HONG KONG—On the eve before officially closing for renovation, the Hong Kong Football Club indoor greens witnessed the 22nd National Indoor Singles champion from the club last Saturday, July 15, 2017.
Over the years, a total of 10 HKFC players, five from each gender, have lifted the prestigious indoor title, mostly on the club’s home greens. The semi-finals and finals in the weekend marked the last major competition the green will hold before it closes for refurbishment. The green is scheduled to re-open in six months’ time.
The men’s final saw CT Wong from HKFC playing against Imen Tang from Craigengower Cricket Club who had just won a National Fours title in the Finals Day two weeks ago. On the other hand, CT lost the Mixed Pairs and Mixed Fours finals on the same day.
The final set was very tight as both sides displayed highly accurate drawing skills. In the first set, the first seven ends were decided by a single shot. Tang won the first two ends and that’s all he got and the first set finished 2:7.
CT continue the momentum in the second set, taking the first three ends a shot each. Tang then scored a three in the fourth end but CT quickly opened up the gap to lead by three shots into the last end.
In the last end CT drew very well and held two shots almost touching the jack when Tang only had his last bowl to deliver. Tang played heavy, pushed the jack to his own bowls, and held four shots.
CT drew the last bowl under great pressure and his bowl rested 1 cm closer to the jack than Tang’s fourth bowl to lift his first National Singles title.
CT was overjoyed after winning the title, “This is the title I most wanted in my 17 years of bowling. Today I have stayed focused and the performance was very stable. And with the support from my clubmates, I played with confidence and that is the reason I won.”
In the women’s final, 2011 champion Vivian Yip played against three times runners-up Danna Chiu from Tuen Mun Sports Association. Yip, who represents Hong Kong Football Club, still holds the record of the youngest winner of the competition, when she represented the Youth Team at that time.
The match was tight and it was tied after seven ends in the first set. Chiu took the last two ends to win the first set 5:8. In the second it was a similar scenario when Chiu took the last three ends to win the set 4:8.
Chiu blasted into tears after the last bowl as this is the title she has longed for, “I have been into the final three times before but all [each time] finished on the wrong end. I am very happy that I accomplished the goal today.” She also attributed a stable performance as the key of success.
After the win, Chiu still shares the record of the most runners-up with Queenie Lai, who won the title last year.
This week in Lawn Bowls
The U25 Age Group Lawn Bowls Championship will take place at the Tsueng Kwan O Lawn Bowling Green this coming Sunday July 23 2017 starting at 9am and going through to 6pm.
Claudius Lam is an officer of the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association.
