Hong Kong foil fencers (back, from left) Yeung Chi-ka, Nicholas Edward Choi Ho-yin, Edgar Cheung Ka-long and (front) Ryan Choi Chun-yin pose for a photo during a media briefing on Sept 4, 2023, in Hong Kong. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Hong Kong fencers voiced their determination on Monday to win the city more honors at the upcoming Asian Games in Hangzhou.
They underscored the invaluable role of the continental competition in honing their skills for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
A total of 24 Hong Kong fencers, male and female in equal numbers, will join the city’s largest-ever delegation of over 860 athletes to compete for honors at the 19th Asian Games to be held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, from Sept 23 to Oct 8. The event’s fencing competitions will be held from Sept 24 to 29.
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At a media session on Monday, the fencing team, including Olympic gold medalist Edgar Cheung Ka-long and world champion Vivian Kong Man-wai, said they will play to the best of their abilities to secure further accolades for the city.
To compete in epee individual and team contests in Hangzhou, epee fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai, a three-time individual Asian champion and two-time Olympian, said she has absolute confidence in her teammates, and she hopes they will emerge as champions at the upcoming games
Hangzhou will be the third Asian Games for Cheung, who won a silver medal in the team foil category and a bronze medal in the individual category at the 2018 Asian Games, held in Jakarta, Indonesia. Citing his familiarity with the event, Cheung said he will devote himself to preparing for the competitions with a relaxed mind.
Cheung became a household name by winning the city’s first-ever fencing gold Olympic medal in Tokyo in 2021 and now ranks seventh in the International Fencing Federation ranking.
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He was also a member of the Hong Kong male team that won a bronze medal in the team foil category at the 2023 World Fencing Championships in Milan, Italy, in July. He said he hopes the team will be motivated by its achievement and strive for greater success at the Asian Games and in qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
To compete in epee individual and team contests in Hangzhou, epee fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai, a three-time individual Asian champion and two-time Olympian, said she has absolute confidence in her teammates, and she hopes they will emerge as champions at the upcoming games.
Kong, who ranks second in the FIE ranking in the 2023-24 season, said she is looking forward to meeting Chinese mainland supporters of the Hong Kong fencing team in Hangzhou.
READ MORE: HK's Kong wins gold in 2023 Asian Fencing Championships
Ryan Choi Chun-yin, a foil fencer who pocketed a team gold at the just-concluded Chengdu FISU World University Games, said Hong Kong players are always welcomed by the audience on the mainland. Hearing their cheers will help relieve the pressure he would otherwise feel at the contests, Choi added.
Hong Kong foil fencers (from left) Daphne Chan Nok-sze, Valerie Cheng Hiu-wai, Sophia Wu and Kuan Yu-ching relax and enjoy a friendly chat before meeting the press on Sept 4, 2023, in Hong Kong. (ANDY CHONG / CHINA DAILY)
Zheng Zhaokang, head fencing coach of Hong Kong Sports Institute, said that he knows the Hong Kong community has high expectations of the Hong Kong fencers and wants them to perform well in top competitions. He said he hopes the athletes can therefore give full play to their skills and gain more laurels at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
Gregory Koenig, foil coach of the Hong Kong fencing team, said the team has demonstrated rapid progress by winning third place in the team foil competition at the 2023 World Fencing Championships.
Asia’s top teams, including teams from Japan, South Korea and China’s national team, will be the Hong Kong team’s toughest opponents at the Hangzhou Asian Games, said Koenig. But he is confident that Hong Kong fencers, both the male and the female players, can beat their rivals and achieve good results.
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Koenig also said the Asian Games can serve as a training ground to better prepare Hong Kong players technically and psychologically for future competitions. Young players in the team can also learn a lot from more senior team members during the games, he added.
The Hong Kong, China, delegation achieved record-breaking results at the Jakarta Asian Games, winning eight gold, 18 silver and 20 bronze medals. The fencing team pocketed two silver and six bronze medals.
Alice Zhu contributed to the story.
