New world champions have been crowned at the 2024 World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship.
Staged at one of the most iconic sports venues in Asia, since Monday, 42 players from 21 countries have been bidding for glory in the men’s singles, women’s singles and mixed pairs competitions.
Nine countries won medals – Australia’s Kane Nelson being crowned a double world champion.
The 20-year-old Emerging Jackaroo won men’s singles gold and lifted the Jimmy Davidson Trophy, just hours after partnering Kira Bourke, 22, to mixed pairs success with an unblemished record during the tournament winning all seven of their games.
Twenty-four-year-old Rebecca Rixon won Malta’s first ever junior world singles gold medal and clinched the Hilary King MBE Trophy to add to her 2018 Commonwealth Games bronze and 2023 World Championships silver.
It’s the fifth time, the Aussies have their names on the Doreen and Alec Miskelly Trophy, with previous winners being Kristina Kristic and Ben Twist in 2015 and Ellen Fife (nee Ryan) and Aaron Teys in 2016 and 2018. Corey Wedlock was champion in 2017 when he partnered Connie Rixon, the aforementioned Rebecca’s elder sister.
Men’s singles silver went to Scotland’s Paul Innes, while bronze medallists were Hong Kong China’s Quenton Ip, a member of the Hong Kong Youth Development Team, and Cory Davies, Wales.
In the women’s singles, Angeleca Abatayo, gold medallist at this year’s Lion City Cup and Asian Championship claimed The Philippines’ first medal at this level. Bronze medallists were Sophie McGrouther, Scotland – for the second year in a row – and Emma Boyd, Canada, who was the women’s pairs champion in the recent Hong Kong Classic and former gold medallist in world junior mixed triples in 2017.
Silver in the mixed pairs went to England’s Ruby Hill, a previous winner of the event in 2022, and Aaron Johnson, recent Scottish International Open runner-up.
It’s the third year in succession England have been in the final. In 2022, Ruby won gold with Harry Goodwin, while 12 months ago in Scotland, Harry and Emily Kernick were runners-up to Ireland’s Shauna O’Neill and Ryan McElroy.
Winning bronze were Lezandri Hildebrand and Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) and Sophie McGrouther and Paul Innes (Scotland), who both returned home as double medallists.
Australia finished as the best performing country.
Several of the players featuring appear in World Bowls Series ranking list, including Boyd, 72nd, Hill 97th, McGrouther, 98th, Bourke 166th, Rixon 250th and Abatayo 252nd in the women’s list and Nelson 146th and Rahim 239th in the men’s.
Co-sanctioned by the International Indoor Bowls Council, IIBC president Gordon Woods, of Scotland, said: “We’ve had a wonderful week of bowls. The Lawn Bowls Association of Hong Kong China and Hong Kong Football Club have been wonderful hosts. It’s been an amazing showcase in a fantastic venue and the event has showcased the great talent of the players from around the world and how the sport is growing globally.”
The trophy and medal presentation party included Vincent Cheung, president of the Lawn Bowls Association of Hong Kong, China, Martin Gale, tournament director, Gordon Woods, president of the IIBC, Claudius Lam, director of World Bowls, Neil Roberts, honorary secretary of Hong Kong Football Club, and Esmond Lee, the bowls convenor of Hong Kong Football Club.
RESULTS
MEN’S SINGLES
FINAL SECTION STANDINGS
Section 1: 1. Jayden Kyle (Ireland) 15 points; 2. Paul Innes (Scotland) 15; 3. Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) 12; 4. Bradley Le Noury (Guernsey) 9; 5. Wuttipong Yooyenjit (Thailand) 6; 6. James Christian (Philippines) 6; 7. Ido Iron (Israel) 0.
Section 2: 1. Quenton Ip (Hong Kong, China) 18; Bdul Rahim (Malaysia) 15; 3. Cory Davies (Wales) 9; 4. Angel Gomez (USA) 6; 5. Jordan Jones (Norfolk Island) 6; 6. Myles Ng (Macao, China) 6; 7. Yuta Nagamoto (Japan) 3.
Section 3: 1. Aaron Johnson (England) 12; 2. Kane Nelson (Australia) 12; 3. Nixon Man (Hong Kong, China) 12; 4. Adoni Samuela Henry Stivyon Wichman-Rairoa) 9; 5. Harriman Yuen (Singapore) 9; 6. Owen Kirby (Canada) 6; 7. John-Pierre Fouche (Namibia) 3.
Quarter-finals: Kane Nelson (Australia) bt Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) 2-0 (8-6, 9-4); Ip Ka-Ching Quenton (Hong Kong China) bt Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) 2-0 (7-1, 8-3); Paul Innes (Scotland) bt Aaron Johnson (England) 2-1 (8-5, 5-6, 5-1); Cory Davies (Wales) bt Jayden Kyle (Ireland) 6-6, 7-6.
Semi-finals: Paul Innes (Scotland) bt Cory Davies (Wales) 2-0 (8-2, 7-3); Kane Nelson bt Amirul Rahim (Malaysia) 8-6, 9-4.
