There’s just two days of play remaining at Hong Kong Football Club where 42 of the best young bowlers from around the globe are vuying to become world champions.
Since Sunday, bowlers from 21 countries from the British Isles to Australia, the Norfolk Island to Japan, taking in the Philippines, Japan and Singapore along the way are competing for the honours in the men’s and women’s singles and mixed pairs events of the World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship.
It’s been an exciting day of singles today which has seen the players give their all to reach the quarter-final stages.
In the women’s singles, Scotland’s Sophie McGrouther finished first in section one with 15 points winning five out of six games, while Rebecca Rixon, Malta, was second and 2022 bronze medallist Ruby Hill third, both with four wins and 12 points.
Canada’s Emma Boyd topped section two only losing one game and amassing 15 points. The Philippines’ Angeleca Abatayo was second and Guernsey’s Emily Rich third, both with four wins and 12 points.
Abbie Chan, Hong Kong China 3, Lauren Gowen, of Wales, and Australia’s Kira Bourke finished first, second and third in section three with 12 points after also losing two games.
Hill was pulled out as the player with automatic qualification to the quarter-final, with Rich and Bourke going head-to-head to decide the final person to make the last eight with Bourke claiming the honours in a two sets to nil victory.
In the men’s event, Ireland’s Jayden Kyle clinched section one with 15 points from five wins out of seven. Paul Innes, Scotland, who also won five games was second, with 15 points, and Alwyn Martignone, South Africa, third on 12, with four victories.
Quenton Ip, Hong Kong China lost just one game on his way to claiming section three. He ended his round-robin campaign with six out of seven wins and 18 points. Malaysia’s Amirul Rahim and Wales’ Cory Davies were second and third respectively with 15 and nine points from five and three wins respectively.
England’s Aaron Johnson took section three. He won four games giving him 12 points. Next was Australia’s Kane Nelson, followed by Nixon Man. They also had four wins and 12 points.
Martignone had the automatic qualification, with Davies and Man enduring the play-off which Davies clinched on a tiebreak.
Action tomorrow starts with the mixed pairs quarter-finals at 9.30 am.
Schedule is as follows:
Ruby Hill and Aaron Johnson (England) v Emma Boyd and Owen Kirby (Canada)
Nur Ain Kemilia Sukri and Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) v Sophie McGrouther and Paul Innes (Scotland)
Kira Bourke and Kane Nelson (Australia) v Luk Man Hei {Emmy} & Man Pok Chung {Nixon} (Hong Kong China (2))
Ng Pui Tin {Gillian} and Ip Ka-Ching Quenton (Hong Kong China (1)) v Lezandri Hildebrand & Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) Live streaming will be available, see YouTube
Singles quarter-finals draw: Men’s: Australia v Malaysia; Hong Kong China v South Africa; Ireland v Wales; England v Scotland.
Women’s: Philippines v Wales; Scotland v Australia; Canada v England; Hong Kong China 3 v Malta.
A number of the players featuring appear in World Bowls Series ranking list, including Boyd, 72nd, Hill 97th, McGrouther, 98th, Bourke 166th and Abatayo 252nd in the women’s list and Nelson 146th and Rahim 239th in the men’s.
Live streaming will commence from the quarter-finals. World Bowls YouTube Channel
For results from day three and current standings, see:
Event information:
World Bowls Series:
The World Bowls Series is the official year-long calendar of sanctioned events connecting to the official world rankings. It is a joint venture between World Bowls and Tier 5 Ventures.
WBS currently has 29 sanctioned events. Each WBS event will belong to a different tier having different ranking points based on the size, location, and stature it presents for the sport.
The purpose of WBS is to build the profile and brand of bowls, showcase the best players in the game, accelerate the legitimacy of the sport on the global stage and launch world rankings that will help create clarity and interest in the sport of bowls.
For more information regarding the World Bowls Series, contact: Neil Dalrymple, CEO, World Bowls, [email protected]
Captions: Ellie Dixon, Norfolk Island (left) and Thailand’s Leshngimphokanok Kwanluck Credit: Mike Worth Photography
Ceris Hewlings, World Bowls media officer
