Tokyo Olympics qualification on the cards for Hong Kong fencers as foil World Cup begins in Bonn
- A strong quartet consisting of Cheung Ka-long, Ryan Choi, Cheung Siu-lun and Yeung Chi-ka will represent Hong Kong’ men’s team
- Hong Kong are third in the qualifiers with four rounds to go before April
Qualification for next year’s Tokyo Olympics is on the cards for Hong Kong’s foil team as they begin the World Cup series in Bonn, Germany, this weekend.
All of the world’s top fencing powers will compete in the German city, vying for the top four Olympic rankings and trying to gain an automatic berth at the 2020 Games.
Hong Kong men’s team are third in the rankings after the first three qualification rounds from last season and with four more to go, they are not without chances for sending a fencing team for the first time in their Olympic history.
Headed by Cheung Ka-long, the world number seven, Ryan Choi Chun-yin, the world number 16, Cheung Siu-lun, the 2018 Asian champion and Yeung Chi-ka, they will rub shoulders with Asian counterparts South Korea, Japan and China, as well as heavyweights such as the US, Italy, France and Russia.
“This World Cup is very important because it tests the fencers’ form after a long summer break,” said Wong Tsan, former Commonwealth men’s foil champion. “Whoever can get back to competition mode the quickest will have an advantage.
“Hong Kong made a strong start in the qualifiers when they finished with a silver medal in the opening round in the Saint Petersburg World Cup, followed by a fifth place at the world championships in Budapest before the season closed. If they can reach the semi-finals again in Bonn, they can safeguard their position in the qualifiers and make it easier for them to reach next year’s Tokyo Games.”