BySimon Griver, Simon Griver
Or Aviram became Israel’s first-ever tenpin bowling world champion after winning the QubicaAMF men’s World Cup in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia.
He beat South Africa’s Guy Caminsky, another former Maccabiah medallist, in the final.
"This win ends a seven-year drought for me," Aviram said. He was crowned European champion in 2006 and finished runner-up in the World Championships in 2005. "Things haven’t gone so well in recent years, but everything came together in Siberia.
"Unlike more physical sports, players peak in their 30s and can stay at the top until after 50. So I should have many good years ahead of me.
"Bowling is about technique and skill, but the most important thing in the big tournaments is mental strength under pressure and that gets easier as you get older."
Away from the sport, Aviram, who coaches the Israel women’s team, works in the development division of Tel Aviv software company Elad Systems – a job he moved into due to his connections with one of the owners, Shlomo
Tiran, whom he describes as a "bowling buddy".
He said: "High-tech is very high pressure work so bowling keeps me sane. If I had to give up either high-tech or bowling, I’d like to say high-tech, but there is no money in bowling — even if you are world champion."
Aviram says he is "not optimistic" about taking part in next year’s WTBA World Championships for national teams in Abu Dhabi.
He said: "As things stand, Israel will not be allowed to enter the country. We are very unhappy about this discrimination but we do not have much clout in the organisation."