Hong Kong has been a prime figure when it comes to medal hauls in the Asian Games. But the implementation of a new scoring system may alter their chances this time around when the Asiad kicks off in Palembang, Indonesia starting Aug. 18, 2018.
Unlike traditional bowling where strikes and spares count heavily, the new scoring system set to be implemented was made to be more spectator-friendly. Strikes will be given 30 points and doing it consecutively will not matter, the South China Morning Post said.
The new bowling scoring system is still in its experimental stage although it stands to change the way games are scored. With their computer scoreboards yet to get a software update, the Hong Kong bowling team has been forced to make do with an excel sheet to keep proper count of their scores.
Hong Kong coach Nick Bohanan says that the new system would alleviate stress on the bowlers since they will no longer be pressured to hit consecutive strikes to gain an edge. But being one of the dominant team in the sport, it does affect medal chances not only for them but for other teams.
Another concern for the Hong Kong keglers is the change in format. There will be no singles or doubles categories. Instead, the 2018 Asian Games will only feature trio and six-person formats that may severely affect the medal chances, not only of Hong Kong but all teams.
Hong Kong will have nine bowlers competing in Indonesia – six men and three women. According to ABF-Online, the bowling event is set to take place from Aug. 22 to 27 where there are only two medal opportunities in each event. Medals will only be awarded after to the top three finishers after 12 games. Top performers will also qualify for the masters' event which will also hand out medals.
Wu Siu-hong, Michael Mak, and Eric Tseng are likely to compose one of the trio teams while Ivan Tse Chun-hin, Tony Wong, and Lau Kwun Ho may comprise Hong Kong’s group B. The women’s team will be composed of Chan Shuk-han, Milki Ng, and Joan Cheng.
Individually, most are among the best keglers, but the story will be different come the Asian Games. Among the Hong Kong reps include Tse who is regarded as one of the country’s future stars for the sport. He won the bronze medal for singles at the Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan and will now have to find a way to blend with Wu Siu-hong and Michael Mak and hope to score medal/s.
