TENPIN BOWLING: Hati pins title after close tussle

ANENDRA SINGH
More than a decade ago Tama Hati went to the Super Strike Tenpin alley in Hastings just for a "nosey" and he liked what he saw.
The network marketer bumped into two other strangers and formed a team for some underarm bowling action and he's been a knockout.
"I've been playing since 1989 and I've just loved the challenge," Hati told SportToday.
Nowadays the late 40-something from Hastings only prefers to play tournaments.
At the weekend the Twin City Tenpin Club member bowled over and left with the ninth trophy challenge after a royal battle with James Williams, of Napier, in the scratch section.
Top qualifier Hati (206 average) had the measure of Williams (193.75) but in the Masters playoff it was neck and neck. Williams pipped 179-178 in the first game, they levelled 177-all in the second but Hati made a move on the third (214-191) only for Williams to hit back 247-157 in the fourth game.
Williams applied pressure 225-200 in the next game but Hati replied conclusively in the sixth, seventh and eighth games and conceded a loss in the ninth but his burst was enough to win the title.
"I'm a strong mental player - eight percent of it's physical and 92 percent is mental and attitude in tenpin bowling. You can't allow a bad shot to affect you. As a coach I tell people to smile at it and let it go," said Hati, whose biggest achievement was winning the now defunct Winfield Classic (HB) Qualifying Tournaments in 1992 and 1994.
"It used to be tough in those days with an international field. I won a trip to another tourney in Auckland and I was totally overwhelmed, bowing out after 21 wins."
Hati praised Twin City for getting behind the challenge event and raising funds for child cancer.
"The club's not just supporting the sport and the community but all the other branches are doing the same around the country."
Sue Lock of Tauranga/Rotorua was the top woman on an average of 155.4444.
The highest handicapped average honours went to Graham Swinerd, of Rotorua, while Twin City lifted the Trophy Challenge with an overall average of 184.95 compared with Rotorua/Tauranga's 175.26.