Tenpin bowler Wu Siu-hong was relieved he could still cut it with the best after helping to win his second world team title for Hong Kong – and the next chance to do so will come on home soil.
Wu, Ivan Tse Chun-hin and Tony Wong Kwan-yuen beat Denmark 2-1 in Saturday’s final at the IBF World Bowling Championships in Kuwait, adding another men’s trio crown to the one Wu won in Las Vegas in 2017.
The next edition, in 2025, is to take place at Hong Kong’s new Kai Tak Sports Park. In the meantime, Wu was happy to help promote his sport, saying: “I hope our results will prompt more people to play bowling, and know that we’ve got what it takes to achieve great results, too.”
Having won his first world title with Eric Tseng Tak-hin and Michael Mak Cheuk-yin six years ago, Wu admitted he had gone through some tough periods since then.
“I am six years older but it felt great to witness the growth of my teammates,” the 38-year-old said. “They played better than me sometimes.
“Obviously I am happy to win it again, and being able to do so with some new teammates is proof that we are getting better.
“There have been highs and lows, and at one point I wasn’t playing well in any competitions, be it Asian or international. I even suspected it was a one-time peak for myself and I was on the falling trend.
“But I learned to work on my stability and try to enjoy playing as much as possible.”
The trio ranked first in the opening two rounds to reach the semi-finals, where they defeated Lithuania 202-157, 224-175 in straight matches for a berth in the final.
The Hongkongers took the first match 213-203, only for the Danes to take the tie to a decider by winning the second 226-182. Wu, Tse and Wong then found form to land a “golden turkey” – a string of nine strikes – to seal the win with a score of 265-213.
It was the trio’s first outing together in the global event, but they made up half of the men’s team of six who won silver at the 2018 Asian Games.
“I was younger back then and wasn’t thinking too much on the lane,” Tse said. “But now I am more mature and will start thinking about more aspects.
“I’d like to repay my family and those who supported me, so this tournament is important to me.”
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