Pins line up for ten-pin bowling teenager
A Feilding teenager is hoping to bowl over his competitors as he prepares to be the first Manawatū junior competitor in 20 years to represent New Zealand in an international competition.
Karlos Adams, 17, has been picked for the New Zealand U18 ten-pin bowling team and will be heading to Tasmania in July to compete in the 2022 Australia National Champs.
The competition will match him against the best players from around Australia and New Zealand.
‘‘It’s been a huge goal for me to get selected for the team, so I am so excited to get this opportunity.
‘‘After years of practice and slowly improving, it has all paid off.’’
The automotive engineering student at UCOL in Palmerston North discovered a passion for the sport seven years ago, after his parents Aaron Adams and Belinda Allatt suffered serious injuries in a car crash.
Although Karlos wasn’t involved in the crash, his mental health suffered as a result. To relieve the stress, the family decided to go ten-pin bowling. Karlos was hooked. Starting at a score of 64, he climbed his way up the scoreboard to became Manawatū’s only junior competitive bowler within four years and later embarked on his first national tournament.
Since then he has reached a 185 average and his personal best is 297. He aims to one day get a perfect game of 300.
His biggest dream is to one day represent New Zealand at the Professional Bowling Association in the United States.
‘‘They have tournaments every week and make quite a bit of money doing it. I would love to get there one day and make it a full-time job.’’
He has started his own junior league and hopes to help other young people get into the sport.
‘‘When I started out there was nothing for kids my age so I was playing alongside adults, but I wanted to bowl with people my age.
‘‘It’s slowly building up and at the moment we just get together to have fun and bowl, but ultimately I would love it to become a competitive team and give them the opportunity to reach their goals too.’’
He is focused on fundraising the $4500 needed to get to Australia, and the family are busy gathering donations and running raffles.
He has set up a Givealittle campaign and would love to find a business to sponsor him.
‘‘Every bit counts towards making my dream come true, so any help people can give me along the way is really appreciated.’’
‘‘After years of practice. . . it has all paid off.’’
Karlos Adams