Photo By Sgt. Sarah Scully | A Kuwaiti sailor releases a bowling ball down the lane at a bowling alley near Camp...... read more read more
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By Sgt. Sarah Scully
40th Public Affairs Detachment
KUWAIT — Concentrating carefully on the target, balancing neatly on his toes and sending the ball rolling toward the pins, a Kuwaiti sailor waited intently to see if he got a gutter ball or a strike.
Behind him, several of his comrades and opponents peered to see the results. Strike! Supporters clapped encouragingly as the competitors prepared to battle and win.
Most Americans stationed in Kuwait do not know that a bowling alley is available for use to service members near Camp Patriot. Many also are not aware that Kuwaitis love to bowl.
"We invite the Americans to come and join us," said Maj. Quasem Al-Fadhli, Kuwaiti sailor and athletic director. "We are all a small family."
Learned from Europeans and Americans, Kuwaitis have been playing the sport for decades. And for the past 10 years, American and Kuwaiti service members have gotten to know each other and build friendships through the sport of bowling.
There's just something about wearing less than attractive shoes, clutching a multi-colored bowling ball, sliding gently on the floor as the ball heads down the lane and hearing the pins fall to the ground that brings people together.
Alas, there is no beer.
But, there is plenty of friendship.
Eliciting comments and smiles, players from different countries compete and form camaraderie.
The four-lane bowling alley looks just like one in America. Comfy, beige seats frame a computerized tracking system. Spectators can lounge in several couches behind the lanes.
Two teams can play at once, and the colorful walls are decorated with bowling pins.
The bowling balls are returned automatically to the players, and the pins are automatically picked up and swept away.
That's pretty high-tech in a deployed Soldier's combat zone environment.
While there are many sports available at the athletic center for service members from different countries to compete and get to know each other, the bowling alley is unique.
"More people should come down here and play," said Petty Officer 1st Class Brian Gonzales, a Naval Coastal Warfare Squadron 34 administration specialist. "It's a lot of fun."
| Date Taken: | 05.02.2007 |
| Date Posted: | 05.02.2007 10:48 |
| Story ID: | 10209 |
| Location: |
| Web Views: | 72 |
| Downloads: | 64 |
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