Bermuda’s men's tenpin bowling captain Lamar Richardson is optimistic about the team’s chances at the International Bowling Federation World Cup in Hong Kong.

Richardson, David Maycock, Dayvon Tucker, LeVinc Samuels, Michael Honore and Dennis Joell will represent the island at the tournament, held at Kai Tak Sports Park from January 5 to 14.

Speaking ahead of the team’s departure on New Year’s Day, Richardson highlighted the hard work that has gone into their preparations.

“The team is excited and will be ready to go as we’ve been training hard and are quietly optimistic,” Richardson said.

“We have a strong team with the return of LeVinc Samuels, who brings a ball of experience, along with senior members Maycock and myself. Dayvon, being the newest member, will bring his unique skills and fiery personality that the team will definitely feed off.”

In Hong Kong, Bermuda’s bowlers will compete in the individual and team events. The team competition will use the baker game system, where each country bowls 16 qualifying games to determine who advances to the round of 16. The subsequent rounds will be country-versus-country match play to decide the world champions.

The team aims to build on the experience gained at the Pan American Bowling Confederation Championships in Reno, Nevada, in August.

Maycock is the most seasoned player, having been part of the team that won silver at the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla, Colombia. Richardson and Maycock also helped Bermuda secure second place behind Aland at the 2019 Island Games in Gibraltar.

The 40-year-old Maycock, who has represented Bermuda since 2002, urged his team to stay focused.

“All team members stand a good chance of winning medals for Bermuda,” Maycock told The Royal Gazette.

“I haven’t won a medal for Bermuda since 2019, so I really want to win something. Guys like Lamar also have the experience, LeVinc is new to the format but he’s a great player too.

“When we get out there, we’ll be bowling singles and baker teams. For the first part of the tournament we’re bowling individual scores for points, so all of us have an equal chance of doing something great.

“All we have to do is remain focused on winning our matches because each match is like a point. We should stay in the moment, let the ball do the talking and not worry about our surroundings.

“It’s important for team members to lift each other. If one of us has a bad shot, we just need to keep on getting points, that’s all that matters.

“The team has been training hard two to three times a week at Warwick Lanes. We’re ready and confident, and we have the tools to make it happen. Every time we get off island, it’s always a different exposure.

“We are going a couple of days before to get used to the lanes over there. We have two practice sessions scheduled when we arrive. The whole idea is for us to get settled because of the time difference.

“We've got very good team chemistry so we just need to build off that and throw good shots to raise everybody’s self-esteem.”

Team manager Steven Riley acknowledged the challenges ahead but expressed confidence in the team’s ability to deliver strong performances.

“I am aware of the task ahead but I also have confidence in my players to give it their all,” Riley said.

“Our preparations have been going very well with the team practising every opportunity they can, with their final training session on Monday evening.

“The team has been working hard on their spare shooting, which will be crucial in this world cup format. We've also been adjusting to the long 47-foot oiling pattern that was especially designed for this World Cup event.”