KUALA LUMPUR: World Champion Natasha Roslan is not only great in the bowling lanes but also at producing quality festive cookies.
The 28-year-old athlete never missed an opportunity to pursue her interest in making cookies, especially given the chance to celebrate Ramadan and Hari Raya Aidilfitri in Malaysia.
Natasha said she started making cookies in 2021 when the country was under lockdown due to Covid-19, and since then she started selling them to the public.
"I started making these cookies in 2021 during Covid-19, and then I stopped for a while. This time, I resumed making them, and it's actually tiring. I'm still training at the gym, and then I spend my night time making cookies until morning," said the 2023 world champion.
She had to divide her time between training and fulfilling cookie orders, but all of this were successfully carried out because of her deep interest.
"Usually, training schedules are in the morning, so I will make cookies after breaking fast until 1am and then rest.
"During the lockdown, I sold almost 800 bottles, all of which were 'chocolate chip' cookies," she said.
Natasha and her teammates will be in action in Singapore for their first tournament, the Sonic Classic International Championship, from April 18 to 21.
Natasha, who clinched the world title after defeating her compatriot Sin Li Jane in the individual event at the World Championships in Salmiya, Kuwait, last October, also said that the main focus this season would be on the Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand, in September.
"After the festive season, my team and I will go to Singapore for our first tournament, and then there are several open tournaments. This year, our focus is on the Asian Championships.
"I felt the pressure even before becoming a world champion. When I won the title, it increased (the pressure), but I took it as a challenge to do better and prove that I can hold the world champion title while maintaining my momentum," she said.
Natasha's world title last year ended Malaysia's 12-year gold medal drought in the individual event, with the last one being achieved by Jacqueline Sijore in 2011 in Hong Kong.