With a Dhs35,000 top prize up for grabs, the 13th annual Ramadan Bowling Tournament is heating up. Andy Mills heads along to Khalifa International Bowling Centre to check out the action and find out more.
Tenpin bowling might conjure up images of kids’ parties, bad food and greasy balls rolling slowly into the gutter as your friends giggle behind your back, but at Khalifa International Bowling Centre in Zayed Sports City things couldn’t be further from that picture.
Having started on July 8, the 13th annual Ramadan Bowling Tournament, supported by the National Drilling Company, is in full swing and things are getting serious. A prize-pot of Dhs145,000 is being battled over every evening during the Holy Month, with one kingpin set to walk away as the tournament champion and Dhs35,000 wealthier.
The world-class venue boasts 40 lanes under perfect light, and head down there from 10pm during the tournament you’ll see each one packed with hopeful bowlers.
A huge leader-board hangs from the ceiling and is an early tell-tale of just how high the standards are; the lead bowler is averaging over 260 and has even played a perfect 300 game.
There are no team uniforms and a glance across the assembled bowlers isn’t likely to bring the term ‘athletes’ to mind, but this is a hive of unity, dedication and skill that is truly surprising. One bowler, Mohamed Al Marzouqi or ‘Mr M’, takes time out to give a better insight into what’s going on. He started bowling in 2004 while studying in Australia before coming back to the UAE in 2007 where he’s gone on to shine, competing at the highest level and even representing the country in the 2012 World Cup in Cyprus.
When TOAD speaks with him, the immensely likeable 31-year-old is sitting in second place with an average score of 252 and is a sure thing to reach the finals. ‘The tournament here, if you bowl a 190, it’s like you might as well go home. I think if you bowl a 240 average, maybe you will get to the final,’ says Al Marzouqi. A total of 24 bowlers will reach the semi-finals on August 5; there will be 20 from the Open Division, two from the Youth Division and two Desperados who can get through on just one game held on August 4, so long as they have played the required number of games during the tournament.
Despite the competition and the lure of big cash prizes – the largest prize-pot for bowling in the UAE – Al Marzouqi is quick to point out the camaraderie. ‘I’m helping my other friends to beat me, because here the number one is still the same as number 20 as we all qualify at the same level. The most important thing is the final… here you shouldn’t help anybody,’ he jokes.
The UAE national bowler also highlights the benefit to would-be bowlers of the Khalifa International Bowling Centre. He’s a regular here, fine-tuning his skill every evening, and claims that it’s a unique opportunity for up-and-coming bowlers because there’s always an expert on hand to give some pointers. Even two of the centre’s staff are certified instructors and can often be found lending their expertise to beginners to help them improve their game.
If you fancy yourself as a bit of a kingpin already, there’s still time to compete in this year’s Ramadan tournament. You can even enter the Graded Division if your average is below 180 (staff at the centre will allocate you an average if you don’t already have a league average). Or you can simply head along and marvel at what high level bowling looks like, it’s almost guaranteed though that you’ll want to give it
a go for yourself.
Khalifa International Bowling Centre, Zayed Sports City (02 403 4648)
Did you know?
It’s not just about hurling a ball down an alley. Mr M explains some of the finer points of the art.
The 7-10 split Being able to get this depends on the type of lane; Brunswick or AMF being the main two. Only on the AMF lanes can you rely on anything but luck to make a spare as the walls to the side of the pins have enough bounce to fire one across to the other. On a Brunswick lane the pins tend to be absorbed into the walls and just drop.
Oil patterns A near invisible layer of oil on lanes can make a big difference. Gullies can form in it meaning your ball can follow the path of the players before you without you having a choice. This can work in a bowler’s favour.
The ball The lane can make the difference to which ball to use. Balls can come with different coatings that affect the way they act on the lane so just one ball can’t give success on every lane. Mr M has three different balls for this tournament, but around 30 in total. Professional balls also have cores inside that can affect how the ball rolls. Even the grips inside the finger holes can alter a professional bowler’s delivery.
Bowling style Mr M uses an ‘Asian’ style, more suited to people with smaller frames. It relies on speed and rotation of the wrist on delivery. Europeans and Americans tend to use a more powerful style. Made famous by an Australian former world champion, some even roll the ball using both hands.
The walk ‘When I started, I walked like a duck, taking ten steps on the approach,’ says Mr M. Four or five steps is how professionals approach the fault line and along with the release and the actual ball, the walk is the most important element of mastering the game.
If you fancy having a crack at tenpin bowling there are plenty of places to go in Abu Dhabi.
Emirates Bowling Village
Marina Mall, Corniche Road (02 681 1185).
Abu Dhabi Country Club
Al Mushrif (02 657 7777).
Bowling City
Abu Dhabi Mall, Tourist Club Area (02 645 4858).
Bowling City (in Sparky’s)
Khalidiyah Mall, Al Khalidiyah (02 635 4317).
Bowling City
Al Mariah Mall, Hamdan Street (02 676 0444).
Armed Forces Officers Club & Hotel
Al Maqtaa (02 441 5900).
