Tenpin Bowling Championship: Sandera aims to strike it big in the US

Pakistan’s number one youth player believes he will prove his mettle.

KARACHI: Pakistan’s top player Ahmer Abbas Sandera will represent the green flag at the 2016 World Tenpin Bowling Youth Championship starting on July 22 in the US.

The 19-year-old has been the country’s number one youth player for the past three years and managed to win all major local events last year without any professional training.

“I think I can get a decent position,” Sandera told The Express Tribune. “I feel an achievement at this level will show the world that Pakistan has talent; that we can play without the facilities or coaches that other countries have. I’ve never had a coach in my life.”

Sandera has been playing competitively since he was 12, and said that he has taught himself to improve his game. “I watch online videos and when we compete abroad I study the players; their strengths and weaknesses.”

He added that, he has been arranging the trip on his own and has received his visa. However, the Pakistan Tenpin Bowling Federation secretary Ijazur Rehman said that the plan was to send four players to the event featuring more than 120 countries.

However, Rehman said that the Pakistan Sports Board did not release the required funds which amount to Rs3 million for four players, while two of them did not get the US visa despite having an NOC.

Apart from Sandera, Ali Sooriya may go to the event as well.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2016.

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