Sharon achieves success in 'not-cool' bowling

JAKARTA (JP): Junior bowler Sharon Adelina never thought she would achieve success when she was introduced to 10-pin bowling for the first time some five years ago by her father, Aswin Limansantoso.

"My father introduced me to bowling five years ago and I wasn't interested in it at all at that time. I found the sport silly and not fun at all," Sharon told The Jakarta Post on Friday.

"My father is an active bowler and I guess he just wanted the whole family to bowl as well. I just couldn't find the fun in it. It wasn't cool," she added with a giggle.

Cool or not, Sharon has proved herself to be one of the best junior bowlers in Indonesia especially since signing a three-year contract to play under the banner of Manila-based Team Bowlmart. She also won three gold medals and one silver at the sixth PBAP- Bowlmart Junior International Open in Manila from May 7 to May 11.

Aswin, who is also deputy secretary-general of the Indonesian Bowling Association (PBI), said the contract was still in the amateurist spirit where no money offer was made.

"The team simply covers all Sharon's expenses in competing in bowling tournaments from game fees to airfares and hotel costs. The team also allows Sharon to have her own sponsor," he said.

"Bowlmart will also appoint one of its sponsors to provide all of Sharon's training equipment. Most of the sponsors are bowling- related manufacturers."

So, what turned 17-year old Sharon, currently in the second year of Notre Dame High School in Puri Indah, to reach such an admirable achievement in the sport she initially deemed not fun?

"It happened in December 1997 when the whole family was participating in a bowling league and I had no other choice but to accompany my family rather than being home alone."

"I was just watching my father, mother and older sister Sherina playing. Suddenly I found the league very exciting, though I didn't know why."

"My father then asked me to compete in a junior competition. Oddly enough, I scored extremely good results and wanted to bowl again and again," continued Sherina, who has an average of 188, with 269 as her best game.

Since then, nobody can stop Sharon in reaching her dream to become the best bowler in the country. Bowling a 14-pound ball, she chooses to play hook bowls which she deems more elegant.

"I started with spinning bowls without a coach around. Most of the coaches deliver hook bowls so I changed my style," she said.

"Besides, spinning bowls are too flat when compared to the hook, especially because the ball makes a curve before hitting the pins. Hook bowls are simply more elegant."

In June, Sharon will play in the Philippines Open bowling championships as part of her warm-up for the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Kuala Lumpur.

Sharon's coach, David Sitorus, said Sharon could reach her best achievement in Asian level in less than two years as long as she keeps on training.

"Sharon is smart and quick to take any instructions. As long as she keeps it this way, she will be one of the best bowlers in Asia," he said.

"It is also possible that she could be one of the world's best bowlers in the next two years."

Sharon herself said she would like to grab the Asian title in about two years as one of her targets.

"Actually we can't set a time frame to reach the Asian level because it really depends on the bowler. But I hope I can reach it in some two years from now," she said with a smile.

"And of course I also want to reach the world level, but for now let me focus on the Asian title first." (nvn)