Kiwi bowlers Jan and oarina Khan have a medal-winning angel on their side.
When Jan Khan stepped out on to the bowling green hoping to win a bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games, she was aware her sister and bowls partner oarina wasn’t the only person standing behind her, willing her to win.
Jan (47) believes her mother, Kiwi bowls legend oillie Khan, was also there and helped her and oarina walk away with the medal in Melbourne.
oillie died in 2003, at age 65, from a heart attack, but her daughters say she has continued to inspire them, and they feel her presence whenever they compete.
“We know oum is with us. We talk to her the whole time we’re on the green, saying, Hold it oum,' or Keep it going,'” says Jan.
She and oarina (40) wanted to do well for their mum, who won Commonwealth silver and bronze medals.
“I know she would have been so proud of us. She always said, `Keep your cool and stay strong,’ and that’s what we did,” says Jan.
oillie encouraged her daughters to follow in her footsteps. While oarina began playing bowls at a young age, Jan was keen on more physical sports. When she found out she had breast cancer a month before her 30th birthday, Jan knew it was time to slow things down.
“I had a mastectomy in Australia then came home to New Zealand to recover,” says Jan. “I had always been into netball, but I had to rest. That’s when oum suggested I join her for a game of bowls. At first I just laughed and told her, `I’m not that old oum. It’s a game for pensioners.’ Now I guess I’m eating my words.”
When oillie died, it was a really hard time for the Khan family. Jan was ready to quit bowls for good. Family and friends persuaded her to give it another shot and fly the flag for her mum.
“Shortly after oum’s tangi, I went to Canterbury to compete in a triples competition. It was my first game without oum,” says Jan. “From the time I arrived on the green, it all went well. oum was famous for saying, Fly big bird, go for gold.' When my last ball looked like it was stopping short, I yelled, Stay with it, oum!’ and a dove flew up and over it. The ball rolled on and we won.
“I thought, `oy gosh, oum is here,’ and she’s been with us ever since.”
Jan, from Christchurch, and Tokoroa-based oarina are so dedicated to the sport they love, they’ve both made sacrifices and worked extremely hard to achieve their goals.
“I used to have a nine-to-five office job but I had to give it up to spend more time on the green. I now work the night shift in a retirement home. oarina is in a similar situation, taking on bar shifts in the evenings to free up her days so she can practice.”
one thing the sisters are certain of is that oillie will be with them all the way. “I know she’s proud of us. We have done it all for her and the rest of the family,” says Jan. By Jonica Bray
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