https://www.scmp.com/rss/330188/feed en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Chloe Loung Chloe Loung This is the 77th instalment in a biweekly series profiling major Hong Kong pop culture figures of recent decades. If your radar picked up even a blip of K-pop in the mid-2010s, you probably encountered Jackson Wang Ka-yee long before you realised he was a Hong Kong native. To overseas fans, he was first known as the magnetic, mischievous rapper of Got7, a boy band that debuted under JYP Entertainment in 2014 and quickly amassed a loyal international following. Among the seven members, Wang was... https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3354172/how-got7s-jackson-wang-went-hong-kong-fencing-prodigy-global-music-icon?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/entertainment/article/3354172/how-got7s-jackson-wang-went-hong-kong-fencing-prodigy-global-music-icon?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 21 May 2026 23:15:05 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s fencers all came up short at the Shanghai Grand Prix on Sunday, and world No 1 Ryan Choi Chun-yin lost to an opponent who had not beaten him since before Covid. With the Asian and World Championships fast approaching, teenager Harris Ho Shing-him managed to go the furthest, making it to the third round before crashing out. Still, the results reinforced head coach Greg Koenig’s belief in the foil quartet he has selected for the Asian tournament in Delhi next month, and the World... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353883/hong-kong-fencing-coach-happy-team-despite-lacklustre-display-shanghai-grand-prix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353883/hong-kong-fencing-coach-happy-team-despite-lacklustre-display-shanghai-grand-prix?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 17 May 2026 10:33:32 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong fencing squad members and those on the fringes of teams have one last chance on the mainland this week to make the cut for two major tournaments. The Shanghai Grand Prix, the last event of the regular season, will help coaches decide who makes the cut for next month’s Asian Fencing Championships in India and the World Fencing Championships in Hong Kong in July. Only those with a top four Hong Kong ranking will represent the city, and in the men’s foil team there is just one place up... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353290/young-hong-kong-fencers-shanghai-battle-make-teams-asian-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353290/young-hong-kong-fencers-shanghai-battle-make-teams-asian-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 12 May 2026 12:00:06 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Fencing world champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin boldly said on Saturday that he wanted to see the Hong Kong’s men climb to the top of the team world before he retires. The city will host the World Fencing Championships this summer, and Choi said it was time a team that had two athletes who had been ranked as the best in the sport should be bidding to do the same as a group. Speaking to media at an event previewing the championships in July, Choi and his teammates also pointed to the three World Cup... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353006/fencing-no-1-ryan-choi-aims-put-hong-kong-top-world?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3353006/fencing-no-1-ryan-choi-aims-put-hong-kong-top-world?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 10 May 2026 00:00:16 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s men’s foil team claimed a narrow victory over their rivals Japan at the FIE Foil World Cup in Turkey on Sunday. The 45-43 quarter-final win in Istanbul ensured that Hong Kong, despite their semi-final 45-38 loss to world No 1 Italy which sent them into the bronze-medal match against the United States, slightly extended the point difference between the teams in the world rankings. With a win in Paris and a second place in Cairo already to their names this season, Hong Kong have 274... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3352286/hong-kong-fencers-extend-world-rankings-lead-over-japan-fie-foil-world-cup-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3352286/hong-kong-fencers-extend-world-rankings-lead-over-japan-fie-foil-world-cup-turkey?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 03 May 2026 13:32:18 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The man responsible for turning Hong Kong into a fencing powerhouse believes a new global competition can only be good for athletes in the city and beyond, while world No 1 Ryan Choi Chun-yin said he would “do it again” in a heartbeat. Hongkonger Choi captained Team Shield to a 5-1 victory over Team Blade in the inaugural World Fencing League event in Los Angeles on Sunday, which along with a prize fund of US$100,000 (HK$780,000) drew almost 6,000 spectators, including Formula 1’s Lewis... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3351560/hong-kong-foil-coach-believes-world-fencing-league-positive-move-sport?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3351560/hong-kong-foil-coach-believes-world-fencing-league-positive-move-sport?