Iliya first showed signs of her then-untested bent for bowling in Pri 3 when she took part in an Inter-Primary Schools' competition, where her performance literally bowled over many other more experienced competitors. Struck by her gift, Iliya's father, Mr Azni, decided to send her for professional coaching, which further honed her skills and sense of aim.

She continued to compete, coming in third at a doubles event in the National Inter-Primary Schools Competition in 2009 and attaining a fourth singles placing in the National Age Group bowling competition this year. The newest feather in Iliya's cap was when she was named 'Bowler of the Month' this April at the Singapore Sports School, MOE's Junior Sports Academy (JSA) for bowling.

Centres to develop promising youth athletes

Unearthing young talents such as Iliya is the goal of the JSA programme, which began in 2008 as a way of giving budding primary school athletes quality training at well-equipped centralised locations. Since then, MOE has named 21 JSAs across Singapore, where selected pupils from various schools gather to train and compete in their respective sports. This year, bowling and artistic gymnastics are the latest sports to get their own JSAs.

Are you sure the holes on the ball fit your growing fingers? The athletes at the JSA for bowling benefit from having experienced coaches who share valuable advice and experience.

Iliya's rapid progress in bowling, according to Mr Azni, owes much to the JSA programme, which "sets in place a systematic approach to bowling with the correct techniques and a good understanding of the game." With a grin, Iliya chips in with her thoughts, "We also have question-and-answer sessions during training and sometimes we get rewarded with sweets or chocolates when we answer correctly!"

From the experienced coaches at the JSA, Iliya has picked up many pointers. She has corrected the tilt of her upper arm to fine-tune her aim and is learning to adjust her palm motion and improve her forward roll technique. As her ears pricked up at the sound of toppling pins behind her, she looked behind at her peers and added, "Training together with other bowlers motivates me to work harder and is also good for all of us to improve in our performance, sports discipline and sportsmanship. JSA training is fun and I always look forward to training with my friends from other schools!"

Thriving on competition and setting her sights high

Looking straight ahead at her target, Iliya displays the focus that contributed to her meteoric progress in the sport.

Iliya has JSA training sessions in the evening every Tuesday and Thursday, as well as Saturday morning practices. She also attends her school's regular CCA training on Mondays in addition to private coaching sessions in the weekend. It may seem like a hectic schedule, but hard work is right up Iliya's alley and she shows no signs of wanting to slow down.

"I find that in order to become a better bowler, the only way is to train hard with more bowling sessions to improve my strength, skills and understanding of the game," she states. Showing a fierce drive to set new personal benchmarks, she adds, "When I beat senior players it gives me the feeling of achievement and that I have done something important in bowling."

While she thrives on competition, Iliya is thankful for the encouragement that she receives. "My most memorable moments are when I am given a huge show of support by the whole school," she recalls. "Before a major event like the Masters, the Principal will announce it in front of the whole school during assembly, and my peers will all cheer loudly to support me."

Recently named "Bowler of the Month" for April at the Singapore Sports School, Iliya's next target is to excel at the July Inter-Primary School Competition.

With such backing from her peers, Iliya naturally rues the times when she fails to hit the mark. "I didn't manage to spare a 'pin 10'," she says of a poor move during one recent competition, "and missed third placing by only 1 point." Not wanting to let this incident set her back, Iliya is determined to recover her form at the upcoming Inter-Primary School Competition in July. "I intend to work hard and get into the top 3 and bring the bowling championship to the school this year," she pledges.

Given her indomitable spirit, it's hardly surprising to hear Iliya declare her ambition to become a national bowler and represent Singapore in the future. "To compete with and be among the best bowlers in the world would be the best thing I can hope to do for myself and those who support me," she says.