Vincent Cheung, who has held the top job in the office since 1998 and been involved with the Classic for 23, described how the invitational tournament has been improving each year.
“It’s growing,” said Mr Cheung. “Originally, we started off with only nine countries and nine local teams. And now, we have 13, 14 countries, plus probably 12 local clubs. It’s always bigger, bigger crowds than the previous year. I experienced that myself. From ’88 onwards, it’s growing bigger and bigger.”
Bowlers are invited each year to Hong Kong to compete against local players in both singles and pairs formats. Some of the world’s best ranking players from Australia, Brunei, China, England, Ireland, Japan, Macau, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland and Wales are currently here competing.
Mr Cheung said that the tournament’s purpose was initially to bring higher quality players to Hong Kong to give the local players more experience, with the aim being to improve their abilities. Since 1981, the Classic has developed into one of the major international tournaments on the bowls calendar circuit.
“The Classic originally started to bring in top overseas bowlers so the Hong Kong bowlers have a chance to bowl against them—because the standard at that time [had] quite a gap in between. But since we started the classic, the standard for Hong Kong is getting better and better. This is because they learn when they play against overseas [bowlers].”
To put Hong Kong’s playing standard into perspective: “We’re not doing too bad,” Vincent said. “I think in Asia we’re still amongst the top four. In the last world championship, we ranked 12th in the world.”
Cheung, who has been retired for 10 years after 37 in the police force, plays bowls in the national league competitions to relax himself once every week. He has witnessed a great deal of growth in the Hong Kong lawn bowls competition. Since 1988, there has been a jump from 13 clubs to 37, with the game appealing to all ages.
“In fact,” he explained, “with the young athlete’s scheme, we are recruiting people from 8 years old now. If they are actually involved in competitions, I will say, from now, we have 12-year-olds playing in league competitions all the way up to 84 [being] the oldest player.”
While “experience does matter, age doesn’t. As long as you can bend down, you can roll your balls, you’re there.
“We don’t have physical demand for a start. All we want you to be able to do is to stand on the green, roll your balls and that’s it. Enjoy your game,” the president said.
Champion of Champions
Apart from the annual Classic, Hong Kong will host another major international tournament from Nov 4 to 13 next year—the World Bowl 2011 Champion of Champions.
An annual singles tournament for bowlers who have won their nation’s singles title, it’s organised by World Bowl Ltd and will include all 52 member National Authorities in 46 member nations.