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 28 Apr 2026 00:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Ryan Choi Chun-yin hailed a “breakthrough for fencing” after his fabulous comeback victory over Miles Chamley-Watson crowned the inaugural World Fencing League (WFL) in front of a sold-out Los Angeles crowd on Sunday. The brainchild of American 2016 Olympic foil team bronze medallist Chamley-Watson, the WFL was designed to propel fencing “onto the global stage all year round”, while swelling competitors’ earnings and drawing audiences closer to the sport. Reigning foil world champion Choi’s... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3351454/hong-kongs-ryan-choi-shines-los-angeles-world-fencing-league-debut?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3351454/hong-kongs-ryan-choi-shines-los-angeles-world-fencing-league-debut?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 26 Apr 2026 04:27:42 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong’s athletes have achieved unprecedented success at the 2026 World Cadets and Juniors Fencing Championships, winning the junior and cadet men’s foil competitions in the same year for the first time. Lam Ho-long and Harris Ho Shing-him triumphed on successive days in Rio de Janeiro, with Lam taking the foil title in commanding fashion with a 15-5 win over Egypt’s Abdelrahman Tolba. The 19-year-old’s win makes him only the second Hong Kong athlete to win a junior world fencing crown,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349274/hong-kong-sweep-mens-foil-junior-cadet-titles-world-fencing-championships-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3349274/hong-kong-sweep-mens-foil-junior-cadet-titles-world-fencing-championships-brazil?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:12 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Ryan Choi Chun-yin is set to be at the vanguard of a Drive to Survive-style initiative aimed at placing fencing “on the global stage all year round”. The World Fencing League (WFL), brainchild of 2016 Olympic team foil bronze medallist Miles Chamley-Watson, will stage its inaugural event in Los Angeles next month. One of 12 elite athletes invited to compete, Choi believes the pioneering competition is “a huge step forward for the sport, because we’re going beyond just fencing”. “It’s something... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3348283/hong-kong-world-champion-ryan-choi-set-be-part-huge-step-forward-fencing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3348283/hong-kong-world-champion-ryan-choi-set-be-part-huge-step-forward-fencing?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 29 Mar 2026 23:00:23 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong fencing head coach Zheng Kangzhao is looking forward to the rest of the action-packed 2026 calendar, with the world championships on home soil and the Asian Games the two stand-out events. The city is hosting the FIE Fencing World Championships for the first time in July and Hong Kong fencers will travel to Japan for the Games later this year, hoping to improve on their record medal haul in Hangzhou in 2023. “This year, our two most important events are the world championships, which... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3347960/hong-kong-fencing-boss-hopes-bring-surprises-fans-world-championships-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3347960/hong-kong-fencing-boss-hopes-bring-surprises-fans-world-championships-asian-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Mar 2026 06:33:56 +0000 Stephy Zhang Stephy Zhang Cheung Ka-long hit back at his online critics after he claimed bronze from the Foil Grand Prix in Peru on Monday. Currently down at world No 9 after a fallow period following his 2024 Olympic gold, Cheung has now claimed consecutive podium finishes following his third place at last month’s grand prix in Italy. He won an all-Hong Kong battle with Ryan Choi Chun-yin in his Lima quarter-final, before going down 15-3 to Kirill Borodachev in the last four. After recently incurring the wrath of some... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3347623/hong-kongs-cheung-ka-long-dismisses-online-critics-after-claiming-bronze-peru?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3347623/hong-kongs-cheung-ka-long-dismisses-online-critics-after-claiming-bronze-peru?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 23 Mar 2026 12:45:09 +0000 Sumnima Kandangwa Sumnima Kandangwa Staying true to Gabrielle Chanel’s love of sport and her belief that physical freedom and self-expression are essential in a woman’s life, the CC League is a two-year mentorship programme that treats beauty as a source of power. It goes beyond the more customary Chanel aesthetic, and offers one-on-one guidance and group coaching focused on self-confidence, self-expression and femininity to help each athlete define her own rituals and presence, on and off the field. “To me, being feminine means... https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3345346/style-edit-chanels-cc-league-empowers-women-athletes-and-field?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/magazines/style/beauty/wellness/article/3345346/style-edit-chanels-cc-league-empowers-women-athletes-and-field?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 05 Mar 2026 02:00:09 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Hong Kong ended the 2026 Asian Cadet and Junior Fencing Championships in Jakarta on Friday with an impressive haul of six gold, six silver and eight bronze medals, with most of the medals picked up in a record-breaking performance in the cadet age group. In the cadet category, Hong Kong’s young fencers secured at least one gold medal on each day of the competition, delivering their best-ever result in the age group with five gold, five silver and four bronze medals. That dominance also saw Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3344970/hong-kong-fencers-enjoy-best-medal-haul-asian-cadet-and-junior-championships-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3344970/hong-kong-fencers-enjoy-best-medal-haul-asian-cadet-and-junior-championships-indonesia?