18th November, 2004: Four-time World Cup champion Paeng Nepomuceno has been rated World’s No.1 by the prestigious Bowler’s Journal International in its cover story entitled "World’s Greatest Bowlers" in its recent September 2004 issue.

The article entitled "Global Greats" was written by former editor and publisher Mort Luby, Jr., who also named a world "dream team" led by Paeng Nepomuceno and four other world champion bowlers.

In describing Paeng, Luby said, "The best male bowler of all-time? You’ve been on an extended vacation to another planet if you don’t know the answer to that one. Paeng Nepomuceno has won the Bowling World Cup a record four times, beginning with his amazing debut as a teenager at the 1976 edition at Tehran. He won the WBC again in 1980 in Jakarta, 1992 in Le Mans and 1996 in Belfast. He won the top seed in all four triumphs.

That’s just for starters. Overall, the 6-foot-2 left hander has captured more than 100 titles, many of the major variety. Small wonder that the FIQ named him "Bowler of the Millenium" and that the Philippine Sportswriters said he was the Filipino Athlete of the Century.

Shortly after he won the 1999 World Tenpin Masters in London, Paeng’s active career appeared to end. Bothered by an increasingly sore wrist, he underwent a complicated surgery that left him with much less flexibility in the wrist. After a two-year layoff, he began practicing with an 8-pound ball. Now he’s back winning tournaments again: nothing big, just a silver and gold medal here and there. At 47, he’s certainly one of the most durable campaigners we’ve ever seen.

The Guinness Book of World Records has listed Paeng with two outstanding records. The first, as the one with the most World Cup Championships and the second, as the youngest to win a world title.

In the Philippines, Paeng was the first to be awarded both the prestigious Legion of Honor medal and the Presidential Medal of Merit. As an international Hall of Fame awardee, Paeng’s life-size photo is displayed in the entrance of the Bowling Museum in St. Louis, Missouri, U.S.A.

The other four bowlers that compose the world dream team are; Amleto Monacelli considered as the best global male pro who has won 18 PBA titles starting with a 1987 tournament in Tokyo. The Venezuelan has won nearly $2 Million in a career that led him to be named in the PBA Hall of Fame, Finnish Mika Koivuniemi on the other hand won the 1991 FIQ World Masters championship, the 1995 European Individual Cup and plenty more and was named in the World Bowling Writers Hall of Fame. Since turning pro in 1999, he has won the 2000 ABC Masters and the 2001 U.S. Open that led him to become the PBA Player of the Year season, 2003-04.

Sweden’s Mats Karlsson was named Sweden’s Bowler of the Year eight times thanks to his victories in the European Ballmaster Tournament (twice). He hooked up with the PBA and won three titles.

Tomas Leandersson also from Sweden has won the 2000 World Cup in Portugal and has also won the World Games, the Bowlmaster, the British Open, the Irish Open, and various European and Scandinavian titles.

Norway’s Tore Torgensen makes up the last of the 6-man dream team. He won the 1994 World Cup in Hermosillo, won the Masters gold in the 1997 European Championships and was a gold medalist in both 1995 and 1999 World championships. Tore won the 2002 World Tenpin Masters to become the first 2-time winner.

Media released by Dr. Danny Santos, FIQ Secretary General.