Chan Wing-kin (right) of China's Hong Kong competes against Boonsiri Sanitmuanwai of Thailand during the men's sabre team final between Thailand and China's Hong Kong at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Oct 24, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Hong Kong competitors made a triumphant start to the Asian Para Games by pocketing two gold, five silver and three bronze medals on Monday and Tuesday, the first two days of the multisport event being held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province.

As of 9 pm on Tuesday, the Hong Kong delegation held 10th place in the medal count featuring 29 Asian countries and regions.

On Tuesday night, the city para swimmer Chan Yui-lam won the second gold medal for the Hong Kong team after finishing the final of the women’s 100-meter backstroke S14 class in 1 minute, 9.15 seconds. Her teammate Cheung Ho-ying ranked fourth in the final.

Hong Kong wheelchair fencers Kwong Yuen-hing, Chan Wing-kin and Sean Glass won a silver medal after losing 45-38 to their Thai opponents in the final of the men’s sabre team event

In a statement issued after Chan’s triumph, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Kevin Yeung Yun-hung said Chan’s victory was “well-deserved” as she outcompeted all the other opponents.

Chan also participated in the mixed 4x100-meter freestyle relay S14 class with Tang Wai-lok — winner of the city’s first gold medal on Monday — plus Cheung Tsun-lok and Cheung Ho-ying. The fourswimmer unit won another silver medal by completing the final race in 3 minutes, 55.20 seconds.

Lawn bowler Iron Tang Tsz-long lost to Song Jinqi from the national team 15-6 and bagged a silver medal in the men’s single B3 class event.

Earlier in the day, Hong Kong wheelchair fencers Kwong Yuen-hing, Chan Wing-kin and Sean Glass won a silver medal after losing 45-38 to their Thai opponents in the final of the men’s sabre team event.

Fencers Chung Yuen-ping, Yu Chui-yee, Lam Ka-man and Fan Pui-shan clinched another silver medal after losing 44-28 to the national team in the women’s team foil final.

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Bronze medalists Zou Xufeng (left) of China and Yu Chui-yee of China's Hong Kong talk during the awarding ceremony of the women's foil individual category A of wheelchair fencing at the 4th Asian Para Games in Hangzhou, east China's Zhejiang province, Oct 23, 2023. (PHOTO / XINHUA)

Chief Executive John Lee Ka-chiu praised Hong Kong competitors’ performances on Tuesday at his regular news conference before the Executive Council meeting.

He said free live broadcast zones for the Asia Para Games have been set up at sports facilities across the city’s 18 districts by the Leisure and 

Cultural Services Department, enabling residents to watch the competition and to cheer on Hong Kong athletes.

Swimmer Tang Wai-lok’s teammates Cheung Tsun-lok and Wong Hon-yin secured the silver and bronze medals respectively, completing the race in 1 minute, 57.34 seconds, and in 2 minutes, 0.65 seconds

He invited all Hong Kong people to support their team and give the athletes the strongest backing.

The Hong Kong squad got off to a perfect start by winning a gold medal on Monday.

Swimmer Tang Wai-lok broke his own Asian Para Games record in winning the final of the men’s 200-meter freestyle S14 class in 1 minute, 56.76 seconds. 

Monday’s triumph confirmed Tang as a three-time gold medalist after his victories in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014 and in Jakarta, Indonesia, in 2018.

Tang’s teammates Cheung Tsun-lok and Wong Hon-yin secured the silver and bronze medals respectively, completing the race in 1 minute, 57.34 seconds, and in 2 minutes, 0.65 seconds.

Other medalists on Monday were swimmer Ng Cheuk-yan, who won bronze in the women’s 100-meter backstroke S6 class, and fencer Yu Chui-yee, who took bronze in the women’s foil individual Category A event.

Ninety-five Hong Kong competitors are taking part in 11 disciplines at the Hangzhou Asian Para Games.

Macao sent a 34-member delegation to compete in six disciplines including boccia — a sport similar to bowls — table tennis and athletics. The city has yet to win a medal in Hangzhou.

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Patrick Lau Wing-chung, associate head of HKBU’s Department of Sport, Physical Education and Health, said the Hong Kong team has performed well in the ongoing Asian Para Games.

Lau said that compared with the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong has relatively limited support for sports, especially for para athletes. Lau said he believes that resources should be fairly allocated to the different groups of athletes, and he hopes that Hong Kong’s para athletes can see more support after achieving good results.