SEA Games 2025: Jomond Chia looks to whip up a storm on the bowling lanes

SINGAPORE – The clanging of a ladle against a wok, shouting of food orders amid the loud chattering of customers – all this may seem like absolute chaos, but for national bowler Jomond Chia it is a “therapeutic rhythm”.

The 25-year-old is the only child of Desmond and Jo, who run Sik Bao Sin (Desmond’s Creation), a popular second-generation Cantonese restaurant at Geylang Road.

Unlike some young adults who prefer to spend their free time with friends, Jomond – whose name is a portmanteau of his parents’ – enjoys helping out at the eatery, which is on the Michelin Bib Gourmand list.

The final-year Nanyang Technological University mechanical engineering undergrad said: “I started as early as 2013, right when it first opened. Back then, I was mostly assisting my dad in the kitchen, preparing ingredients before he cooked the dishes.

“These days, I’m more involved at the front of the house, helping my mum as the cashier and waiter.

“Despite the long hours and rush, I find a certain comfort in being part of the shop. With my parents busy running the business, and I’m busy with bowling and studies, helping out has become a way for me to spend time and bond with them. The shop feels like a second home to me now.”

Finding calm in chaos is something Chia is used to, especially since he picked a sport that sends pins flying over basketball as his co-curricular activity when he was nine.

His time on the bowling lanes and in the kitchen have also taught him the importance of discipline.

He said: “In bowling, people see the strikes and the high scores, but not exactly the repetition behind them, the drills, the small adjustments, and the physical and mental fatigue. Progress happens in very tiny increments and you only really get there by showing up relentlessly.

“The restaurant works in the same way. The customers see only the finished dishes, but not the years of practice behind each movement in the kitchen or the consistency required.

“Watching my dad repeat those motions day-in, day-out with precision and pride has really shaped how I approach my sport. His discipline in the kitchen is the same discipline I would want to bring to the lanes.”

There is a Chinese saying “you can’t eat hot tofu if you’re impatient”, which Chia has applied to his bowling journey.

A “young and reckless” bowler, Chia swiftly moved up the ranks from the Strike Academy centre of excellence to the national team developmental squad at 14.

He said: “It felt like me against the world. I just thought about me, myself and I.

“I didn’t feel much pressure standing next to the best in Singapore. I was quite full of myself... I thought I would just go out there and do my thing and keep winning. But I was obviously wrong.”

While he did well to win the Singapore National Championships men’s title in 2018 and was part of the men’s team who clinched a historic silver at the International Bowling Federation (IBF) Super World Championships, he could not break through to the first team.

He said: “It definitely took a toll on me, as I thought, why was it always me who did not get promoted. But slowly I came to realise that while I may feel that I am deserving of the first team, ultimately it’s not up to me and promotions have to be earned.”

Crediting his parents and senior national assistant coach Vincent Lim for their support and encouragement during the dark times, he finally achieved a breakthrough in 2024, when he won his second national title.

He was also part of the team who won the Asian Tenpin Bowling Championships, before being promoted to the first team in 2025.

Just as Sik Bao Sin is committed to producing the best flavours for its 13 dishes, Chia is focused on consistency, reading transitions and shaping shots with his 15-pound ball.

He said: “I’ve realised bowling isn’t about who can throw it the hardest, but rather who can throw it the smartest over the long block. This mindset change has helped to extend my game, compete better and have a wider range.”

As he is set to make his SEA Games debut with Nu’man Syahmi, Mike Ong and Ryan Toh, he is also hoping to replicate the success of his father’s restaurant.

He said: “Individually, I want to put up a good performance and hopefully bag some medals. As a team, we all go there with a common goal to fly our national flag high.

“Ideally, a gold medal will be great, but I would love for everyone, including the girls and especially the men, all eight of us, to be able to hang a precious medal on our necks.”