Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong fencing team one step from making historic Olympic appearance
- Ranked fourth in qualifiers, the quartet can qualify for Tokyo if they retain that position in the World Cup series in Cairo this weekend
- Hong Kong has never sent a fencing team to the Olympics since its debut in Helsinki in 1952
A historic Olympic appearance is tantalisingly close for Hong Kong’s fencing team as they enter this weekend’s Cairo leg of the World Cup series – the last obstacle to Tokyo 2020 qualification.
Hong Kong has never been represented by a fencing team at the Olympics since the sport’s debut in Helsinki in 1952, and now the fourth ranked team in the qualifiers need only to reach the top four in the World Cup series in Africa to break through.
In fact, if the quartet of Cheung Ka-long, Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Cheung Siu-lun and possibly Lawrence Ng Lok-wang can finish ahead of South Korea and Russia, ranked just behind Hong Kong, the mission will still be accomplished.
To avoid coronavirus complications, the team left Hong Kong after the Lunar New Year for a training camp in France under their French coach Greg Koenig and will fly directly to California after Cairo for the Grand Prix in Anaheim in mid-March.
“This is a big mental test as we are now so close approaching the end of the year-long qualifiers,” said Zheng Zhaokang, head fencing coach at the Hong Kong Sports Institute. “We don’t need some exceptionally good performances in Cairo. You never know what will happen. They may be too tense as any mistake may cost them dearly because this is the last team qualifying event and there is no next time.
“But they have been in Europe for a long time, training with some of the world’s best fencers from the French national team. Mentally and physically they are all ready. We just need a finishing touch to complete the job.”