Hong Kong’s fencing world champion Ryan Choi arrives home ‘with grateful heart’
‘I have never felt so fulfilled,’ Choi says of his achievement in becoming the first from the city to win a fencing world title
Hong Kong’s newly crowned world fencing champion Ryan Choi Chun-yin returned to the city on Monday and expressed his gratitude after his triumph in Georgia last week.
On his arrival at Hong Kong International Airport, 27-year-old Choi was presented with a bouquet of flowers before describing his relief and joy at reaching the pinnacle of his sport.
Having so often been overshadowed by Cheung Ka-long, Hong Kong’s two-time Olympic champion, Choi not only managed to win a world title in men’s foil before Cheung but also dethroned his teammate to become the world No 1.
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World champion fencer Ryan Choi arrives home to hero’s welcome in Hong Kong
“I am grateful now, having always missed out by a little in my career,” said Choi, who was ranked 12th in the world before his title success propelled him to the top of the standings. “So many times, I felt it was going to be my day, but it was never me.
“I have never felt so fulfilled. This is the first time I feel that God is really good to me. I really have nothing to complain about. I will now continue my career with a grateful heart.”
The first Hongkonger even to reach a world final, Choi last Wednesday beat Kirill Borodachev, the Russian, 15-9 in Tbilisi to become his city’s first world champion.
Even then, Choi said he did not fully appreciate the scale of his achievement until he read the media reports.
Having won the Shanghai Grand Prix and the Asian Championships in Bali in his previous two outings, a third tournament victory in a row in Georgia took Choi by surprise.