WPFG China

Allan Hanafin WPFG

Day one..arrival in Chengdu

All these updates for the games have been written for later copy and paste onto Facebook... no access
Uneventful flight via Thai airlines. A special immigration line had been created for the Wpfg competitors which was good. All bags were re X-rayed on entry by customs. Were met by a bunch of smiling uniformed volunteers armed with phones with translation apps. They tried were possible not to use them.
Where taken by coach to the conference centre to register, receive ID , info packs. There was even the offer of free SIM cards . My phone wouldn’t except it. Free transportation was given to all, armed with the new ID. All was smoothly done.
Outside the conference centre,the athletes village had been set up. Unfortunately those selling beer didn’t know the meaning of a “cold one” . Over the following days , extra fridges were found. It’s was sunny and around the mid 30s. Met a few of the regular Wpfg bowlers including Americans , wasn’t sure if they would make the effort 
So far I was impressed 
Chengdu is bigger , smarter and cleaner than I expected. Very high rise city. Pop 16M. One downside is the traffic. It’s a free for all. Everyone cutting up, everyone else. All the main British and Europe brands were on show. 
My hotel is the Kaitong international. Chosen due to price and closer to the bowl. 6 nights for £200. 
Room is impressive, on 11th floor.. 29 in total. Everything one would want. Kettle, tv , aircon, condoms... yep 3 packs of condoms within arms reach.
Was hoping, being an “ international “ hotel, the tv would have one or two English language channels, no such luck. The Chinese military have their own channel and give daily updates . Didn’t see one news report on the Hong Kong situation
Okay, done for now. Day two will start with all the “bowlers meeting” at the bowl in the morning and practice. Followed by the opening ceremony in the afternoon

Day two... bowlers meeting and opening ceremony

Normal chaos as info submitted did not match shown records.
First point of contention was attire. All bowlers are are required to wear long trousers... we said No, Yes it’s in the rules, No it’s not in our rules
At this point we realised the Chinese organisers for the bowling like their rules.
Hats off to the lovely Chinese translator who was the go between, relaying her supervisors instructions. Long story short, bowlers won, shorts were allowed. It was 32c that day.
I was in the pool for doubles and team. Fair amount of horse trading took place and I joined a team with Phil Arrowsmith from customs UK and two Ozzies with included Jeff Gillis ( B squad team )
My doubles partner was someone from Hong Kong with a 175 average, putting us in the A team doubles.
The pattern was “Wall Street “ score able 
Evening was the Opening Ceremony. We were picked up in a convoy of coaches. Each convoy had its own motorcycle outrider escorts. Each major junction were armed with police to stop traffic. A journey that could have taken two hours was done in 50 minutes. Chengdu traffic must have suffered badly.
We had a major turnout by the UK prison service, otherwise our UK showing would have been very small.
Ceremony itself was stunning and a joy to watch and be involved with.
Best ever. All Wpfg games will not hope to compete with this opening event. It was at an Olympics standards. It was live on 3 regional TV channels and apparently attracted big audiences. It may arrive on YouTube at some point.
It was topped off with a fireworks display of New Year’s Eve proportions.
Wpfg2021 in Rotterdam should forget trying to compete.
Got back to my hotel around 2300 totally exhausted 
At 0230 I was still awake, could not fall asleep

Day 3.... singles

I turned up late, just as they were starting, it’s 0800, no practice for me.
For the next 5 games I was bowling on fumes. Managed a 177 over 5 games.
Winners in my category were Gold.. Kevin Schofield. Canada, Silver.. Mark Lapinski . USA, Bronze.. Bob Magill. USA.
All scores can be found on the wpfg2019 webpage 
Found out that my doubles partner that I’d been assigned was no longer available. I was given another bowler from the USA with a 188 average. That put us into the open section. I was told that I would have to bowl into that afternoon squad. I declined.. then followed a procession of arguments.
The open doubles bowled immediately after the singles . Another pair from California also declined to bowl another set straight after the singles.
The Chinese organising committee stated we could bowl the following day, but our score would only be considered toward the all events. Regardless wether our scores achieved a medal level. I said in effect you are disqualifying us from the open doubles, we were told yes.
The guy who was spoken to re the shorts was spoken to again. Again he agreed with us. We would tack onto the A division doubles bowling the following day, if either team failed to achieve a medal score then the conversation was mute. He would then deal with the problem if either of us reach a medal position. All parties left satisfied.
So my doubles are tomorrow afternoon, I will bowl with the knowledge of the scores we need to achieve to medal . Not right personally , but I suffered from this scenarios in New York in 2011.
Over the last week I’ve had some health issues, haven’t had a beer in 9 days, these issues have all calmed down today 
Off to the athletes village, alcohol is definitely on the menu. Hope it helps me to sleep. Something I’ve been very of short of recently.

