Bangalore:
It's unconventional. It's entertaining and now, people are not just looking at it as a casual sport meant for entertainment, but are choosing tenpin bowling as a serious career option.
Though tenpin bowling may not be as popular as tennis or cricket, and it is not as spectator-friendly, several youngsters in the city are looking at making a career out of it thanks to its international presence and an active state association, which is hungry to produce world-class bowlers.
Tenpin bowling in Bangalore has always found acceptance. With bowling alleys, such as the Mega Bowl at Old Airport Road and a four-lane centre at one of the city's first shopping malls, Mota Royal Arcade, opening up in the year 1999-2000, the city's young and happening were introduced pretty early to this urban sport that originated in United Kingdom in 1960s.
In 2003, when the Karnataka State Tenpin Bowling Association (KSTB) was established, there were 40 bowlers in the professional circuit. Today, there are over 140 professional bowlers. And Karnataka has produced five national champions in the past five years.
This upturn in interest for tenpin bowling is due to new methodologies adopted by the association to attract youngsters. "Having college tournaments is one of the best things to have happened for the sport. I was a product of one such tournament and today, I am one of the best bowlers in the country," says Girish Gaba, an executive at a media house who represented India at the recently held Asian Games in China.
With the Tenpin Bowling Federation of India (TBFI) and the Karnataka State Tenpin Bowling Association (KSTB) going all-out to find young talent and grooming them towards achieving their quest of winning medals at the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Bangalore is on the radar of bowling experts. "I am quite confident of more people taking to bowling as a priority sport in Bangalore when compared to other cities in the country.
It is a lot more popular here," says Kannan Ramachandran, general secretary of Tenpin Bowling Federation of India. It's also refreshing for bowling enthusiasts to find schools showing ample interest in their students pursuing this sport and also investing in providing the required infrastructure for them. For instance, Jain International Residential School, located on the outskirts of the city, boasts of a four-lane alley on campus, and the school produces 25-30 bowlers every year.
Also, the best part about the sport is that age doesn't matter. One can find a 16-year-old taking on a 54-year-old, and the latter might go on to win the title.
What's all the more encouraging is that, women too are keen on pursuing bowling as a full-time occupation. "I gave up my job three years ago to pursue bowling full-time. I don't regret making that choice because the sport has given me that much more in return," says Swapna Mitra, an Asian Games participant.
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