First player to win twice in 2023 CBT Spinner-Hook Match Play

Last Sunday, the Sichuan Open Championships of the 2023 China Bowling Tour concluded in Chengdu, Sichuan province.

Wang Hongbo, a Guangdong bowler, won the trophy for the second time by defeating a local player marking the third time that Sichuan and Guangdong players had faced each other in the final match.

Wang, the eighth-ranked bowler in the Spinners group, defeated Zhang Fengli, a female hook player from Shanghai, in the 1/8 final and Anhui's Gu Limin in the quarterfinal before overcoming Zhejiang's Wang Xiaoyu in Spinner-Hook Match Plays. Wang Hongbo adjusted quickly and beat Wang Xiaoyu 2-1 in the semifinal despite Wang Xiaoyu being in his season-high peak form.

Pu Chengge, a Sichuan local player, got the final ticket relatively easier and faced Wang Hongbo in the final. In the first game of the final match, Wang Hongbo struck four frames in a row before Pu Chengge brought the house down with a difficult spare. Pu was 4 points behind until Wang Hongbo struck the last three balls in the 10th frame to finish the game. In the second game, Wang Hongbo came out with a vengeance and grew in confidence, making strikes in a row to eliminate Pu. Despite being 55 years old, Pu did not give up. Finally, Wang Hongbo earned the champion title of Spinner-Hook Match Play of 2023 CBT again. Wang became the first player to be crowned twice out of five times Spinner-Hook Match Plays of the 2023 China Bowling Tour.

CBT is hosted by the Multi-ball Games Administrative Center of the General Administration of Sport and the Chinese Bowling Association. The launch of CBT marks an important development of bowling in China. He Fengxiang, president of the CBA, said the event will contribute to the revitalization of bowling in the new era and is committed to actively integrating bowling into the national fitness strategy.

The final stage of the 2023 CBT will take place in Foshan, Guangdong province.