Sharon achieves success in 'not-cool' bowling<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): Junior bowler Sharon Adelina never thought she
\nwould achieve success when she was introduced to 10-pin bowling
\nfor the first time some five years ago by her father, Aswin
\nLimansantoso.<\/p>\n
\"My father introduced me to bowling five years ago and I
\nwasn't interested in it at all at that time. I found the sport
\nsilly and not fun at all,\" Sharon told The Jakarta Post on
\nFriday.<\/p>\n
\"My father is an active bowler and I guess he just wanted the
\nwhole family to bowl as well. I just couldn't find the fun in it.
\nIt wasn't cool,\" she added with a giggle.<\/p>\n
Cool or not, Sharon has proved herself to be one of the best
\njunior bowlers in Indonesia especially since signing a three-year
\ncontract to play under the banner of Manila-based Team Bowlmart.
\nShe also won three gold medals and one silver at the sixth PBAP-
\nBowlmart Junior International Open in Manila from May 7 to May
\n11.<\/p>\n
Aswin, who is also deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian
\nBowling Association (PBI), said the contract was still in the
\namateurist spirit where no money offer was made.<\/p>\n
\"The team simply covers all Sharon's expenses in competing in
\nbowling tournaments from game fees to airfares and hotel costs.
\nThe team also allows Sharon to have her own sponsor,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"Bowlmart will also appoint one of its sponsors to provide all
\nof Sharon's training equipment. Most of the sponsors are bowling-
\nrelated manufacturers.\"<\/p>\n
So, what turned 17-year old Sharon, currently in the second
\nyear of Notre Dame High School in Puri Indah, to reach such an
\nadmirable achievement in the sport she initially deemed not fun?<\/p>\n
\"It happened in December 1997 when the whole family was
\nparticipating in a bowling league and I had no other choice but
\nto accompany my family rather than being home alone.\"<\/p>\n
\"I was just watching my father, mother and older sister
\nSherina playing. Suddenly I found the league very exciting,
\nthough I didn't know why.\"<\/p>\n
\"My father then asked me to compete in a junior competition.
\nOddly enough, I scored extremely good results and wanted to bowl
\nagain and again,\" continued Sherina, who has an average of 188,
\nwith 269 as her best game.<\/p>\n
Since then, nobody can stop Sharon in reaching her dream to
\nbecome the best bowler in the country. Bowling a 14-pound ball,
\nshe chooses to play hook bowls which she deems more elegant.<\/p>\n
\"I started with spinning bowls without a coach around. Most of
\nthe coaches deliver hook bowls so I changed my style,\" she said.<\/p>\n
\"Besides, spinning bowls are too flat when compared to the
\nhook, especially because the ball makes a curve before hitting
\nthe pins. Hook bowls are simply more elegant.\"<\/p>\n
In June, Sharon will play in the Philippines Open bowling
\nchampionships as part of her warm-up for the Southeast Asian
\n(SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.<\/p>\n
Sharon's coach, David Sitorus, said Sharon could reach her
\nbest achievement in Asian level in less than two years as long as
\nshe keeps on training.<\/p>\n
\"Sharon is smart and quick to take any instructions. As long
\nas she keeps it this way, she will be one of the best bowlers in
\nAsia,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"It is also possible that she could be one of the world's best
\nbowlers in the next two years.\"<\/p>\n
Sharon herself said she would like to grab the Asian title in
\nabout two years as one of her targets.<\/p>\n
\"Actually we can't set a time frame to reach the Asian level
\nbecause it really depends on the bowler. But I hope I can reach
\nit in some two years from now,\" she said with a smile.<\/p>\n
\"And of course I also want to reach the world level, but for
\nnow let me focus on the Asian title first.\" (nvn)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/sharon-achieves-success-in-not-cool-bowling-1447893297",
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