‘All of China looking at us’: Hong Kong tenpin bowlers reunite to chase Games gold
Retired team members to represent city again in National Games mass participation event, targeting gold in all three categories
A former world champion will spearhead Hong Kong’s challenge for tenpin bowling medals when the city hosts the sport’s National Games mass participation event at Kai Tak Sports Park later this month.
Michael Mak Cheuk-yin, a member of the city’s men’s trio who triumphed at the 2017 World Championships in Las Vegas, will be part of a Hong Kong team comprising nine former full national players and one current national youth player that will tackle the lanes at Top Bowl in Kai Tak Mall 2 from August 22 to 24.
Rules for the National Games mass participation events, of which bowling is one, stipulate that no full-time athletes should take part.
Co-hosting the National Games with Guangdong and Macau, Hong Kong will be staging eight other sports, including fencing, track cycling, triathlon and rugby sevens, from November 9 to 21.
“We’re just going to play with a normal mindset and not bear some must-win pressure any more,” said Mak, who last represented Hong Kong at the 2023 World Championships and has not been a full-time athlete for more than a year.
“There was so much pressure in the regional and international competitions I competed in before, such as the Asian Games,” said Mak, who won his 2017 trios world title with Wu Siu-hong and Eric Tseng Tak-hin.