Why Dubai is bowled over by bowling

ENTHUSIASTS OF LEISURELY SPORT SEE IT AS A TRADITION OF JOY, COMPETITION AND CAMARADERIE

- BY LAKSHANA N PALAT Assistant Features Editor

From family bonding to finesse, bowling is more than just a fun sport — it’s a craft. And for those who fall in love with the technique, it becomes a quiet kind of art.

For Dubai resident Angela Christine de Messa, bowling symbolises family pride. “Our mum and her side of the family used to treat it as a sport and even competed in local tournaments back in the Philippines,” she says.

There was sheer passion around the sport, and the family would gather around to hear her mother’s stories. “Her love for bowling was passed down to us. Now, we bowl every now and then. It’s a fun way to bond,” she says.

There’s a kicker: The one who loses buys the others dinner.

Family bonding

Every few weeks, Dubai resi-dent’s Cathy Lin’s cousins come home and for a series of fun bowling matches. They form teams, with everyone fighting over who gets Lin, chuckles the sale professional.

“I'm considered the secret weapon. When I bowl, you might lose interest because it goes so slowly, and you think it’s not going to happen. But then, it does,” she says.