Two American duos win doubles gold medals at 2025 IBF Para Bowling World Championships
January 23, 2025
Team USA bowlers pose after winning gold medals in both TPB8 Men's Doubles and TPB8 Women's Doubles action at the 2025 IBF Para Bowling World Championships in Hong Kong on Thursday. From left to right: Gina Jenkins of Bedford, Texas; George Holscher of Chesapeake, Virginia; David Nelson, Jr. of Gretna, Nebraska; and Debra Freed of Framingham, Massachusetts.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA bowlers enjoyed plenty of success at the 2025 International Bowling Federation Para Bowling World Championships in Hong Kong on Thursday as two American doubles pairs ended the day’s action at Top Bowl (Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China) with gold medals around their necks.
Debra Freed of Framingham, Massachusetts, and Gina Jenkins of Bedford, Texas, used combined scores of 207, 274, 217, 226, 252 and 274 to post a six-game total of 1,450 and reach the top of the podium in the TPB8 Women’s Doubles competition.
That put the American duo comfortably ahead of Thailand’s Porntip Siriwet and Bualai Kuntong, who teamed up to post a silver-medal winning mark of 1,371.
Not to be outdone by their teammates, George Holscher of Chesapeake, Virginia, and David Nelson, Jr. of Gretna, Nebraska, secured another pair of gold medals for Team USA during TPB8 Men’s Doubles.
Holscher and Nelson reached the top of the standings thanks to a six-game total of 2,214, which included combined scores of 369, 396, 419, 405, 309 and 316.
That put the American pair nearly 200 pins ahead of Thailand’s Pongsakorn Chumchai and Suphan Sinthusuwan, who earned the silver medal with a score of 2,040.
Jaime Manginga and Augusto Hernandez of the Philippines took the bronze medal with a score of 1,959.
Thursday’s performance made it two medals in two days for both Holscher and Nelson as Holscher collected silver and Nelson picked up bronze during TPB8 Men’s Singles action on Wednesday.
But for as rewarding as the singles medals were, both American men seemed to take more pride in having worked together to earn Thursday’s doubles gold.
“It was an incredible honor to compete with a great friend and great bowler today,” Nelson said. “It means that we represented the USA in the most positive way possible. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this doubles squad and of Team USA.
“Now, I’m just really looking forward to showing the rest of the bowling world what wheelchair bowlers are capable of and brining home that gold medal.”
Holscher’s feelings were similar.
“Winning the gold in doubles is a great achievement that I put right up there with all of my national awards,” Holscher said. “Being able to accomplish this with David Nelson is an honor, and he just made the gold medal that much more attainable.
“Having improved my numbers from singles to doubles is a trend I hope to carry into the team event to help our team get back to the podium.”
For Freed, while Thursday’s doubles gold medal was definitely special, her sense of pride and accomplishment stemmed from something much bigger than just that day’s victory.
“I am grateful to USBC for giving me and my teammates the opportunity to be a part of Para Team USA bowling and represent America at the IBF Para Bowling World Championships; it’s truly humbling and exciting,” Freed said.
She was also grateful for doubles partner and all that she did to help the squad reach the top of the podium on Thursday.
“Ms. Gina Jenkins may be new to bowling, but her unwavering spirit and positivity carried both of us to today’s doubles gold,” Freed said.
Jenkins was quick to repay the compliment to Freed as well as to all her teammates and coaches.
“Our match epitomized the definition of the word ‘team,’” Jenkins said. “On the lanes, when one of us was struggling, the other player rose and provided strength. Off the lanes, our coaches, teammates and fans had a huge impact due to their presence and support.
“As the ‘rookie,’ I am humbled and honored to be a part of the legacy that this team is creating, and I’m looking forward to showing the world what Para Team USA bowling is capable of.”
In the short term, the team is capable of securing a lot more hardware as medals will be awarded in both the men’s and women’s team events as well as all-events during Friday’s final day of competition at the 2025 Para Bowling World Championships.
On the men’s side, Holscher currently sits in second place in the 24-player TPB8 Men’s All-Events field with a two-day total of 2,292. Nelson is third and Hutchens 10th with scores of 2,277 and 2,095, respectively.
They are all trailing Korea’s Ki Seok Oh, who leads the field with a two-day mark of 2,402.
The top three positions in the TPB8 Women’s All-Events standings currently belong to Chia Chieh Lee of Chinese Taipei (2,191), Jong Soon Kim of Korea (1,859) and Hong Kong’s Mei Lan Wong (1,653).
The three American women lurk close behind, however, with Jenkins in fifth place at 1,425 and Freed (1,422) and Perry (1,401) in sixth and seventh, respectively.
