DUBAI Talented bowler Samantha Hannan has been raising the bar with some stunning performances this year.
Having a fruitful year so far, the Dubai-based Brit is looking forward to more glory before the season comes to an end.
“This year has been has been good for me. I travelled to Hong Kong and Macau in June, and won the u-18 youth masters in Hong Kong and placed 6th in the Youth masters in Macau. It was a great experience for me,” Hannan, who recently turned 18, told XPRESS.
“The Dubai International Open is coming up in October, and I would love to defend my Youth Title from last year. I am also hoping to do well in the Open Division. I am also thinking about going to the Indonesian Open straight after that, after going there in 2011,” she added.
Hannan also excelled in the Ramadan tournaments held across the UAE including Fujeirah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi. “I had been bowling for two months straight, and I had suffered a shoulder injury, causing me to back out from the tournament in Dubai.
“I won the Youth title in the Army Forces Officers Club in Abu Dhabi, came 1st in the Ladies tournament in Khalifa Bowling Centre, and also placing 4th in the Open with the Men( I came 2nd last year). I also came 2nd in the Bowling City tournament which took place in Khalidiyah Mall. This was all throughout Ramadan, so it was pretty good month for me. The Bowling City tournament was interesting, I wouldn’t say exciting exactly, but quite a tough one. We were playing with no A/C, and the air from the bowling machines weren’t working- a bowlers worst nightmare. Coming second after all of that was quite an achievement for me,” she said.
Hannan does not have a fixed training schedule. I don’t really have a training schedule, I go to practice whenever I am free, because I am also in university which does conflict sometimes. I also play in leagues, which you could say is part of my practice too. In Dubai, I am not coached regularly, but when I travel abroad, Hussain Al Suwaidi (UAE national team player) coaches me and gets me ready for the tournaments,” she said.
“My dream tournament is playing in the World Youth Masters, which I unfortunately cannot play in because I am not in a national team, due to being a Brit residing in Dubai. It is hard seeing all the youth players all over the world playing in one tournament, knowing that I am good enough to be playing there,”
Passionate about music and pursuing a career in the same, Hannan has big plans. “Music plays a big role. I am a classical pianist and that is one of my passions. I am also playing in a Dubai based band part time, called Physical Graffiti,"