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 28 Feb 2026 10:00:27 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long opened his account for the season with a men’s individual bronze medal at the Turin Grand Prix on Saturday. The result came less than two weeks after Greg Koenig, the city’s foil head coach, said no one should worry about Cheung’s condition, and the two-time Olympic champion went all the way through to the semi-finals before losing 15-9 to American Nick Itkin. The left-hander finished No 19 and No 21 at World Cup appearances in Fukuoka in December 2025 and Paris... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3342828/hong-kong-foilist-cheung-ka-long-finally-gets-podium-bronze-turin-grand-prix?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3342828/hong-kong-foilist-cheung-ka-long-finally-gets-podium-bronze-turin-grand-prix?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 08 Feb 2026 09:55:12 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Greg Koenig said it was still too early to worry about one of his top fencers after two-time Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long’s slow start to the season. The decorated left-hander finished No 19 and No 21 at World Cup appearances in Fukuoka in December 2025 and Paris in January 2026, and has reached the podium only twice in 12 competitions since winning Olympic gold at the Grand Palais in Paris 18 months ago. A red card and a second-round exit at the regional championships last June were followed... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3341390/hong-kong-fencing-coach-greg-koenig-backs-cheung-ka-long-regain-form-after-slow-start?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3341390/hong-kong-fencing-coach-greg-koenig-backs-cheung-ka-long-regain-form-after-slow-start?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 27 Jan 2026 09:00:13 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Ryan Choi Chun-yin has welcomed the “exciting and refreshing” emergence of a new generation of Hong Kong fencing stars, and intimated that he could quit the sport following the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. World champion Choi combined with Cheung Ka-long, the two-time Olympic champion, and the youthful pair of Cheng Tit-nam, 20, and Mike Lam Ho-long, 18, for team gold from this month’s Foil World Cup leg in Paris. Harris Ho-Shing-him, 16, and 21-year-old Leung Chin-yu have also gained senior... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3341109/hong-kong-fencing-star-ryan-choi-welcomes-exciting-and-refreshing-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3341109/hong-kong-fencing-star-ryan-choi-welcomes-exciting-and-refreshing-new-generation?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 24 Jan 2026 11:30:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The mastermind behind two men’s foil individual Olympic gold medals and one world title said he was confident about the future of the sport in the city after their recent World Cup success in Paris. Greg Koenig, Hong Kong’s foil team head coach, also said the abundant wealth of young fencers at his disposal was part of the reason for his wanting to stay at the helm for a longer time. Reflecting on the Paris World Cup, which saw world No 1 Ryan Choi Chun-yin finish second individually and the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340830/hong-kongs-abundance-young-fencing-talent-gives-coach-greg-koenig-optimism-future?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340830/hong-kongs-abundance-young-fencing-talent-gives-coach-greg-koenig-optimism-future?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 22 Jan 2026 11:00:13 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong’s young fencers continued their strong streak at FIE Junior and Cadet World Cups, with foil fencer Harris Ho Shing-him claiming gold in Madrid and female foil fencer Fan Bo-yee winning silver in Tbilisi, Georgia. The team at the FIE Junior and Cadet Épée World Cup in Bahrain, however, failed to improve on their earlier success of four medals, with only Kenton Hsu Hong-zhan and Curtis Chui Kai-chit making it as far as the quarter-finals in the junior men’s épée on Friday. All of Hong... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340244/hong-kongs-young-fencers-continue-medal-streak-fie-junior-and-cadet-world-cups?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340244/hong-kongs-young-fencers-continue-medal-streak-fie-junior-and-cadet-world-cups?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 17 Jan 2026 05:06:00 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport Hong Kong’s young fencers have matched their senior counterparts by winning a host of medals at the FIE Junior and Cadet Épée World Cup in Bahrain on Thursday. Days after the men’s team claimed foil gold in Paris, the city’s 10-strong youth squad finished with two golds, one silver and one bronze in Manama, the capital of the island nation. Picking up where he left off a fortnight ago in Switzerland, Wong Pak-yiu beat teammate Anthony Ho Shing-fung to seal his second consecutive World Cup gold... