Naim Holdings Berhad, a leading Malaysian property development and construction company, proudly sponsors Nerosha Keligit, the 17 year old bowling sensation from Sarawak. In a recent interview with the Borneo Post, Nerosha speaks of her passion for bowling and what drives her to succeed. Nerosha is one of a number of athletes supported by the Naim sponsorship programme and we are proud to see her going from strength to strength. The full interview with Nerosha and the Borneo Post follows below.
Nerosha poised to strike big time
24 march 2013
Nerosha Keligit, a 17-year-old lass from Kuching and a Naim-sponsored athlete, is helping to fly the Sarawak flag high with her outstanding performances in tenpin bowling.
Born to an Indian father and Kayan mother, the southpaw has been striking it big in state and national competitions such as the Sarawak League Sport Excel Championship, Sarawak Closed Championship, Sarawak League, Sabah League, Malaysia Closed Championship, ASTRO 36th Malaysian National and 25th Interstate Bowling Championship 2012.
The following are excerpts of the interview with Nerosha.
BP: Please tell us about yourself
Nerosha: I come from a family of seven and I have four siblings – two older brothers, one younger brother and one younger sister. I’m the third child in the family and am currently studying at SMK DPHA Gapor in the science stream. My father is in the scrap metal business while my mum is a civil servant.
BP: How did you get into this sport?
Nerosha: My parents have always encouraged us to participate in healthy recreational activities. We normally go bowling at a bowling centre near my house. I picked up bowling because I found it to be an interesting game. My mum was very supportive when I showed a keen interest in the sport.
BP: Tell us about the time when you went into competitive bowling
Nerosha: I started bowling at the age of 11 and stated competitive bowling when I was 13. I won the Sarawak League Sport Excel Championship at 13 years old followed by the Sarawak Closed Championship. At the age of 15, I got picked for the inter-state team. At 16, I grabbed four titles back to back.
BP: What are the recent championships which you have won?
Nerosha: I won the Penang Open Bowling Championship held from 10th – 17th December 2012 and All Star Bowling Competition held in KL from 18th 22nd December 2012. I also participated in the Sarawak Closed Championship in February 2013, which I won. In March this year, I joined the national youth bowling selection in KL and finished top among the girls. I competed against bowlers from all states and was the only Sarawakian girl to have landed a spot on the Malaysian Youth Team.
For that selection, I had to bowl 48 games in four days, which was pretty tough. But it was a good run. The national coach has also contacted me about representing Malaysia in bowling. I’m thankful for all these.
BP: You are a Naim sponsored athlete – how did that come about?
Nerosha: Competitive bowling can be quite expensive, for example the ball alone can cost RM500 – RM600, not to mention the air fare and accommodation when I travel outside Sarawak. We have a family friend who actually recommended us to approach Naim for help as they knew that Naim provides sponsorships for sport activities such as soccer and badminton youth development programmes. When I applied for the sponsorship in 2012, I didn’t know what to expect, but I knew I needed to do something, looking at the cost.
I got a surprise when a Naim representative got back to us not long after that and said that the company would provide some sponsorship for me. I was so happy, as the sponsorship helped to reduce my expenses. I applied to Naim for sponsorship again recently and Naim approved my application again. I’m very grateful to Naim for all their help and for their faith in me – this will help me to further develop in the sport and it motivates me to do better in competitions.
BP: What do you do to prepare yourself for competitive bowling?
Nerosha: As any athlete, you need to be self-motivated. You need to continuously push yourself to the limit and go beyond your limits – I look at myself in the mirror everyday and say ‘I’m Nerosha, and I want to be a champion’. In addition to my normal training, I train intensively five days before the competition to boost my self confidence.
BP: Do you see yourself as a professional bowler in the future?
Nerosha: Well, anything can happen. Of course, I’m quite attracted to the idea but we’ll see.
However, I will be sitting for SPM this year and I would also like to pursue further studies in Law – so I want to work towards that.
BP: Any words of advice to the youths out there?
Nerosha: To all out there – never stop believing in yourself. Be focused on your goal. If you fall, get up and try harder. All the good things in life are worth fighting for. To Naim, thank you again for believing in me.