in the 3rd Dubai Filipino Bowling Club (DFBC) Masters Championship, the sporting association’s most prestigious and most challenging tilt held recently at the Dubai International Bowling Center in Mamzar.

Set in a thrilling match play format, the Masters event gathered 48 of DFBC’s top keglers (32 men, 16 women) who engaged in a battle royale, the playing field halved with each round of two games, until only one man and one woman are left standing.

Claiming top seed advantage for winning the DFBC Elite Bowlers Showdown in June, southpaw Joquico immediately advanced to the round of 16 where he eliminated Xanthie Fronda with a comfortable 41-pin lead, 440-399. In the round of 8 quarterfinals, Professional Bowlers Association (PBA USA) player Joquico fought a close match with Dindo Fernando as the competitors failed to string strikes during the first game, 193-191. Rallying with proper adjustments on the lanes, Joquico took the second game by shooting 245 to Fernando’s 202 for a two-game series total of 438.

The semifinals proved the most interesting round in the entire Masters event, with shoo-in bowlers losing in the final throw in a nail-biting finish. Secure with a 41-pin cushion from the first half of the semifinal against JB Vargas, Joquico faced difficulty in the second game and finished with a 167. Vargas, with the door to the final round wide open, needed only a spare to advance but failed as he left an impossible 4-6-7-10 split in the final frame. Joquico narrowly escaped with a win against the teen bowling sensation, 382-374.

The final match was fought between the PBA kegler and Mario Magdaluyo, who demolished more accomplished bowlers including multiple title holder Ricky Reyes, on his way to the ultimate round.

Another close bout, either bowler had near equal chance to clinch the coveted title as Joquico opened with a 16-pin lead, 206-190. The final game saw splits left, spares missed and shots fouled as the tough grind of the last 11 games had caught up with the two bowlers. Joquico recovered from the 8th frame and strung four consecutive strikes plus a 9 count in the fill shot, giving Magdaluyo a narrow chance to tie his opponent’s 400-pin total if he rolls three strikes in the final frame. Under heavy pressure Magdaluyo failed to show up and finished with 175, handing the Masters crown to Joquico after an exciting final round.