World Bowls Series number two bowler Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple from Malaysia has returned with his compatriot Muhammand Hizlee Abdul Rais to defend his pairs title at the 2024 Hong Kong International Bowls Classic.
Perceived as one of the best outdoor lawn bowls competitions in the world, the Classic is being held from November 9-17 at Craigengower Cricket Club, Hong Kong Football Club and Indian Recreation Club.
This year, elite bowlers from 13 countries or regions, including Australia, Canada, England, Ireland, Japan, Macao, Malaysia, New Zealand, Philippines, Scotland, Singapore, Thailand and Wales, will compete with bowlers from Hong Kong, China for the ultimate title.
Izzat, who is also the runner-up of the singles last year, will face strong challenge from Englishman Harry Goodwin (world ranked 4) and Sheldon Bagrie-Howley from New Zealand (world ranked 5).
In the women’s section, Hong Kong, China Bowler of the Year 2023 Jenny Miu (world ranked 19) aims to repeat her achievement to retain the singles title. Her strongest opponents will be Malaysian Nor Farrah Abdullah (world ranked 2) and Selina Goddard from New Zealand (world ranked 5). England’s Harriet Stevens, last year’s pairs runner-up, sits just outside the top 10 will be hoping to break into that select group with a strong performance in both events.
Also, back competing are current women’s pairs title holders Scotland’s Dee Hoggan and Rachel Sinclair looking to retain their crown for a second year running.
EVENT FORMAT
The singles is a knockout competition which will be played on November 9-10 at the three venues, with the finals being held at the Craigengower Cricket Club on the afternoon of November 10. The 64 competitors include overseas bowlers and Hong Kong’s top bowlers comprising winners of national singles events and qualifiers from local clubs.
The pairs is a seven-day competition stagedran from November 11-17. Twenty-four teams of each gender will be divided into two groups to play out a round robin competition. The top team from each group will enter the semi-finals directly, while the second and third place will meet in a play-off to fight for places in the semi-finals. The final will be played at the Craigengower Cricket Club in the afternoon of November 17.
First organised in 1981, the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic is recognised as one of the best outdoor bowls tournaments in the world.
Over the years, famous bowlers from all leading bowling countries have participated in the event.
Hong Kong, China themselves have won the pairs title on five occasions and Craigengower Cricket Club also won it in 1994.
In the singles, Hong Kong, China players George So Jnr, Noel Kennedy and Jordi Lo won their titles in 1984, 1994 and 2015 respectively.
For the women, Hong Kong, China Youth Team’s Amy Choi and Vivian won the pairs in 2015, and Dorothy Yu, Vivian Yip and Jenny Miu won the singles in 2015, 2017 and 2023 respectively.
Who will win the silverware in 2024?
RESULTS
All finals will be broadcast live through YouTube. Bowlers from around the world may go to http://www.bowls.org.hk/live to enjoy the finals.
Details and results of the tournament will be updated on the Lawn Bowls Association of Hong Kong, China, homepage at www.bowls.org.hk.
WORLD BOWLS SERIES RANKINGS
The Classic is a gold event on the World Bowls Series rankings calendar.
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. The sanctioned events occur across the globe and feature a mixture of existing and new events.
WBS currently has 29 sanctioned events. Each WBS event belongs 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.
November is a busy month for WBS events with the Scottish International Open currently taking place and the World Bowls Champion of Champions, Australian Bowls Premier League and Oceania Challenge all scheduled in the coming weeks.
It’s certainly a hectic time in the race to gain qualifying points to see who topes the men’s and women’s ranking tables at the end of 2024.
For more information regarding the World Bowls Series, contact: Neil Dalrymple, CEO, World Bowls, ceo@worldbowls.com
Author: Ceris Hewlings, World Bowls media officer
Caption
World Bowls Series’ number two bowler Izzat Shameer Dzulkeple (left) from Malaysia will partner with Muhammand Hizlee Abdul Rais to defend their pairs title at the Hong Kong International Bowls Classic.
Rachel Sinclair (right) and Dee Hogan from Scotland also return to defend their title.