HK team bowled over by world champ success

Bowlers Wu Siu-hong, Ivan Tse Chun-hin and Tony Wong Kwan-yuen snatched Hong Kong's second gold in history after beating team Denmark in the final of the men's trios event in the 2023 IBF World Bowling Championships in Kuwait yesterday.

It marks the second time Hong Kong, as well as veteran bowler Wu, were crowned world champions after six years.

All three of them scored 1163 (232.6 on average) in the first round, ranking first in the group and advancing to the top 8 on the second round.

Following that, they completed seven games with 1573 points (224.71 on average), winning the first place and being qualified for the top four against Lithuania.

The top four teams adopted a best-two-out-of-three-game system.

The Hong Kong team won the first game 202:157 and took the lead.

Then they won the second game 224:175 and advanced to the final against Denmark. In the final, they won the first game 213:203 and then were defeated by Denmark at 182:226.

In the decisive third game, the Hong Kong team won the medal by 265:213.

The first time Hong Kong became world champions in bowling was by Michael Mak Cheuk-yin, Eric Tseng Tak-hin and Wu in 2017, in Las Vegas in the United States. All three of them also participated in this year's World Bowling Championships, but on two different teams.

Mak and Tseng partnered with Keith Mark Siu-ki. Their team unfortunately lost in the first round.

"Wu, Tse and Wong won the Championships for Hong Kong with their excellent skills and perseverance. Hong Kong people are thrilled by their remarkable achievement. We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to them," Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung wished the three athletes for their achievements yesterday.