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Unus Alladin

Coach Wang believes his trio of fencers can hold their own against the best - and even surprise

Hong Kong will make their first appearance at an Olympic Games in 12 years with a trio of fencers head coach Wang Ruiji likes to call his 'Three Musketeers'.

It might be wishful thinking for Wang to compare his three charges to the heroes of Alexander Dumas' novel, but the mainland coach just might have  the talent at his disposal to pull off a surprise or two as the world's best fencers gather on the piste.

Some 200 fencers will be taking part in the fencing competitions.  And Hong Kong fencers are hoping they will not be just making up the numbers.

Male fencer Lau Kwok-kin and female fencers Ada Chan Ying-man and 'CY' Chow Tsz-ki will become the first Hong Kong fencers at an Olympics since Ringo Lo Moon-tong was the SAR's lone competitor at the Barcelona Games.

Wang has high hopes for the trio who he believes can hold their own against the best in in the world of feint, lunge, parry and riposte.

'We don't have a big chance for a medal - that much is true. But we could do well and what I mean by doing well is by reaching the last 16 in the events. That would be an accomplishment,' said Wang, who has been Hong Kong head coach for the past seven years.

'Hong Kong failed to qualify for the previous two Olympics so we are going to make the most of this occasion,' he said.

Wang singled out 21-year-old Chow, who will be competing in the women's individual sabre, as the Hong Kong fencer who could 'do something' in Athens. Lau, 27, will compete in the men's individual foil and Chan, 21, in the women's individual foil. Chow  will compete in a relatively new event - rather unusual for a Hong Kong fencer who normally choose the most popular sword - foil - to show their mettle.

Only five years ago, the World Fencing Federation approved women's sabre in international competition.

Chow has a current world ranking of 64 and, according to Wang, reached the last 16 of the 2002 World Championships in Lisbon, Portugal - not a bad result for a teenager at the time.

'Chow has real talent and she's just 21. She was a silver medallist at the All-China Fencing Championships in 2002 and this year in May she finished third in the same competition, which proved her earlier medal wasn't a fluke. She has earned her place on the Hong Kong Olympic team like everybody else,' said Wang.

Chow was looking forward to the challenge, saying: 'Although I haven't competed at the Olympics before, I have competed at the World Championships and a few other regional competitions. I am not really lacking that much in experience so I won't be completely overawed.'

The Hong Kong team were put through their paces in a training stint in Beijing recently by visiting Russian coach Evgeny Golubev who was specially invited to help the team fine-tune their training.

Chow rubbed shoulders with some of the best fencers in the world in the Chinese capital, including Tan Xue, China's first-ever individual world champion after her triumph in the women's sabre in Lisbon two years ago.

Women's sabre - one of the three types of sword used in fencing - will be contested at the Olympics for the first time.

'There could be a few surprises in it. We are hoping Chow will pull off a surprise,' said coach Wang. 'You cannot discount Hong Kong's chances for a medal.'



Three musketeers