Hong Kong fencing seeking ‘world’s best’ coaches to help in push for gold at Asian Games and Paris Olympics
- Head coach Zheng Kangzhao says Fencing Association has hired a new Italian foil coach and lined up interviews for épée position
- ‘My biggest goal is to win [Asian Games] gold’, says Zheng after narrowly missing out in Indonesia four years ago
Hong Kong national fencing head coach Zheng Kangzhao wants to hire multiple “world-class” coaches to bolster the city’s medal chances at the 2022 Asian Games and 2024 Paris Olympics.
With elite trainers Greg Koenig of France and Octavian Zidaru of Romania playing influential roles in the development of Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games foil gold medallist Cheung Ka-long, and former world number one epeeist Vivian Kong Man-wai, respectively, there is no better time to incorporate new faces with Hangzhou 2022 only 10 months away.
“These few weeks, because there is a new [sports] cycle – we have the Asian Games next year and Olympics in three years – I’m trying to find national team coaches,” Zheng said.
“I need to find world-class coaches to create world-class athletes. That’s why we have Ka-long, Vivian, [Shawn Cheung] Siu-lun, Ryan [Choi Chun-yin], these level of athletes. The most important thing is that they can help to fulfil their potential. That’s my responsibility.”
Zheng said he had interviewed two foil coaches – hiring one – over the past week, and expected to speak with an épée coach this week. He also plans to speak to the Hong Kong Fencing Association about the possibility of a new sabre coach.
“My biggest mandate is to find coaches to help improve our athletes,” Zheng said. “I’ve been searching for [foil and épée] coaches these few months and there’s a chance we will have one in the sabre discipline, too.”