Paeng owns the following distinctions: "Greatest
Filipino Athlete of All Time", "Athlete of the Century",
and "International Bowling Athlete of the Millennium." He
has won the World Cup in bowling four times in three decades. He could
even win his fifth in fourth decade.
He won his first World Cup in Tehran, Iran on November 19, 1976 when
he was only 19 years old; his second World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia
on November 1, 1980; his third World Cup in Le Mans, France on November
8, 1992; and his fourth World Cup in Belfast, Northern Ireland on November
23, 1996.
Paeng also won two equally prestigious international titles, namely:
the International Tournament championship in Las Vegas, Nevada on August
8, 1984 and the World Tenpin Masters championship in London, England
on March 7, 1999. On October 4, 2002, Paeng won a gold medal together
with RJ Bautista in bowling's double event for men at the Asian Games
held in Pusan, South Korea. All in all, Paeng has won over 100 tournament
titles.
He is the only bowler who had received the prestigious International
Olympic Committee (IOC) President's Trophy and was the first enshrined
in the International Bowling Hall of Fame in St. Louis, Missouri in
1993. In November 1999, the Federation Internationale des Quilleurs
(FIQ) named Paeng as the "International Bowling Athlete of the
Millennium."
In a ceremony held in Dubai, United Arab Ermirates, an FIQ official
cited Paeng with these words: "No international bowling athlete
is more deserving of recognition than Paeng. In addition to his long
list of well-known achievements as a world champion in three decades,
Paeng truly has been and continues to be an extraordinary ambassador
for our sport. I congratulate Paeng for receiving the highest award
possible from the IOC. Being the first time an IOC recognition has been
given to a bowling athlete, I can only say: On behalf of 100 million
bowlers in the world, I salute Paeng Nepomuceno as the international
bowling athlete of the millennium."
Paeng, who is still an active player, was born in Manila on January
30, 1957. Truly, Paeng is a world champion and we are proud to say that
Paeng is a Filipino!