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340102/young-hong-kong-fencers-win-4-medals-fie-junior-and-cadet-epee-world-cup-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3340102/young-hong-kong-fencers-win-4-medals-fie-junior-and-cadet-epee-world-cup-bahrain?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 16 Jan 2026 05:00:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan After a tough start to her 2026 season, American-Chinese teenager Jaelyn Liu believes this is the year to learn what it takes to become a force in the fencing world. The 16-year-old burst onto the stage in Hong Kong a year ago, becoming the youngest winner of an individual foil World Cup event in the sport’s history. Defending her title last weekend, the best the United States team member could manage was 20th, to go along with her 35th-place finishes in previous legs in Mallorca and Busan. It... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339581/american-chinese-teen-fencer-liu-ready-overcome-tough-start-year-growth?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339581/american-chinese-teen-fencer-liu-ready-overcome-tough-start-year-growth?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 13 Jan 2026 00:00:21 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Ryan Choi Chun-yin added team gold to his individual silver at the Foil World Cup stop in Paris, as Hong Kong got their 2026 off to a flying start on Sunday. A 45-38 victory over the United States, ranked second in the world, in the final completed a day when the city’s men swept aside all before them. “I’m extremely happy to have won this gold medal with the team; we have such a strong team to begin the season with,” said Choi, who remained at the top of the latest world rankings, which were... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339533/hong-kong-claim-foil-team-gold-paris-world-cup-young-guns-leading-way?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339533/hong-kong-claim-foil-team-gold-paris-world-cup-young-guns-leading-way?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 03:11:35 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The United States’ women are already preparing to defend their Olympic foil team gold in Los Angeles in 2028, head coach Ralf Bissdorf said on Sunday, after his young side finished third in the World Cup event in Hong Kong. Defeat to France in the semi-finals kept the Americans outside the top two for the first time this season. In contrast, Italy, silver medallists in Paris last summer, claimed their third consecutive team title in as many months, thrashing their European neighbours 45-22 to... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339514/us-women-sacrifice-hong-kong-fencing-title-bid-olympic-gold-already-their-sights?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339514/us-women-sacrifice-hong-kong-fencing-title-bid-olympic-gold-already-their-sights?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 12 Jan 2026 01:00:22 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Leading Hong Kong fencer Ryan Choi Chun-yin got his new year off to a great start by pocketing silver at the FIE Men’s Foil World Cup in Paris on Saturday. Having won gold in another World Cup outing in Fukuoka in December, the world No 1 picked up where he left off by beating a pair of Japanese fencers in Yudai Nagano and Kazuki Iimura, as well as Russian Aleksandr Kerik, who was competing without a flag, to set up a quarter-final clash against Filippo Macchi of Italy. Reigning world champion... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339475/hong-kongs-top-fencer-ryan-choi-gets-year-solid-start-foil-world-cup-silver?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3339475/hong-kongs-top-fencer-ryan-choi-gets-year-solid-start-foil-world-cup-silver?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 11 Jan 2026 03:29:20 +0000 Ada Li Ada Li Defending fencing champion Jaelyn Liu called Hong Kong her “lucky place” ahead of her title defence on Saturday at the FIE Women’s Foil World Cup, while Daphne Chan Nok-sze is the city’s only representative to make it to the round of 64. Since her triumph in Hong Kong a year ago, the 16-year-old American has established herself as one of the brightest rising stars in fencing. Liu captured both the junior and cadet world titles in 2025, becoming the first and youngest American to win a world... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339385/womens-foil-world-cup-champion-liu-keeping-expectations-check-1-city-fencer-competing?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3339385/womens-foil-world-cup-champion-liu-keeping-expectations-check-1-city-fencer-competing?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 10 Jan 2026 00:00:23 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s foil fencers need to “fix something” and Cheung Ka-long’s return to his Olympic-winning form could take time, coach Greg Koenig has admitted after a disappointing team display at the World Cup in Japan. Koenig, who as foil head coach oversaw Hong Kong’s team gold medal at the National Games at Kai Tak Arena last month, said he was surprised his foilists fell at the first hurdle in the World Cup’s team competition in Fukuoka on Sunday. And he admitted his squad will pay the price... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3335607/hong-kong-fencers-must-fix-something-get-2028-olympic-ambition-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3335607/hong-kong-fencers-must-fix-something-get-2028-olympic-ambition-back-track?