Day 4... Doubles

Slept great, arrived on time, and waited for my doubles partner to show. Alas he did not, therefore I bowled without a partner with my scores going towards the all events. Was amused by the 4th time I was approached by officials asking where was my bowling partner was.
Met my partner in the village the following day. He told me he left the bowling after the singles. He was told that there was no one to bowl doubles with.
Started off good, but faded in the last game.. 202 / 277 / 215 / 196 / 161
If my no show partner had shown and bowled well, who knows
There was some excellent scoring taking place in the “A” div doubles
Off to the athletes village for food and beer.
At the village, everything was well run, loads of volunteers, most had a working knowledge of English.
As I’m writing this, it’s 6 pm, I’m outside a bar, it’s just opening. The 14 staff have been called outside into the street in ranks of two and now going through a role call by the management in a military fashion., sang a very short song and went inside to start work. I noticed other bars in view doing the same...weird.
Back to the village 
Food was excellent and cheap, poss expensive by Chinese standards 
Security was high entering the village, all bags X-rayed and electronic sweeps of the individual, cigarette lighters were confiscated. 
Few stalls to buy souvenirs, mainly Panda bear related.
Tomorrow is the last day of competition

Day 5 team event

I was in the “B” Div team and suppose to be their secret weapon 
Well I didn’t know what I was doing and did sod all damage to the pins
A scud missile of bowling
We were bowling in the last squad of the day. All the bowlers with one or two exceptions like me were supposed to be bowlers with average below 170.
I witnessed a 299 and a 300 
I was told from guys in the earlier squad, the “A / Open “ divisions
That the “A” team score that won, was higher than the Open div winning score.
I haven’t checked but would not be surprised if the b team winning score was also very high..
It leads again into the integrity of averages of some of the competing nations.
I will look deeply with interest into the scores once fully ratified and posted.
I’ve always posted my true average to the games and encouraged others to do likewise, but now I’ve changed my mind. If the games organisers will not do anything as simple as to created a games average after every event and update it after every event. The system is open to abuse... so abuse it

Overall Chengdu and it’s people

I don’t know what I expected visiting China, I didn’t expect what I found.
I didn’t find a down trodden, fearful people 
I found people who have the same expectations as we in the West
They are not all dressed in colourless overalls.
They like their high fashion, labels . They have everything we have in the West. Tv look varied and interesting, couldn’t understand a damn word of it. Did get to watch the MUFC vs CFC match with Chinese commentary.
If China was a government led society, society wouldn’t be allowed to drive like total idiots. Uncontrolled junctions are a free for all. Controlled junctions are observed by cars and ignored by motorcycles, scooters and push bikes.
Hate to think of what the road death rate is over here.
Locals screaming shouting and laughing at each other. I have been getting some strange look and double takes in some areas. One old guy engaged me in a quiet restaurant for about 15 minutes... I talked back...neither of us understood a word the other said. He could have been telling me to foxtrot Oscar. Chengdu is without doubt the cleanest city I’ve ever been to. Litter is nonexistent, but they do appear to have a hoard of street cleaners who take pride in what they do.
China and especially Chengdu is open for business an happy to accept tourists.
I was only here for 6 nights, I wished I’d booked more to see this wonderful high rise city better. Most do not speak any English, but those in the bar’s and restaurants all have a translator app on their smartphones .
Just need the Chinese government to make their visa system easier and cheaper.
Anyone thinking about visiting Chengdu... then du..not a spelling mistake 
Oooo, could I copyright that.
I’m back to the UK in the morning.. 23 hour flight with 6 hour stop over in Bangkok 
Next games in 2021 will be held in Rotterdam