Bowler Lavinia Kho makes Sarawak proud with her skills in the bowling alley during the recent 41st Malaysian International Open Bowling Championship. She is also known as the first Sarawakian woman to hold the title.
And that’s how she rolls
An avid bowler since she was eight years old, Lavinia Kho Jia Jie has spent a decade honing her skills in the alley. Most recently, she won the 41st Malaysian International Open Bowling Championship, making her the first Sarawakian woman to do so.
The 18-year-old, when interviewed by New Sarawak Tribune, expressed her delight at the victory. Sharing about her journey in the sport, Kho recalled the time when The Amateur Bowling (Tenpin) Association of Sarawak (ABAS) had come to her school to promote bowling when she was in standard two.
Along with the influence of her father, who used to bowl, the young Kho decided she wanted to participate in the sport as well.
“My father would take me to the bowling centre whenever he had a local league tournament. I was excited. That was where I believed my interest in bowling stemmed from.
“Furthermore, the coaches who visited my school at the time gave a talk and performed a bowling demonstration, which made me think that it was such a cool sport to play,” she said.
After her talent and ability in the sport were recognised, Kho was invited to the ‘Double-A Programme’ — a development programme to upgrade players — when she was 10 years old. There, she met a number of outstanding bowlers.
“Seeing them has inspired me to want to be as good as they are.”
Excitement at every lane
Always an interesting sport to her, Kho always has new tricks up her sleeve. As a bowler, she is always excited about trying out new bowling styles to see if it worked on the bowling lane. As she tries it out, her heart thumps at the possibility of hitting a strike.
“The thrill comes when I think of a new pattern, how to play it, which ball to match it up with, and what to do when a lane transition occurs. Although it may be frustrating at first, once I figured out how to do it properly, the feeling of accomplishment is quite satisfying,” she said.
The Sarawak Tenpin Bowling Elite also mentioned that whenever she bowls — even now — she has a mix of excitement and nervousness.
“When I’m bowling, especially when mistakes happen, I might feel lost. So, every time this happens, I have to get back to my normal pace as soon as possible to avoid causing further damage to my game.”
Practice makes perfect
As a primary and secondary school student, Kho had to balance her studies and bowling. She revealed that she had to train six to seven days a week. To keep up with her studies, she usually does her homework late at night after training.
She said that as she had recently completed form five and had some time off school, she had more free time to spend at the bowling alley.
“So, I would bowl in the mornings and go to the gym in the afternoons.”
Kho, as a bowler, is expected to do more than just training at the bowling alley. She also maintains a regular workout regimen to supplement her bowling skills.
“We are all required to hit the gym. For myself, I will start working out after lunch. To stay fit, I usually follow an all-rounder exercise routine,” she said.
In addition to exercising, she maintains a healthy diet.
“However, it is not too strict. I just avoid eating foods that are too oily or high in calories. I also try not drink a lot of carbonated and sweet beverages.”
A run of good luck
As she practised and trained in the sport, she was selected to compete in her first tournament at the age of 10. Kho, who was enthusiastic about it at the time, believed that part of sports came from competing, “and that is when we know where we are and how good we are. We can excel faster if we participate in competitions.”
She also revealed that her first competition was the Sport Excel Sarawak Leg.
“I did not win the tournament, but I was not disappointed since I knew I had given it my all. My first victory came when I was 11 years old in a bowling tournament organised by the Malaysian Schools Sports Councils (MSSM).”
Kho, a multiple gold medallist and who is now an international bowler, has made Sarawak proud with her achievements since then. Her most recent win was at Sunway Mega Lanes, Sunway Pyramid in Selangor, where she blazed the lanes. She expressed gratitude for receiving the title of ‘Women’s Open Champion’ at the Malaysian International Open.
“I was also surprised because I had not expected to win. When I was there, I competed in the finals against many strong and powerful ladies, and it was pretty tough. I’d like to thank my coach, Angelo Koay, for consistently coming up with awesome tactics and pushing me for a comeback. Since I was young, he has been building and polishing me; without him, I would be nobody,” she said.
With bowling being a part of most of her life, Kho recalls handling an 8-pound ball when she was younger. Even though she now carries a 15-pound ball, she remembers her first bowling ball fondly.
“My first bowling ball was a ‘spare ball’, as we called it. It is a plastic ball that is used for sparing as it skids far down the lanes. I was overjoyed when I got that ball. It was my first ball, and it had a light blue colour like the sky, which I love.”
Today, Kho aspires to be able to bowl till she can’t. And when she no longer could, she hoped that one day she will be able to further her studies to become a pilot. For the time being, with her bowling career still intact, her next tournaments will be the Sarawak Hornbill International Open Tenpin Bowling Championships and the Thailand Open in July.