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 08 Dec 2025 09:59:48 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Ryan Choi Chun-yin has said he hopes his march to FIE Foil World Cup glory in Japan on Saturday can deliver some cheer to Hong Kong. World champion fencer Choi was at his imperious best in Fukuoka, where he gradually found his groove after surviving a couple of tight opening encounters. The 28-year-old stormed to a 15-9 victory in the final against Kirill Borodachev, the same man he beat to become Hong Kong’s first world champion back in July. “What a magical run to win this title – it was one... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3335496/fie-foil-world-cup-ryan-choi-savours-gold-hopes-cheer-hong-kong-bit?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3335496/fie-foil-world-cup-ryan-choi-savours-gold-hopes-cheer-hong-kong-bit?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 07 Dec 2025 06:19:05 +0000 Reuters Reuters Fencing might be one of the Olympics’ oldest events, but three-time Olympian Miles Chamley-Watson has said it urgently needs a reboot and hopes his new World Fencing League (WFL) will drag the sport into the modern entertainment age. The British-born American will unveil the league in Los Angeles in April 2026, complete with cinematic broadcasts and cutting-edge blade-tracking technology that turns lightning-fast sword work into real-time visuals. “Why is fencing not on TV? It’s simple: people... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335038/new-fencing-competition-aims-drag-ancient-olympic-sport-modern-entertainment-era?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3335038/new-fencing-competition-aims-drag-ancient-olympic-sport-modern-entertainment-era?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Dec 2025 08:30:15 +0000 Victor Sanjinez,Catherine Ma,Brian Wang,Rocio Marquez,Kaliz Lee Victor Sanjinez,Catherine Ma,Brian Wang,Rocio Marquez,Kaliz Lee https://www.scmp.com/article/3332411/rise-fencing-hong-kong-sport-obsession-infographic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/article/3332411/rise-fencing-hong-kong-sport-obsession-infographic?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 21 Nov 2025 02:00:11 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The man tasked with ensuring Hong Kong’s fencers continue to deliver on the world stage for years to come said he was satisfied with the overall results despite some “hits and misses” at the National Games. Speaking to the Post on Thursday, Zheng Kangzhou, the city’s head coach, laid out his next targets a day after the city’s men pocketed foil team gold at Kai Tak Arena, completing the full set with the long-coveted piece. With the men’s épée and women’s foil teams both denied in the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333581/hong-kong-fencing-coach-eyes-global-team-success-after-hits-and-misses-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333581/hong-kong-fencing-coach-eyes-global-team-success-after-hits-and-misses-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 20 Nov 2025 11:48:25 +0000 SCMP Sport SCMP Sport We’re much closer to the end than the beginning of what has been an enthralling National Games, but we’re not done yet. Fresh off a first fencing gold for the men’s foil team, their épée counterparts get a chance to redeem themselves after the individual slip-ups they all suffered earlier this week. In badminton, mixed doubles Olympic champions Zheng Siwei and Huang Yaqiong are proving that age is just a number. Having retired after their golden hurrah in Paris, they came back for an encore and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3333463/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-go-again-fan-v-wang-part-2-what-watch-day-11?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-sport/article/3333463/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-go-again-fan-v-wang-part-2-what-watch-day-11?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 23:01:18 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong won its first fencing National Games gold medal on Wednesday, after the men’s foil team beat Fujian 45-34 in the final. The hosts, seeded third, eliminated Zhejiang and Jiangsu en route to the highly anticipated bout against the top seeds and defending champions at Kai Tak Arena. While the city’s top fencers Ryan Choi Chun-yin and Cheung Ka-long remained their usual trustworthy selves, head coach Greg Koenig was quick to heap praise on one of the other members of the team. “Leung... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333404/national-games-cheung-choi-power-hong-kong-fencers-fight-gold-mens-team-foil?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333404/national-games-cheung-choi-power-hong-kong-fencers-fight-gold-mens-team-foil?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 19 Nov 2025 09:03:52 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Teenage fencer Wu Haidi said the National Games was “a mark for me to know where I am right now”, after the city’s women’s épée team came up short in their pursuit of a medal on Tuesday. Led by individual bronze medallist Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, the hosts got past their first hurdle, Shandong, with a narrow 33-30 win at Kai Tak Arena. Chan Wai-ling erased a two-point deficit in the penultimate round before handing off to Hsieh, who secured the winning points in the final round to seal a final four... