Paeng
Nepomuceno of the Philippines is a
six-time world champion and is acknowledged worldwide as the greatest
international bowler in the history of the sport. In recognition of his
achievements, Juan Antonio Samaranch personally awarded Paeng with the
prestigious IOC Presidents' Trophy which is the first for the sport of bowling.
The International Bowling Hall of Fame displayed a glass encased 7-foot photo of Paeng at its bowling museum entrance based in St. Louis Missouri, U.S.A. The
Guinness Book of World Records commencing with its 1994 edition, listed Paeng as
having won the most number of World Cups which were achieved in each of three
different decades. The World FIQ, the governing body of the sport, named Paeng
as the “International Bowler of the Millennium” in behalf of 100 million
bowlers.
The Guinness Book of World Records in its 2003 edition listed a second world record. The Guinness recognized that Paeng was the youngest ever to win a world title at the age of 19. The 2003 edition also updated the number of World Cup titles won by Paeng as it included in its records the fourth World Cup victory of Paeng in Belfast, Northern Ireland, in 1996.
In the Philippines, Paeng became the first athlete to be bestowed both the Legion of Honor medal which is the highest award for a Filipino; and the Presidential Medal of Merit. The Philippine Sportswriters Association named him as "Athlete of the Year" for an unprecedented 5 times; made him the first athlete to be enshrined in their PSA Hall of Fame and subsequently named him as "Athlete of the Century”. Both houses of Congress named Paeng as the "Greatest Filipino Athlete of All-Time".
Exactly 20 years after winning his first World Cup in 1976, Paeng outclassed
the field of 70 countries with a lead of 408 pins and subsequently went on to
beat Drew Hylen of the U.S.A. 243-172 in the one-sided match which was held in
war-torn Belfast, Northern Ireland on November 23, 1996, to re-write the records
in the Guinness Book with his fourth World Cup title.
In his first attempt, Paeng won his first World Cup in Tehran, Iran, on November 19, 1976, by beating Venezuela's Carlos Lovera to become the youngest at the age of 19 to win the World Cup. He still remains the youngest male bowler ever to win the Cup. This completed a "grand slam" of sorts inasmuch as he also won both the national and Asian FIQ championships earlier in the year.
He won his second World Cup in Jakarta, Indonesia, on November 1, 1980, to
become the first ever bowler in the world to win it for a second time. Paeng
posted the highest ever Grand Finals score when he beat Alfonso Rodriguez of
Mexico who eventually won in 1985 the Bowling World Cup held in Seoul, Korea.
Paeng's historic third decade win which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of World Records, came in world-famous Le Mans, France, on November 8, 1992. After an overwhelming lead of 551 pins, Paeng went to beat European champion Achim Grabowski of Germany in the finals held in Le Forum which introduced arena bowling for the first time.
The Bowling World Cup is the largest annual sporting event by number of participating countries. It is considered the most prestigious and difficult individual championship. Not being an Olympic sport, it is the highest form of individual contest for a bowler. It is therefore remarkable that Paeng has never lost a finals as top seed as he won all his four world cup titles from top seed position.
Paeng won on August 8, 1984, the International
Tournament in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S.A., which was a global competition held as
a side event of the ongoing 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. He beat 1984 Bowling
World Cup champion Jack Jurek of the U.S.A. (227-181) in the finals to claim the
gold medal for the Philippines. In recognition of winning this global event,
Paeng was named PSA Athlete of the Year and the World Bowling Writers World
Bowler of the Year.
Paeng won the last tournament he joined before undergoing a complicated wrist surgery in the U.S. This was the World Tenpin Masters held in London, England, on March 4-7, 1999, where Paeng attained his sixth world title against the strongest field ever assembled with six world champions. After his return from London, Paeng was conferred by Philippine President Joseph E. Estrada the Legion of Honor medal, the highest award for a Filipino and the first ever for any athlete. He was also the first athlete to be awarded the Presidential Medal of Merit which was conferred by President Ferdinand E. Marcos in 1984.
Paeng is a legend in his own country and considered as a national sports hero. He became the first Filipino to win in a competition not using weight divisions or age groupings.
He was the first athlete to be enshrined in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Hall of Fame after naming him five times as Athlete of the Year. He was subsequently named as Filipino Athlete of the Century in 1999 which confirmed President Marcos' naming him earlier in 1984 as the "Greatest Filipino Athlete of the Century".
Both houses of Congress named him as the "Greatest Filipino Athlete of All-Time".
He has been featured in the covers of international magazines worldwide including the internationally prestigious Bowlers Journal International magazine where he has been in the cover for an unprecedented fifth time
HONORS: In recognition of his exemplary achievements, Paeng was given the signal honor and distinction of becoming the first ever and only male bowler to be enshrined in the International Hall of Fame based in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A. The other few deserving inductees were subsequently enshrined in the succeeding years.
The Guinness Book of World Records listed Paeng as having achieved two world records. He is recognized for having won the most number of World Cup titles which were won in 1976, 1980, 1992 and 1996. The other records lists Paeng as being the youngest at 19 to win a world cup title.
The World FIQ, the governing body of the sport named Paeng as the “International Bowler of the Millennium” on behalf of 100 million bowlers.
Paeng was conferred the Philippine Legion of Honor medal, the highest award for a Filipino and the first ever for any athlete, by Philippine President Joseph Estrada. He was also the first Filipino athlete to have been decorated with the Presidential Medal of Merit, by President Ferdinand E. Marcos.
He was unanimously named by the Philippine Senate as the "Greatest Filipino
Athlete".
He was named a TOYM awardee in 1978 at the age of 21, the youngest ever up to
the present.
He was named Philippine Athlete of the Year five times by the Philippine
Sportswriters Association.
The Inquirer Magazine named him “Filipino of the Year” for 1992.
He has been featured in the covers of international magazines worldwide including the internationally prestigious Bowlers Journal International magazine where he has been in the cover for an unprecedented fourth time.
FAMILY:
He is married to SAIRA R. PUYAT, better known as Pinky, Managing Director of
the AMF-Puyat chain of bowling centers. They have three children: Rafael Jose,
Jr. born May 10, 1986; Saira Margarita Paz, born on November 22, 1990; and
Isabel Angela, born on March 15, 1996.
His father ANGEL NEPOMUCENO, is his coach and mentor and has been named as
Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Coach of the Year for 1992 and was
again awarded a PSA citation in 1996. He is a founder of Celebrity Sports Plaza
and Green Valley Country Club. His mother TERESITA "BABY" VILLA-REAL, is a
former Miss Philippines (1951-52) and a World Bowling Writers "Golden Quill"
awardee.
His paternal grandfather is the late DON JOSE NEPOMUCENO, the pioneer of the
Philippine movie industry and acknowledged as the "Father of Filipino Movies".
His maternal grandfather is the late DON MANOLO V. VILLA-REAL known as the
Filipino "Dean of Newspaper Editors".
He is the second among seven children. His elder brother and younger sisters are: Angel, Jr., Marissa, Susie, Ditas, Mary Ann and Len-Len.
Copyright 1996
Raul Vergel de Dios/Rommel
Lamayo 