Alkindi's duties as a professional banker now keep him away from the sport he loves so much. ©Gulf News |
Abdulelah Alkindi stepped into a bowling alley way back in 1983 to merely please a friend, who was insistent that he came along. But that visit was a 'fix' and took Alkindi very little time to exploit his capabilities as a bowler along with an innate love for the game.
"I never really wanted to be a bowler. I loved other sports. But there I was literally getting hooked onto something without much thought," Alkindi recollects.
It was destiny no doubt, that brought him to the old six-alley at the Deira Sheraton and kept him in awe of a sport that UAE players have excelled more than once on the international stage.
"We have the potential to be good at a lot of individual sports… and bowling is one of these," Alkindi enthuses. "The results speak for themselves."
Though he started when well past his teens, Alkindi made quick progress. Within a couple of years he was either winning or ending close to the winners at national level competitions. Soon he had made his way into the top 20 bowlers frame in the UAE.
"That was a time when we had a lot of good bowlers in the UAE and to balance this, we had a lot of tournaments as well. But gradually, bowlers from the UAE started excelling and doing better than the expatriate bowlers here," Alkindi recalls.
Next followed, representation for the UAE at various Asian level tournaments. "That was pretty satisfying… to go out and represent your country at a sport. It was a good feeling of being an ambassador," Alkindi recollects.
Three Asian Championships and Alkindi was ready to roll. "Participating on a regular basis here and then against some top bowlers outside the country gave me so much of confidence," Alkindi admits.
But along with this, also came a regret. "I regret that I never got a chance to take part in an Asian Games. That would have certainly been the crowning moment of my career. I narrowly missed it, and that has been one of the regrets that I harbour," he states.
That confidence spread out onto the bowling alleys and even the sport saw a great boost in the early 90s. "It was very much different then. We had sponsors and a lot of private and public companies were willing to back the sport and sponsor bowling tournaments," Alkindi recollects.
"But now, it has taken a dip and no one knows why," he shrugs. And even though he may deliberately avoid touching upon the reason for the slump, Alkindi knows that the entry and participation of the corporate sector can go a long way in refurbishing the sport in the UAE.
"It's an expensive sport no doubt," he points out. "Each ball costs around Dhs700 to 800. And as a professional bowler, one needs to be constantly upgrading his equipment so that he can match the top bowlers. But in the UAE, I have found this a tough proposition," Alkindi admits.
After having rubbed shoulders among the best in the sport, Alkindi feels that the need of the hour is the encouragement of the younger and more promising players.
"Al Qubaisi has achieved a lot and put the name of the UAE on the world map. There is a lot of potential among the younger UAE players, and we need to tap it. But for this, we need the backing of the Government and then the corporates in the country,"
Alkindi argues the cause. His duties as a professional banker now keep him away from the sport. "I do go and bowl once in a while, but that is for fun and entertainment. Bowling has given me so much. I now see myself as a retired player. And if I go and try to compete among the younger players, then I'll be cheating myself," he said smiling.
