2023 Asian Games: Hong Kong fencers face final chance to make squad at LCSD Open Championships
- The tournament, which takes place this weekend and next Saturday, will decide all six squads in foil, épée and sabre
- Only Cheung Ka-long, Vivian Kong and Ryan Choi have guaranteed their places in the delegation by being in top world 32
Fencers hoping to make the Hong Kong squad for the Asian Games in September have one last chance to push for selection at the LCSD Open Championships this weekend.
Only those in the world’s top 32 are guaranteed places at the multi-sport event in Hangzhou, according to city’s Fencing Association, and so far only three athletes fulfil that requirement – world No 1 Vivian Kong Man-wai in the women’s épée, world No 3 3 Cheung Ka-long in the men’s foil and his foil teammate Ryan Choi Chun-yin, the world no 18.
All others will have to earn their spots in men’s and women’s teams through the local rankings in three disciplines – foil, épée and sabre, six events. With four people in each team, there are 21 spots up for grab.
“Some teams are more or less decided with one or two spots under contention, but the team members will also have to compete their places in the individual competition,” Ko Hin-hei, a senior fencing official, said.
“There will be two individual spots in each event and normally the top two fencers will be selected, but they still have to fight hard for that.”
The men’s and women’s épée will be the first two events at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre in Central on Saturday, followed by the men’s and women’s sabre and men’s foil on Sunday.