Blow for Hong Kong as Tokyo 2020 golden boy Cheung Ka-long pulls out of National Games due to injury
- Cheung has been training in Shenzhen since the Olympics to prepare for the Games
- He suffered a swollen knee after a training session on Wednesday and has returned to Hong Kong
Olympic gold-medallist Edgar Cheung Ka-long has pulled out of the National Games due to injury dealing a huge blow to Hong Kong’s chances in the foil fencing events.
“We are still waiting for more details, as he is now in the care of the medical staff at the Hong Kong Sports Institute,” said head fencing coach Zheng Kangzhao from Tianjin. “He suffered a swollen knee during a training session on Wednesday and we didn’t want to take a risk, so sent him back to Hong Kong.
“Of course, his absence will affect our chances. He is the Olympic gold medallist and a key member of the team. We now have three members left for the team event and it’s impossible to get a replacement due to quarantine requirements.”
Ryan Choi Chun-yin, the world number 12, will now lead the team, that includes Cheung Siu-lun and Yeung Chi-ka. Cheung surged to number four in the world rankings after his victory at the Olympic Games.
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The foil events will start on Sunday, kicking off with both the men’s and women’s individual with the gold medal to be decided on the same day. The two team events will be held the following day with 10 teams in contention in each category.
“Fukien and Guangdong are supposed to be our main rivals but now it’s hard to say what our chances are following the withdrawal of Cheung,” said the coach. “We hope our boys will not be affected and can rise to the occasion when it comes.”
Hong Kong fencers have performed well in recent National Games, with Nicholas Choi taking two medals, first a foil individual bronze at the 2013 Games in Shenyang before snatching a silver at the last Games in Tianjin four years ago. But the 28-year-old Choi took the surprise decision to retire after claiming the silver medal at the Asian Games in 2018, before making a U-turn and returning to the team set-up earlier this year.
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The foil team also captured bronze at the 2017 Games with Nick Choi and the two Cheungs – Edgar and Siu-lun – and it will be interesting to see if they can repeat the feat in Tianjin.
Away from the foil, the epeeists will also be mounting a serious medal challenge in Tianjin, with the inclusion of Vivian Kong Man-wai in the women’s and Fong Hoi-sun, a bronze medal-winner in the men’s individual four years ago.
Kong, the world number one in the 2019 season, is always a force to be reckoned with in the event and is determined to do well on her National Games debut. But China has recently produced many quality fencers in the discipline, including Sun Yiwen, the newly crowned Olympic champion in Tokyo.
Hong Kong women’s team has also been weakened by the absence of number three Moonie Chu Ka-mong, who pulled out of the event due to a forearm injury. Another key member of the team, Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, an Olympian in Tokyo, already withdrew from the National Games to continue her studies in the United States.
The sabre fencers, meanwhile, suffered a disappointing start when the event kicked off on Thursday.
All six Hong Kong representatives, three men and three women, reached the round-of-32 from the pool, but were all eliminated in their first bout. The two team events begin on Friday.