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333294/hong-kong-epee-teams-defeat-learning-experience-west-island-school-pupil-wu?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333294/hong-kong-epee-teams-defeat-learning-experience-west-island-school-pupil-wu?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 18 Nov 2025 12:50:07 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s épée men wasted no time in shifting their focus to this week’s team event, after all three left Kai Tak Arena empty-handed on Monday. There was no repeat of the individual silver claimed by Aaron Ho Sze-long in men’s sabre or the bronze Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan picked up in the women’s épée, with Cedric Ho Wai-hang, Fong Hoi-sun and Ng Ho-tin all failing to make it past the second knockout round. Of the three, Ho made it the furthest, and only because he knocked out Ng in the first... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333130/national-games-hong-kongs-epee-men-turn-team-event-after-all-3-are-knocked-out-early?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333130/national-games-hong-kongs-epee-men-turn-team-event-after-all-3-are-knocked-out-early?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 17 Nov 2025 12:06:47 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s fencing team said they were disappointed but not defeated by the men’s individual foil results, after Cheung Ka-long only took home a bronze medal at the National Games on Sunday. World champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin had fallen first in the quarter-finals, losing 15-9 to Xu Jie and ending any hopes of a mouthwatering last four clash with Cheung. Xu, who was representing Fujian, then went on to beat two-time Olympic champion Cheung by an identical score. Despite eventually securing a... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333000/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-disappointed-foil-bronze-vow-do-better-team?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3333000/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-disappointed-foil-bronze-vow-do-better-team?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 16 Nov 2025 14:34:00 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Emotions ran high at Kai Tak Arena on Saturday as Hong Kong fencers collected two notable National Games medals, even if their hopes of gold were dashed. Aaron Ho Sze-long brought home a historic first sabre medal for the city in claiming men’s silver, while épéeist Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan added a maiden individual bronze. After emerging from the group stage, Ho grew in confidence and swept aside successive opponents, including 2018 Asian Games bronze medallist Xu Yingming of Guangdong, to reach... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332947/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-aaron-ho-kaylin-hsieh-win-first-medals-fall-short?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332947/national-games-hong-kong-fencers-aaron-ho-kaylin-hsieh-win-first-medals-fall-short?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Nov 2025 15:01:24 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan As Hong Kong’s épéeists prepared to open the National Games fencing events on Saturday, attention has turned to how the partnership between teacher and pupils is progressing. Gauthier Grumier, who took up his post as Hong Kong’s épée head coach only earlier this year, admitted it was still a “work in progress” in terms of getting to know his athletes. However, the 41-year-old Frenchman is not afraid to say that his target with his team is a gold medal at his first National Games. “We hope for... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332462/national-games-new-coach-aims-high-calls-partnership-fencers-work-progress?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3332462/national-games-new-coach-aims-high-calls-partnership-fencers-work-progress?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 13 Nov 2025 02:00:20 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Reigning fencing world champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin said his biggest takeaway from his success in Georgia in July would become the fuel to help him overcome any future lows and setbacks. Having won three straight competitions – the Shanghai Grand Prix, the Asian Championships in Bali and the World Championships in Tbilisi – in as many months since May, Choi also said there was “no difference in me” despite the title and ranking changes. “I will not be afraid of the lows that I will have,” he... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331926/hong-kong-fencing-star-ryan-choi-looking-forward-pressure-competing-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331926/hong-kong-fencing-star-ryan-choi-looking-forward-pressure-competing-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 08 Nov 2025 06:00:16 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong fencer Ryan Choi Chun-yin is known for his unusual “leap, crouch and charge forward” style on the piste, but has anyone wondered where his unconventionalness came from? “It’s probably in my blood, it came with me when I was born,” said the city’s first fencing world champion. “I didn’t like to study. I was naughty and was almost expelled from school. “I could not sit tight and was always running, jumping around.” Born on October 9, 1997, a little more than three months after the... