Dubai: Hosts Emirates tightened their grip on the race for overall honours with a successful outing on the second day of the Seventh World Airline Bowling Championships at the Dubai Bowling Centre on Thursday.
DHL had won the men’s team category on the opening day to push their way to the top. But on the second day it was all about the hosts as Tariq Nader and Mohammad Al Jahazi teamed up for the men’s doubles title, while Rashmi Moroskar and Sheila Estabaya paired up for second place in the ladies’ doubles behind Grace Gabriel and Karen Araza of Etihad Airways.
Emirates teams have been consistent in this competition over the years, but they surrendered their overall crown to Etihad Airways in 2012.
The husband-and-wife American Airlines pairing of Jaison and Sharon Ryan took the mixed doubles title with a pin-fall of 2,376 in the third competition played on the second day of the three-day championships.
But Emirates’ Al Jahazi and Nader won the men’s doubles with a total of 2,585 to finish 16 pins clear of the DHL duo of Arnold Garcia and Butch Vargas, while Aer Lingus’ Kevin Wattimena and Patrick Dunne followed in third on 2,557.
The ladies’ doubles was a cakewalk for Grace Gabriel and Karen Araza as they totalled 2,277, leaving Moroskar and Estabaya in second on 1,927, while Bella Ludwig and Myra McGill Cobb (Lufthansa/Continental Airlines) followed in third with 1,872.
In the mixed competition, the pairs ran close at the start. But, with the Ryans staying consistent, it was left up to Raila Kekkonen and Veiko Karhu of Finnair to challenge the leaders.
But Jaison and Sharon finished with a total of 2,376 for the gold, while Kekkonen and Karhu came in second with 2,253 and Jan Barnard and Pat Nally representing British Airways and United Airlines came in third with 2,148.
More than 120 bowlers from 18 international airlines were competing in the three-day event that was scheduled to conclude with the masters competition late on Friday.
