I’ll come back stronger next time, vows Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung after taking silver
Fast rising fencer fails to perform in the final stage as he loses his crown at the Asian Championships but promises to deliver in Sunday’s men’s team foil event
Fast rising Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long was stopped in his tracks in his own backyard after he was forced to settle for a silver in men’s individual foil at the Asian championships on Thursday night – but he vowed to come back stronger in the men’s team event.
Cheung swooped into the final and was heavy favourite to retain his regional title won last year in Wuxi, China, but the recently turned 20-year-old failed to meet expectations before crashing to a disappointing 15-11 defeat against Ha Tae-gyu of South Korea, letting down fans who had travelled to AsiaWorld-Expo to witness Hong Kong’s first-ever regional fencing event.
“I feel a bit sorry for losing in the final although silver is not a bad result,” said a disappointed Cheung. “I have gained experience and I should come back better in the team event on Sunday.
“We [Hong Kong] have been team bronze medallists during the last 10 Asian Championships and I am confident we will break through and win gold.”
What a year it has been for Cheung. He became world junior champion in April in Plovdiv, Bulgaria before receiving a massive boost by winning bronze against the big boys at the World Cup meeting in St Petersburg, Russia in May. He also won two training events in China as a build-up to this event.
