Bowling a flexible sport<\/p>\n
Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
For businesspeople, choosing a suitable sport is sometimes
\ndifficult due to tight work schedules.<\/p>\n
And this is making indoor 10-pin bowling, which can be played
\nfrom early morning until late in the evening, increasingly
\npopular.<\/p>\n
\"I started bowling in 2002, as I could go to the bowling
\ncenter almost any time I wanted,\" said Rulita, a senior executive
\nof a public relations firm in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
\"I usually go there at 8 p.m. to bowl and relax with my
\ncolleagues.\"<\/p>\n
Rulita used to enjoy swimming, playing golf, and tennis, but
\nsays now she doesn't have the time or the energy.<\/p>\n
A portfolio manager at financial firm, Mahendra Wardana, said
\nhe had also been a golfer before a bowler.<\/p>\n
\"But golf took too much time from me at the weekend I as I had
\nto get up early in the morning and got home at 3 p.m., which is
\nnot healthy for my family life.\"<\/p>\n
Mahendra said he went to Jaya Ancol Bowl from his office in
\nKuningan, South Jakarta, after work to play for 40 minutes.<\/p>\n
\"There, I can play with my colleagues,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"If I am bored with Jaya Ancol, I can go to Plaza Senayan or
\nPlaza Indonesia with my family to bowl.\"<\/p>\n
It is not difficult to bowl and beginners have a lot of
\nchoices as to where to go. Most centers charge about Rp 25,000
\n(US$2.50) for one game and a pair of shoes.<\/p>\n
As of last year, more than 40 bowling alleys existed in
\nJakarta, Bandung, Surabaya, Solo, Medan and Padang.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, bowling centers include Jaya Ancol, Kebayoran
\nBowling Center, Millenium Bowling Alley in Plaza Senayan, Grand
\nBowling in Supermal Karawaci (Tangerang), Pasaraya Bowling Alley
\nin Pasaraya Grande, PIN Bowling Alley in Pondok Indah, Galeria
\nKodel Kosmik Bowling in Megamall Pluit and Sudirman Bowling
\nAlley.<\/p>\n
While bowling starts off cheap, it can become more costly as
\none gets better, with many keen bowlers shelling out between Rp 1
\nmillion and Rp 2 million for specialized balls. A fancy pair of
\nbowling shoes, meanwhile, could set you back Rp 500,000.<\/p>\n
\"It is good to have your own ball as you and the ball will
\nunderstand each other,\" Rulita, who practices three times a week,
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"You only need to buy a new ball when, for example, your
\npower has improved, therefore the existing balls is no longer
\nuseful.\"<\/p>\n
Rulita, who used to play with an 11-pound ball, now uses a
\n13-pounder.<\/p>\n
Mahendra said that based on his experience, golf was more
\nexpensive than bowling.<\/p>\n
\"A set of golf sticks could cost me as much as Rp 3.5
\nmillion,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Membership meanwhile, cuts the price for those who play
\nfrequently. Rulita says she pays a membership fee of Rp 80,000
\nevery six months to her Cakra club and Rp 60,000 to the
\nIndonesian Bowling Association (PBI) to be a member.<\/p>\n
\"The benefit of joining a club is that your score is recorded
\nover one season, and you become eligible for the grand final
\ncompetition,\" she said.<\/p>\n
In a club, bowlers did not only compete but also socialized
\nwith others, she said.<\/p>\n
\"This is the uniqueness of bowling as you can make friends
\nwith young and old at the same time because you play in the same
\nvenue and use the same lanes,\" she said.<\/p>\n
Mahendra, who is a member of Jaya Ancol Bowling Club, said
\njoining a club meant bowlers could progress through a grade
\nsystem, which helped their game.<\/p>\n
\"Bowling has a good structure. If we are beginners we play
\nagainst beginners. If our play improves, we go up a grade.
\nHowever all players with different grades always play in the same
\nvenue,\" he said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bowling-a-flexible-sport-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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