BOWLING is a recreational activity where heavy balls, known as bowls, are rolled along a track, called a lane, to hit a group of bottle-like objects called pins.
In this game, the aim is to knock down the pins at the end of a lane. Bowling is usually a team sport where a group of three to six people play in one lane against each other or with other teams. It can be played by two people but to make it more exciting, the more players, the merrier.
The aim is to hit as many pins as possible.
It is not easy to aim for the pins and it is hard to get the exact speed and bowl weight to knock them all down.
From my experience, and what I was told by my teacher, apart from having the luck to get a “strike”, honing one’s skills in bowling is vital to win the game.
The most common types of bowling are 10-pin, nine-pin, candlepin, duckpin and five-pin bowling.
Today, bowling is enjoyed by 95 million people in more than 90 countries.
After a long hiatus from bowling which I enjoyed with friends and family, I recently went to Daiman Bowl at Taman Johor Jaya.
Surprisingly, the facilities were good and the bowling balls were in good condition.
Compared with other bowling alleys which I have played in, I have often encountered the problem of insufficient bowling balls and lanes which are in poor condition.
These are signs of centres which are poorly managed.
At Daiman Bowl, the lanes were in good condition, monitors were user-friendly and the service was top-notch.
Its staff gave us tips which helped to improve our game.
While I was still schooling, about 10 years ago, bowling was out of reach as we could not afford the time and money.
Moreover, it could only be played at a bowling alley and not by the roadside or in a field like football.
Back then, it was not a popular sport among teenagers.
Today, bowling alleys are bustling with activity.
Many are equipped with staff and facilities which teach newbies how to play.
Instead of hanging out at shopping malls, youngsters could take up bowling.
Whenever I am at an alley, 75 per cent of its players are youngsters and the rest are mostly parents who want to spend time with their children.
Bowling alleys could be where new talents are born, where the next Shalin Zulkifli may be discovered.
Shalin is a Malaysian professional 10-pin bowler and former Asian No 1. She won many national and international tournaments.
To be the next Shalin is not easy as she has won many championships.
But it is not impossible, and aspiring youths can start training with family and friends.
Increasingly, many are choosing to hang out and meet up in bowling alleys. The facilities are part of the lure factor.
Some may look at it as a pastime with the loved ones, but who knows, if we honed our bowling skills while playing recreationally we may end up taking part in tournaments and bringing home trophies.