Tokyo 2020: Hong Kong fencer Vivian Kong wants Covid-19 vaccination – ‘this will give us more confidence’
- The 26-year-old epeeist is voted city’s best female athlete by the Hong Kong Sports Press Association
- Having already booked her ticket to Tokyo Olympics, she promised to get vaccinated to make her trip safe
Olympic hopeful Vivian Kong Man-wai boosted her confidence ahead of next year’s Tokyo Games after being named best female athlete for 2019 by the Hong Kong Sports Press Association. Next year, she hopes to get a real shot in the arm as she seeks immunisation from the coronavirus to make her trip to Tokyo safe.
The 26-year-old epeeist, who has already booked her ticket to the pandemic-postponed 2020 Olympics, says she will get vaccinated once a vaccine becomes available.
The talented fencer, who beat two-time world champion cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-size to Wednesday’s prize, said she was going to heed the advice of International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach who issued a plea this week to all competitors to get the much sought-after jab before the Games.
Both Kong and gymnast Shek Wai-hung, who was named best male athlete, said they would take the Covid-19 vaccine to help protect themselves and others at the Games.
“If a vaccine is available, it should be safe and effective and will give us more confidence,” said Kong at the award presentation which was delayed by almost a year due to the interruption brought by the pandemic. Shek said there was no reason for not getting vaccinated.