G.I. Joe's team, mentored by Ed Robillos, found its touch to finish on top while the deadly duo of Jun Bantug and Noli Ritual displayed their form in the penultimate game to capture the team and doubles event titles, respectively in the just-concluded FBGR Philippine Independence Friendship Games 2008 held at the InterCon Riyadh Hotel Bowling Center here. G.I. Joe's battled other aspirantsof the team event titles by posting a team series of 3,007 points in four games. Father and son, Rico and Richard Feria, lifted G.I. Joe's team by posting separate series of 795 and 794, while Ed Robillos and Benjie Galicia provided splendid support to G.I Joe's team by carding 720 and 698 points, respectively. Fathi Bowlers consisting of top female players in the region caught the eye of the spectators by settling for the second spot by posting 2,929 points. Captain Ellen Bernabe fired 783 points to top-score for Fathi Bowlers sponsored by Fathi Abood Abdulaziz while Cely Mendoza and Rina Labo together with Beth Danganan contributed separate series of 753, 712 and 682. Conor Express Int'l Cargo secured the third spot by submitting 2,870 points through the combined efforts of Danny Gonzales, Joe Lambo, Sidney Kawi and Jojo Paciano. Paciano led with 748 points and he was followed by Gonzales (732), Lambo (708) and Kawi (682). Other teams standings are as follows: No. 4 – Fuji Elevators; 5 – Unica; 6 – Ericsson; 7 – Power Play; 8 – Stesa-Thales; 9 – D'Durables; 10 – Al Thaneyan Insurance. In the doubles event, meanwhile, the deadly duo of Jun Bantug and Noli Ritual bagged the title by posting a combined series of 1,499 in four games. Ritual toppled 757 points while Bantug had 742 points. The pair of Bert Lopez and Atoi Ramos rolled a combined series of 1,483 points to place second. Lopez scored 764 points while Ramos poured in 719 points. Placing third was the duo of Ellen Bernabe and Cely Mendoza who registered a combined series of 1,482 points. Ellen rocked the lanes to post 767 points while Mendoza hit 715 points. Standing of other pairs is as follows: 4th place – Chito Llagas – Leo Mabunga; 5th – Willie Ortega – Joe Ligon; 6th – Fahad Al-Haza – Fe Ricalde; 7th – Rico and Richard Feria; 8th – Willy Jadulos – Robert Nallas; 9th – Danny Gonzales – Joel Lambo; 10th – Ric Tugonon – Arnold Marchan. The major sponsors of the tournament were Al-Jawal Saudi Telecom and Stesa-Thales. The other sponsors were Aghadir Trading Est, Sky Freight Forwarders and Social Security System (SSS), McDonald's, Conor Express Int'l Cargo, Bulacan Sports Master Tailoring, Boom-Boom Energy Drink, ABS-CBN The Filipino Channel (TFC) and the InterContinental Riyadh Hotel. Among those who graced the opening and the awarding ceremonies were Resty dela Fuente, Labor Attaché, Philippine Embassy; Fahad Al-Subaie, Manager Marketing Communication & PR, Al-Jawal Saudi Telecom; Remy Mineur, CEO of Stesa-Thales; Ms. Pat Nave, Chairperson, UFTBR; Mr. and Mrs. Chris and Marilyn Lavinia, ABS-CBN TFC correspondents, Riyadh; and Mr. Javeed of Boom-Boom Energy Drink. __
