New star of the local bowling scene, Lorraine Casha, has made it through to the second stage of the 2005 QubicaAMF Bowling World Cup, currently taking place in Lubljana, Slovenia, reaching yet another goal in her still very young career in Tenpin Bowling.

Lorraine is competing among a formidable field of top female bowlers and National Champions from no less than 68 countries from all over the world, and yet has given an extremely impressive performance so far, displaying fantastic stamina over her 24 qualifying games and also an amazing ability to handle the pressures of top class competition.

She began well and enjoyed high games throughout her four 6-game sessions, hovering around the 190 average game mark, and was always close to the cut to the top 24.

The worry that fatigue may set in and cause her to slip down the field was always there and indeed Casha looked set to fall out of the reckoning during her final session.

Then with an incredible 238 final game, she secured herself a place in round two by qualifying in 24th place, with a great 4587 total (191 average).

Speaking to sports press after her qualification, Lorraine said: “I was really worried. It was all so close and there were so many players who could all have made it. I am just so happy to be in the next round, especially as this is my first Bowling World Cup.”

Word spread quickly among Malta’s bowling community who were able to follow her progress game by game on the internet, and she spent at least 30 minutes on her mobile phone as family and friends called to congratulate her.

Lorraine will now lay a further eight games in round two, hoping to make her way into the top eight for further qualification.

Kenneth Arpa was playing his final 6-game session in the 83-strong Men’s division.