Final: Kane Nelson (Australia) bt Paul Innes (Scotland) 2-1 (5-7, 9-2, 4-2).
WOMEN’S SINGLES
FINAL GROUP STANDINGS
Section 1: 1. Sophie McGrouther (Scotland) 15; 2. Rebecca Rixon (Malta) 12; 3. Ruby Hill (England) 12; 4. Ho Shu En (Singapore) 12; 5. Gillian Ng (Hong Kong, China) 9; 6. Haley Langenstrassen (Namibia) 3; 7. Adilyn Zeino (USA) 0.
Section 2: 1. Emma Boyd (Canada) 15; 2. Angeleca Abatayo (Philippines) 12; 3. Emily Rich (Guernsey) 12; 4. Emmy Luk (Hong Kong, China) 9; 5. Lezandri Hildebrand (South Africa) 9; 6. Nur Sukri Ain Kemilia (Malaysia) 6; 7. Kokona Shima (Japan) 0.
Section 3: 1. Abbie Chan (Hong Kong, China) 12; 2. Lauren Gowen (Wales) 12; 3. Kira Bourke (Australia) 12; 4. Ellie Dixon (Norfolk Island) 12; 5. Emily Chan (Hong Kong, China) 6; Kwanluck Leshgimphokanok (Thailand) 6; 7. Lara Reaney (Ireland) 3.
Quarter-finals: Angeleca Abatayo (Phillipines) bt Lauren Gowen (Wales) 2-0 (7-5, 7-5); Sophie McGrouther (Scotland) bt Kira Bourke (Australia) 2-0 (8-1, 8-3); Rebecca Rixon (Malta) bt Abbie Chan (Hong Kong China) 2-0 (6-5, 7-2); Emma Boyd (Canada) bt Ruby Hill (England) 2-1 (3-8, 6-4, 2-1).
Semi-finals: Rebecca Rixon (Malta) bt Emma Boyd (Canada) 2-0 (8-6, 8-4); Angeleca Abatayo (Philippines) bt Sophie McGrouther (Scotland) 2-1 (3-6, 10-3, 5-0.
Final: Rebecca Rixon (Malta) bt Angeleca Abatayo (Philippines) 2-0 (7-4, 8-4)
MIXED PAIRS
FINAL GROUP STANDINGS
Section 1: 1. R Hill and A Johnson (England) 9; 2. E Luk and N Man (Hong Kong, China) 9; 3. L Gowen and C Davies (Wales) 6; 4. E Chan and A Winchman-Rairoa (Hong Kong, China/Cook Islands) 3; 5. A Zeino and A Gomez (USA) 3.
Section 2: 1. K Bourke and K Nelson (Australia) 12; 2. E Boyd and O Kirby (Canada) 9; 3. H En and H Yuen (Singapore) 6; 4. E Rich and B Le Noury (Guernsey) 3; 5. K Shima and Y Nagamoto (Japan) 0.
Section 3: 1. G Ng and Q Ip (Hong Kong, China) 9; 2. S McGrouther and P Innes (Scotland) 9; 3. K Leshgimphokanok and W Yooenjit (Thailand) 6; 4. R Rixon and M Ng (Malta/Macao, China) 6; 5. H Lanenstrassen and J Fouche (Namibia) 0.
Section 4: N Sukri and A Rahim (Malaysia) 9; 2. L Hildebrand and A Martignone (South Africa) 9; 3. L Reaney and J Kyle (Ireland) 9; 4. A Abatayo and J Andia (Philippines) 9; 5. A Chan and I Iron (Hong Kong, China/Israel) 6; 5. E Dixon and J Jones 3.
Quarter-finals: Ruby Hill and Aaron Johnson (England) bt Owen Kirby and Emma Boyd (Canada) 2-0 (8-2, 6-4); Sophie McGrouther and Paul Innes (Scotland) bt Nur Ain Kemilia and Amirul Danial Abdul Rahim (Malaysia) 2-1 (5-5, 6-6, 3-1); Kira Bourke and Kane Nelson (Australia) bt Emmy Luk and Nixon Man (Hong Kong China) 2-0 (9-2, 9-1); Lezandri Hildebrand and Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) bt Gillian Ng and Quenton Ip (Hong Kong China) 2-0 (10-2, 5-4).
Semi-finals: Kira Bourke and Kane Nelson (Australia) bt Lezandri Hildebrand and Alwyn Martignone (South Africa) 2-0 (10-3, 14-3); Ruby Hill and Aaron Johnson (England) bt Sophie McGrouther and Paul Innes (Scotland) 2-0 (5-7, 9-2, 2-1).
Final: Kira Bourke and Kane Nelson (Australia) bt Ruby Hill and Aaron Johnson (England) 2-1 (6-9, 7-3, 5-1).
For full results, see:
Event information:
📜Players List:
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
World Bowls Junior Indoor Championship champions from left: Kira Bourke and Kane Nelson (mixed pairs and men’s singles) and Rebecca Rixon (women’s singles)