The 2025 IBF Para Bowling World Championships began with the official practice sessions on Jan. 17 and will come to a close at the conclusion of Friday’s competitions, medal ceremonies and banquet.
For more information on Para Team USA, CLICK HERE.
FULL STANDINGS
HONG KONG – Team USA bowlers enjoyed plenty of success at the 2025 International Bowling Federation Para Bowling World Championships in Hong Kong on Thursday as two American doubles pairs ended the day’s action at Top Bowl (Kai Tak Sports Park, Kowloon, Hong Kong, China) with gold medals around their necks.
Debra Freed of Framingham, Massachusetts, and Gina Jenkins of Bedford, Texas, used combined scores of 207, 274, 217, 226, 252 and 274 to post a six-game total of 1,450 and reach the top of the podium in the TPB8 Women’s Doubles competition.
That put the American duo comfortably ahead of Thailand’s Porntip Siriwet and Bualai Kuntong, who teamed up to post a silver-medal winning mark of 1,371.
Not to be outdone by their teammates, George Holscher of Chesapeake, Virginia, and David Nelson, Jr. of Gretna, Nebraska, secured another pair of gold medals for Team USA during TPB8 Men’s Doubles.
Holscher and Nelson reached the top of the standings thanks to a six-game total of 2,214, which included combined scores of 369, 396, 419, 405, 309 and 316.
That put the American pair nearly 200 pins ahead of Thailand’s Pongsakorn Chumchai and Suphan Sinthusuwan, who earned the silver medal with a score of 2,040.
Jaime Manginga and Augusto Hernandez of the Philippines took the bronze medal with a score of 1,959.
Thursday’s performance made it two medals in two days for both Holscher and Nelson as Holscher collected silver and Nelson picked up bronze during TPB8 Men’s Singles action on Wednesday.
But for as rewarding as the singles medals were, both American men seemed to take more pride in having worked together to earn Thursday’s doubles gold.
“It was an incredible honor to compete with a great friend and great bowler today,” Nelson said. “It means that we represented the USA in the most positive way possible. I couldn’t be happier to be a part of this doubles squad and of Team USA.
“Now, I’m just really looking forward to showing the rest of the bowling world what wheelchair bowlers are capable of and brining home that gold medal.”
Holscher’s feelings were similar.
“Winning the gold in doubles is a great achievement that I put right up there with all of my national awards,” Holscher said. “Being able to accomplish this with David Nelson is an honor, and he just made the gold medal that much more attainable.
“Having improved my numbers from singles to doubles is a trend I hope to carry into the team event to help our team get back to the podium.”
For Freed, while Thursday’s doubles gold medal was definitely special, her sense of pride and accomplishment stemmed from something much bigger than just that day’s victory.
“I am grateful to USBC for giving me and my teammates the opportunity to be a part of Para Team USA bowling and represent America at the IBF Para Bowling World Championships; it’s truly humbling and exciting,” Freed said.
She was also grateful for doubles partner and all that she did to help the squad reach the top of the podium on Thursday.
“Ms. Gina Jenkins may be new to bowling, but her unwavering spirit and positivity carried both of us to today’s doubles gold,” Freed said.
Jenkins was quick to repay the compliment to Freed as well as to all her teammates and coaches.
“Our match epitomized the definition of the word ‘team,’” Jenkins said. “On the lanes, when one of us was struggling, the other player rose and provided strength. Off the lanes, our coaches, teammates and fans had a huge impact due to their presence and support.
“As the ‘rookie,’ I am humbled and honored to be a part of the legacy that this team is creating, and I’m looking forward to showing the world what Para Team USA bowling is capable of.”
In the short term, the team is capable of securing a lot more hardware as medals will be awarded in both the men’s and women’s team events as well as all-events during Friday’s final day of competition at the 2025 Para Bowling World Championships.
On the men’s side, Holscher currently sits in second place in the 24-player TPB8 Men’s All-Events field with a two-day total of 2,292. Nelson is third and Hutchens 10th with scores of 2,277 and 2,095, respectively.
They are all trailing Korea’s Ki Seok Oh, who leads the field with a two-day mark of 2,402.
The top three positions in the TPB8 Women’s All-Events standings currently belong to Chia Chieh Lee of Chinese Taipei (2,191), Jong Soon Kim of Korea (1,859) and Hong Kong’s Mei Lan Wong (1,653).
The three American women lurk close behind, however, with Jenkins in fifth place at 1,425 and Freed (1,422) and Perry (1,401) in sixth and seventh, respectively.
The 2025 IBF Para Bowling World Championships began with the official practice sessions on Jan. 17 and will come to a close at the conclusion of Friday’s competitions, medal ceremonies and banquet.
For more information on Para Team USA, CLICK HERE.