World-renowned lawn bowls coach Lachlan Tighe urges Hong Kong bowlers to work as a team, be more aggressive and work more on their technical capabilities if they want to achieve better results at the international arena. The Australian pointed at indicators that show that many players lack confidence compared to other players from around the world.
Tighe, Melbourne Cricket Club Lawn Bowls section’s Coaching Director for 2013/14, who has had coaching appointments with Malaysia, Canada, Jersey (UK), New Zealand and Australia domestically, is in Hong Kong for a 2-week training camp for the Hong Kong national team.
Drawing on a wealth of coaching experience and knowledge, the former head coach of Malaysia for two Commonwealth Games in 2002 and 2006, head coach of Jersey for the Commonwealth Games in 2010, as well as the head coach for Bowls Canada from 2011 to 2012, is imparting invaluable insight and guidance at the camp. Assisting him at the camp is Choo Yih Hwa, another former national coach of the Malaysian team.
The camp commenced last Sunday July 14 when the participating squad was bought down to the Club de Recreio green for a skill test, where Tighe found the results shocking.
“We asked the players to draw 10 bowls to a jack at the minimum distance (23m) and the bowls need to stop within 60cm of the jack. We got an average result of three, but at international level, you need to have at least a seven to be competitive,” he said.
“Structured trainings, that can reinforce the standard and make them competitive at international level, would be so obvious after the first day,” is the verdict from Tighe after the first hour of training.
“By the end of the week, I will have a much better impression of those who I can see advancing.
“There were some good bowlers technically out there; some of them do a very good job, but they are not going to take Hong Kong further unless they all improved a lot—individually and collectively.
“You need to have the group wanting to go together to improve,” explained Tighe. “A couple of individuals will not take Hong Kong to the World Championships; you need to have the whole range of people and that’s where the coaches are vital and even the selectors are vital,” said Tighe.
On the other hand, Tighe also pointed out another deficiency of Hong Kong bowlers’.
“They are too withdrawn. Looking at the male and females from the best countries, they have all the technical skill and choose to play a very aggressive kind of game. My observation of the Hong Kong team, as a group, is that they are all very withdrawn and don’t really want it fast.
“Unless there is more confidence exerted by all the players, they are not going to be guaranteed regular entry to the World Championships.”
The lack of confidence is also reflected in some slow playing by some national squad members.
“I saw one bowler spend 19 seconds before delivering the bowl; compare that to the international average of nine seconds. To me it is an indication of a lack of confidence.”
By the end of the training camp, Tighe expects to see an improvement in standards and a sense of joy in the way the Hong Kong team members achieving their better bowling.
Held on July 14-28 at Kowloon Cricket Club and Club de Recreio, this is the third consecutive year for the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association to arrange a 2-week intensive training camp for the national junior and senior squad.
Claudius Lam is an Officer with the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association.
