One thing Malaysian UQ student Mimi Mohamed didn't expect when moving to Australia was to become a lawn bowls champion, but she has done just that after a crackerjack club fours win with her local Toowong Bowls Club.
Ms Mohamed, who moved to Australia from her Malaysian home state of Johor last July, said the victory came after only six weeks of official training with the club.
"When I moved to Australia I was determined to join a bowls club, as Australia is one of the leading countries in the game and I wanted to learn from the experts," Ms Mohamed said.
Ms Mohamed's humble training history, which involved bowling along a roll of carpet laid out in a hallway, and her suspected standing as the only traditional Muslim player in Queensland, makes her victory all the more exceptional.
"In Johor, the closest green was an hour away, so even though lawn bowls is popular in Malaysia, the opportunity to practise is very limited," Ms Mohamed said.
"I was chosen to play in the championship when they saw me practising during a Get on the Green session," she said.
Bowls Queensland representative Mr Bill Cornehls said Mimi's win represented a victory for the multicultural aspect of the game and the Get on the Green program.
"Lawn bowls is a sport that doesn't discriminate against culture, gender, age, religion, disability or any other beliefs and Mimi's win shows that it is in equal opportunity sport," Mr Cornehls said.
"Get on the Green is a Bowls Australia initiative designed to invite beginners onto the green and challenge the idea that the game is only for older people."
The Toowong Bowls Club offers four week Get on the Green sessions with simplified rules and varied session lengths during the summer months.
To find out more about the Get on the Green program or how to become a member, please contact the Toowong Bowls Club on (07) 3870 1616.
Media: Melanie Sullivan at UQ Communications (0439 366 001).
