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Bowling beyond borders: Filipino bowlers unite in Rome for WOFBT 2026
ROME, Italy – The Filipino Bowlers Association in Italy (FBAI) was crowned the overall champion at the recently concluded 11th World Overseas Filipino Bowling Tour (WOFBT) 2026, successfully defending home lanes as Rome welcomed nearly 150 Filipino bowlers from eight countries for one of the biggest overseas Filipino bowling tournaments in the world.
The World Overseas Filipino Bowling Tour 2026 is a week-long international tournament that brings together outstanding Filipino bowlers from around the globe. The competitors represented various Filipino bowling organizations from Europe, the Middle East, and North America, including clubs from Italy, London, Belgium, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Tuscany, Milan, and New York. A total of 19 men's teams and 15 women's teams participated this year.
The tournament was successfully hosted at the Brunswick Bowling Center in Rome, where participants competed in several categories, including singles, doubles, trio, team, masters, and seniors events.
"We just love to play, make friends, and be with our fellow Filipinos here in Rome," said Aimee Matias of the Philippine Bowling League (PBL) New York, who won the ladies' masters event.
She added, "This competition is even more meaningful because my husband and I are playing in honor of our daughter, who passed away last year."
Meanwhile, 29-year-old men's masters titlist Allen Ragasa of FBAI Rome shared that winning the championship was no easy feat.
"There are so many talented bowlers from different countries. I prepared really hard for this tournament," he said.
Paul Passion of the Mabuhay Strikes Ten-Pin Bowling Club (MSTBC) London, the men's masters first runner-up, also expressed his appreciation for the event. Returning to Rome for his second tournament, he said that beyond the competition, what he values most is the opportunity to build lasting friendships.
"I love bowling, but I also love being with the people here. That's the reason why I keep coming back to Rome," he said.
At the conclusion of the tournament, the coveted Perpetual Trophy—the highest honor of the annual competition—was awarded to FBAI and will remain in Rome until the next World Overseas Filipino Bowling Tour in 2027.
From Dubai to Rome
The World Overseas Filipino Bowling Tour was established in Dubai in 2014.
In 2015, during the tournament in Abu Dhabi, Europe was represented for the first time by three Filipino bowlers from Rome. Their participation eventually led to Rome hosting the tournament for the first time in 2016.
A decade later, Rome once again had the honor of hosting the prestigious tournament for its 11th edition.
FBAI President Randy Fermo said that during the early years of the WOFBT, participation was limited exclusively to Filipinos holding Philippine citizenship, preventing many overseas Filipinos who had already acquired foreign citizenship from joining the tournament.
The rules were later amended to allow Filipinos by blood to compete regardless of their citizenship, significantly expanding participation from countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and many others.
When London hosted the tournament in the succeeding year, participation grew even further, establishing the WOFBT as one of the most anticipated annual gatherings of Filipino bowlers worldwide.
Fermo described this year's edition as a tremendous success.
"Very thankful that everything went smooth, kahit pa may kaba sa simula. Kahit gustong manalo ng lahat, naging masaya ang buong kumpetisyon—parehong ang mga nanalo at ang mga hindi," Fermo said.
(We're very thankful that everything went smooth, even if there were jitters at the start. Even though everybody wanted to win, the competition was fun for both the losers and the winners.)
While every team hoped to bring home the Perpetual Trophy, he emphasized that the friendships, camaraderie, and unity developed throughout the week-long tournament were even more meaningful than the championship itself.
He also thanked all FBAI officers and members for their unwavering dedication—from organizing fundraising activities to successfully staging the entire event.
Fermo encouraged younger Filipinos to take up bowling as well.
"Actually, the young players are the power players. We're already old school," he joked.
Tough challenge for defending champs
Jhoana Lanzo, president of the Mabuhay Bowling Club London, said their organization has been active for more than 30 years and sent 14 bowlers to compete in Rome.
"This year is a tough one. There are really many good players across the globe. We put up a good fight."
From Qatar, Melissa Mangcao said their delegation represented three organizations. However, due to the situation in the region, only three women and two men from their delegation were able to travel to Rome.
Mangcao added that one of their biggest challenges was the lack of access to the correct oil pattern, which prevented them from practicing under conditions similar to those used in the tournament.
Qatar entered this year's competition as the 2025 Overall Champion, bringing the Perpetual Trophy to Rome as the defending champion before relinquishing it to FBAI.
More than just a tournament
The 11th World Overseas Filipino Bowling Tour showcased far more than exceptional bowling talent. It once again demonstrated the strong sense of friendship, unity, and camaraderie among Filipino bowlers from across the globe.
More than an international sporting event, the tournament continues to provide overseas Filipinos with an opportunity to reconnect, build lifelong friendships, celebrate their shared heritage, and proudly represent Filipino excellence in the sport of bowling—wherever they may be in the world.
In addition to the Filipino Bowlers Association in Italy being crowned overall champion, outstanding individual bowlers and teams were also recognized in the tournament's singles, doubles, trio, team, all-events, and masters competitions, highlighting the exceptional skill, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit of Filipino bowlers from around the world. — VDV, GMA News
