First bowling center opens in Yogyakarta

Moch. N. Kurniawan, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

Bowling hopes to "strike" it big in Yogyakarta with the establishment of the first bowling center in the student city on May 9.

Located on Jl. Pingit Jati, about two kilometers north of Malioboro, Arjuna Joi Billiard and Bowl and Pool might still be establishing itself, but the venue should provide a good start for the development of bowling in Yogyakarta.

"We are always full of visitors on the weekend, although we do not have many visitors during the week," a waitress, Tuti, said.

Some customers, both young and old, have become regular visitors to the venue, which has 12 lanes, she said.

The Jakarta Post talked with a father, Bambang Hendro Purnomo, and his daughter, Asri Aningati, who were bowling a game together.

"I used to bowl 20 years ago at Jaya Ancol Bowl when I lived in Jakarta," said Bambang, a retired official from Bapindo who now runs a business in Surabaya but lives in Yogyakarta. "I quit for a while, but now with a new venue in Yogyakarta I can teach my daughter to bowl."

He said the venue would be good for people in the city because they could regularly practice the game and perhaps would soon have some local bowling tournaments.

"Right now, people bowl just for recreation rather than as a competitive game," he added.

Aning said she was glad there was a bowling center because it gave her the opportunity to learn a new sport.

"It is challenging, but for most young people in Yogyakarta I think bowling is still an expensive sport," she said. "I am lucky because my father can pay for us when we bowl."

During the week, it costs Rp 10,000 (US$1.30) a game, plus Rp 3,000 for the shoes. That goes up to Rp 11,000 a game on Friday and Rp 12,000 on Saturdays and Sundays.

Students who can show an ID only have to pay Rp 8,000 a game during the week.