New High Performance Coach for Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Team

Lawn Bowls—Hong Kong Team

Australian coach Geoffrey Maskell (fourth from left in front row) started his coaching of the Hong Kong team. His initial task is to prepare the team for the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships in June, and then he will work on developing a high performance program for the Hong Kong squad. Glyn Davies

HONG KONG—After revamping the selection process of the Hong Kong squad last year, the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association (HKLBA) furthers its strategy to enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong team by appointing Australian coach Geoffrey Maskell to assist the setup of a high performance program targeting the stars of the future.

Last year HKLBA announced an ambitious 5-year strategic plan to enhance the competitiveness of the Hong Kong team in major international competitions leading up to 2024 when Hong Kong will host the World Bowls Championships.

Maskell arrived in Hong Kong in late April and his initial task is to prepare the Hong Kong squad for the Asia Pacific Bowls Championships in Broadbeach, Australia in June.  According to the plan, he will then focus on the high performance program upon his return from the competition.

Maskell has been involved in bowls for some 58 years with more than 40 years of coaching experience. He has coached many top bowlers to gold medals at World and Commonwealth level but one of his most pleasurable was helping lowly Cook Islands to their first ever Commonwealth Games medal in any sport in 2018 – a bronze in the Men’s pairs.

Mr. Maskell said that he was delighted to be asked to assist with this exciting project.

HKLBA President Vincent Cheung feels bullish about the latest development, “We are really happy to have Geoff come on board to help us drive this project forward. We have been working on developing this new strategy for the past year and Geoff’s arrival is a key component of that strategy. He is settling in well and already making a positive impact on our National squad players.”

Meanwhile, the HKLBA also announced a young squad for the forthcoming Asia Pacific Bowls Championships in June which includes youngsters Adrian Yau, Lyndon Sham, James Po, Gloria Ha and Angel So.

They will be joined by experienced bowlers Tony Cheung (reigning Bowler of the Year,  gold medalist at Asian Championship and silver medalist at the World Champion of Champions), Imen Tang (gold medalist in Asian Championship), silver medalist at the Australian Open Cheryl Chan, and silver medalist in Asian Championship Helen Cheung and Phyllis Wong.

This week in Lawn Bowls

The Premier League will continue this Saturday (May 25 at 2:30pm at all greens in Hong Kong.

In the league game last weekend, May 18, Simpson Chang (delivering) from Craigengower Cricket Club needed a firing shot from his last bowl of the match to beat the Filipino Club rink skipped by ex-Hong Kong international Li Ming Sum and kept all eight points at home. Stephanie Worth

Writer Glyn Davies is the Vice President in charge of international affairs at the Hong Kong Lawn Bowls Association. His main duty is to prepare the Hong Kong squad for all the international competitions.