Hong Kong men’s foil team sets sights on Olympic medal in Tokyo
- Even though the Hong Kong team haven’t had much competition owing to the pandemic, newly crowned President’s Cup champion says it won’t affect their chances in Tokyo
- There are only eight teams competing in the Olympics, meaning Hong Kong could win a team medal if they win two bouts
Cheung has become a key member of the squad since making his debut in Rio five years ago and helped Hong Kong gain a first team ticket to the Olympics.
“There are only eight teams in the Olympic Games and our sights are firmly set on reaching the medal podium,” said 23-year-old Cheung, who won the individual foil title at Hong Kong Park Sports Centre on Sunday by beating Lawrence Ng Lok-wang 15-9 in the final.
“We have already proven during the qualification campaign that we can beat some of the best teams in the world who we will meet again on the Olympic stage. Yes, we haven’t competed in the team event since we won qualification in the World Cup series in Egypt [early last year] but we have been working together for so many years and it won’t take too long before we can get regain our form as a team.”
Both Cheung and Ng are members of the Olympic quartet also featuring Ryan Choi Chun-yin and veteran Cheung Siu-lun. A victory in the first round in Tokyo will put them in the semi-finals where they could compete for a medal.
