Bowling is synonymous with recreation. Even the 13-time National women’s tenpin bowling champion Sabeena Athica’s initial visits to Chennai’s first-ever bowling alley (Snow Bowling) were for some quality family time and entertainment.
“It was in 1999, 1998 maybe. That’s when I started bowling.”
Sabeena was 30 and a mother of two children then. Her daughter has encouraged her to overcome her inhibition and pick up the ball.
“There, only men used to play. Yet, my daughter was playing. We were just sitting and watching. Then, my daughter told me, ‘Mumma why don’t you also play?’ I said, ‘Only men are playing, it’ll be so odd if I play.’ She said, ‘So what?! You can play!’ So, that is how I started!” says the 55-year-old over phone.
According to her, two more centres have opened up since then — Bowling Point and DU (Down Under) Bowl.
“All three places would have local tournaments every two months.”
She made winning a habit, which emboldened her to get into the National tenpin bowling championships in Mumbai in 2000 when she became aware of the annual event.
She went to the tournament with an assembled kit — items borrowed from different bowling centres in Chennai — and finished ninth, but got to interact with senior players from Delhi.’ “They were the best actually at that time. I think Delhi was the first city in India which got a bowling centre.”
After returning, she got herself a kit from Malaysia where she has since been often visiting for training.
Back in Chennai, she tend to her children and home, and would go for training sessions in the night. “I really started working hard. Literally, five days a week. After putting my kids to sleep, my husband — who would’ve come from work — and I would leave at 9 or 9.30 in the night.”
Reaping the rewards
The result, she won her first National title in 2001 in Mumbai. Consequently, she got to travel to Pattaya in Thailand to her first bowling World Cup where she competed with “class bowlers”, who were a level above her.”
That made her switch from training with the 11-pound ball that’s used for straight bowling (bowling without technique).
Bowling with technique is of two kinds — hook bowling and spin bowling.
“I switched to the 13-pound ball, that too with the technique where we hook the ball.
“I bought everything, but I just didn’t know how to use it, because there was nobody who could train us!”
With external inputs, she’s been self-taught all along!
Technicalities
There are different oil patterns (categories) in bowling.
“For each pattern, we need different balls. Different in terms of the weight and the coverstock of the ball.
“Now, supposing it (oil pattern) is 34 feet, the oil will be only till 34 ft, and the lane is 60 ft long. So, the rest of the lane will be dry, and we need a shiny ball to travel on the dry surface.
“If it is 44 ft, we need a ball which is sanded, so that it will grip on the lane.”
There will be two patterns in the Nationals and the participants have to compete in both the patterns. “One will be long oil, and one will be short or medium oil. They will announce it one month before, so we can get the kit ready for it.”
Sabeena is also a four-time runner-up in the 22 Nationals she’s played!
Her husband Anwar Saleem (60) has been her support system. He convinced her family to let her pursue bowling professionally.
“Being a muslim, and coming from an orthodox background, it was something strange for my family. So, they kept telling me, ‘no, don’t.’
“But I had my husband’s support. He convinced them. They kept resisting, but after a point they gave up. And now they are proud of me,” she added.
THE GIST
She said there’s only one other woman bowler from Tamil Nadu now. “The other girl, Sowjanya, came only this year. I don’t know when we last had a few woman bowlers. It’s been only me representing Tamil Nadu in the Nationals!
“It’s becoming better. Now, they have so many amateur tournaments and all. So, many girls are participating. I think in the future there will be more girls coming to the fore.
“So, what happens is I play with the men. Usually, when a lady plays with men, she gets hadicap.
“ Handicap in the sense, some ten pins extra they will give us for each game. That’s the rule worldwide. But in my State, they will say, ‘Giving Sabeena handicap, we might as well give her the cup!’ They don’t give me handicap, and I don’t even expect a handicap. I compete equally with them!”
“It’s becoming better... Many girls are participating in amateur bowling tournaments. I think in the future there will be more girls coming to the fore”Sabeena Athica
Knee problems
At 55, she’s been suffering from knee problems for the past ten years now. “All bowlers get knee problems,” she said.
Is there any major goal or milestone that keeps her going?
“The perfect game (300 points), I want to achieve that!”
