Shalin on pro circuit

KUALA LUMPUR (The Star): A childhood dream to play in the professional circuit has turned to reality for bowler Shalin Zulkifli after a 16-year-long wait.

On Monday, the 30-year-old Shalin made it a historic day for Malaysia by achieving two major breakthroughs in Illinois.

Superb performances in the US Women’s Open made Shalin the first Malaysian and one of the few non-Americans to win an exemption card to play in revived Professional Bowling Association (PBA) Women’s Tour Finals this year.

Only 12 of the 55 professionals competing in the US Women’s Open get to feature in the Tour and Shalin made it by finishing in third place with a 32-game score of 6,740 after the completion of the four eight-game qualifying rounds.

She will begin her campaign in the Pro Tour in October.

She also made it a double joy for the country by becoming the first Malaysian to reach the top-16 elimination round of the US Women’s Open, which had attracted 186 bowlers.

Shalin finished in the sixth spot on 6,740 and will take on American Tennelle Milligan in the first round of the knockout stage.

“It took a while for me to absorb it (the achievement). As I was keeping the bowling balls, I had to tell myself many times that I did it. I could not believe it at first,” said Shalin in a telephone interview from Illinois yesterday.

“It has been such a long wait. Not many have made it to the American pro circuit and I just feel so happy.

“This has been a great week for me. From day one, I told myself that I could pull it off. I kept on motivating myself even though I had some bad shots. I was really positive throughout the qualifying rounds.”

Shalin admitted that the journey had been a trying one.

“I was 14-years-old when I had a dream to join the pro circuit. I could not pursue it because of financial constraints. A few years ago, I was ready but the pro circuit was suspended. Now everything has fallen into place,” she said.

She thanked the Malaysian Tenpin Bowling Congress and the National Sports Council for their support but special mention went to her family and her boyfriend, Azidi Ameran.

“I would not be here if not for the support of my family and Azidi. Azidi gave his blessing for me to go after my ambition even though there were plans to get married this December,” she said.

On her immediate challenge in the US Women's Open, she said: “From now on, anything that comes my way is a bonus.”

Malaysia's three other representatives in the Open – Zandra Aziela Ibrahim Hakimi, Esther Cheah and Wendy Chai – finished in 35th, 54th and 90th respectively.