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331299/how-hong-kong-world-champion-fencer-ryan-choi-came-his-unorthodox-style?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331299/how-hong-kong-world-champion-fencer-ryan-choi-came-his-unorthodox-style?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 04 Nov 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong swimmer Stephanie Au Hoi-shun said the feeling she had taking part in the city’s National Games torch relay on Sunday was “completely different” than being a flag bearer at the Olympics. The five-time Olympian ran the third leg of the relay alongside Victoria Harbour after collecting the torch from Chinese fencer Sun Yiwen just outside the Legislative Council Complex. She handed it off to Hong Kong Jockey Club chairman Martin Liao. “I used to think being a torch relay runner and a flag... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331223/swimmer-au-weighs-heavier-torch-against-lighter-responsibility-national-games-relay?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331223/swimmer-au-weighs-heavier-torch-against-lighter-responsibility-national-games-relay?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 02 Nov 2025 11:00:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The man overseeing the development of fencing in Hong Kong has said he is targeting gold medals for some of his charges at this month’s National Games – but refused to reveal the number he has in mind. Zheng Kangzhao, the city’s head coach, said the current crop of fencers in all three weapon categories – foil, épée and sabre – were better placed to triumph than their predecessors. Spearheading the challenge will be two-time Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long and his fellow foilist Ryan Choi... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331130/national-games-success-missing-piece-hong-kong-fencing-boss?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3331130/national-games-success-missing-piece-hong-kong-fencing-boss?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 01 Nov 2025 01:00:29 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The woman tipped by the city’s head coach to step up and emerge as a true world-class épéeist is living up to the expectations in time for next month’s National Games. Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan also said “everything was fresh” for her after ending last season with a career-high No 4 ranking in the world. And with the new fencing season fast approaching, she was looking to replicate her success. “The results for me last season were the best for me ever; the situation was very rare,” she said. “I... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3329903/hong-kong-fencer-kaylin-hsieh-hopes-launch-another-very-rare-season-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3329903/hong-kong-fencer-kaylin-hsieh-hopes-launch-another-very-rare-season-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 22 Oct 2025 09:30:07 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Champion fencer Cheung Ka-long finally returned to normal training last week as he builds up to the National Games, and a fully rested and rejuvenated two-time Olympic champion is probably the last man any opponent would wish to meet on the piste at Kai Tak Arena next month. It was the first time the Hongkonger had picked up his weapon since his stunning first-round loss at the World Fencing Championships in Tbilisi on July 23. He did pick it up once in that time, but only for a friendly... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3329103/rested-and-refreshed-hong-kong-fencer-cheung-ka-long-ready-national-games-build?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3329103/rested-and-refreshed-hong-kong-fencer-cheung-ka-long-ready-national-games-build?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 15 Oct 2025 23:00:10 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan The coach behind Hong Kong’s fencing success has boldly targeted four men’s foil medals – all the individual prizes and team gold – at next month’s National Games, saying such a sweep would be “perfect”. Greg Koenig, who leads the men’s and women’s foil teams, expressed full confidence in his charges and noted that the Games’ format might give Hong Kong an edge over the other provinces and cities. The city will be represented at Kai Tak Arena by two-time and reigning Olympic champion Cheung... https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3328800/hong-kong-foil-fencers-target-perfect-sweep-national-games-medals?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/china/article/3328800/hong-kong-foil-fencers-target-perfect-sweep-national-games-medals?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 14 Oct 2025 00:00:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic champion fencer Cheung Ka-long has reached a pivotal moment and must reset mentally to move forward, his coach has said. Greg Koenig, head coach of the city’s men’s and women’s foil teams, said Cheung must rediscover his love of the sport when he returns to training this week following a two-month break. From there, he will seek National Games success next month, and can set his sights on becoming the first to win a third Olympic individual foil crown, in Los Angeles... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3328151/cheung-ka-long-needs-mental-reset-win-third-olympic-fencing-gold-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3328151/cheung-ka-long-needs-mental-reset-win-third-olympic-fencing-gold-coach-says?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 08 Oct 2025 00:00:11 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s top men’s epeeist Cedric Ho Wai-hang said he wants to relive the podium moments on home soil at the coming National Games in November. Ho last stood on the podium alongside his teammates when the hosts finished third in the men’s team épée event at the Asian Championships at AsiaWorld-Expo in 2017. “It wasn’t the National Games, but my memories were quite deep,” he said. “It was my first regional podium as a team member, which was a very memorable achievement for me.” Ho and his... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3327819/hongkonger-ho-targets-podium-finish-home-soil-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3327819/hongkonger-ho-targets-podium-finish-home-soil-national-games?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 02:00:31 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong is set to welcome a hat-trick of international fencing events at the AsiaWorld-Expo over the next nine months, it was announced on Friday, concluding with the next FIE World Championships. The FIE Junior Epee World Cup will be the first to be held in the city, from November 28 to 30 this year at Lantau Island, followed by the FIE Women’s Foil World Cup from January 9 to 11, and the world championships from July 21 to 30. With Hong Kong also set to host the National Games next month,... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3327834/hong-kong-host-3-major-fencing-events-over-9-months-finishing-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3327834/hong-kong-host-3-major-fencing-events-over-9-months-finishing-world-championships?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 03 Oct 2025 12:09:05 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara After winning the first of his three Olympic medals in Rio in 2016, fencer Enzo Lefort hung around in the Brazilian city for nine more days. “I partied for eight of them,” said Lefort, who won a silver in the team foil event in Brazil. “The day we got the medal, I went to the French house and partied until 6am; I got back to the village at 7.” Last year, in a Paris Olympics competition staged a few kilometres from his apartment, Lefort lost the closing three points in a 15-14 quarter-final... https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3325324/how-enzo-lefort-got-over-losing-hong-kong-fencer-cheung-ka-long-his-home-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/article/3325324/how-enzo-lefort-got-over-losing-hong-kong-fencer-cheung-ka-long-his-home-olympics?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 13 Sep 2025 00:28:19 +0000 Paul McNamara Paul McNamara Cheung Ka-long whetted the appetite for the National Games on Tuesday, taking on Enzo Lefort in a fencing exhibition at Hong Kong Palace Museum to mark 75 days to go until the multi-sport extravaganza. Staged to step up anticipation for the city co-hosting November’s Games, the “Palace of Champions: Fencing for Spirit” event thrust Cheung into combat with a Frenchman he narrowly beat on his way to winning Olympic gold for a second time in Paris last year. And just as he did in their Paris... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3323244/hong-kong-marks-75-days-until-national-games-cheung-ka-long-fencing-display?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3323244/hong-kong-marks-75-days-until-national-games-cheung-ka-long-fencing-display?utm_source=rss_feed Tue, 26 Aug 2025 14:16:52 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan A colourful celebration could be on the cards for Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi Chun-yin after the newly crowned fencing world champion was challenged by his coaches to mark his achievement with a “rainbow” hairstyle. Yet Choi, 27, has already revealed a new side to himself, the coaches told the Post, having helped to transform him from an outsider only weeks ago to best on the planet in Georgia last week. Maurizio Zomparelli and Giacomo Fanizza, the city’s foil coaches, respectively dyed their hair and... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3320034/how-ryan-chois-team-turned-unusual-fencer-spectacular-world-champion?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3320034/how-ryan-chois-team-turned-unusual-fencer-spectacular-world-champion?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 30 Jul 2025 00:30:08 +0000 Mike Chan Mike Chan Hong Kong’s newly crowned world fencing champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin returned to the city on Monday and expressed his gratitude after his triumph in Georgia last week. On his arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, 27-year-old Choi was presented with a bouquet of flowers before describing his relief and joy at reaching the pinnacle of his sport. Having so often been overshadowed by Cheung Ka-long, Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic champion, Choi not only managed to win a world title in men’s foil... https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3319814/hong-kongs-fencing-world-champion-ryan-choi-arrives-home-grateful-heart?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/sport/hong-kong/article/3319814/hong-kongs-fencing-world-champion-ryan-choi-arrives-home-grateful-heart?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 28 Jul 2025 06:19:38 +0000