By Agatha Leung Nga Wing (OCA Young Reporter from Hong Kong, China)
Hangzhou, China, September 24, 2023: The fencing team shined on the first day of competition, earning Hong Kong, China's first-ever gold medal in Asian Games fencing and two bronze medals.
Olympic Champion Cheung Ka Long achieved his Asian Grand Slam, crowned as the Men’s Foil winner, beating China's Chen Haiwei 15-2. Reflecting on Hong Kong's achievement, Cheung expressed his pride, saying, "When I was young, I felt that we lagged behind other countries in competitions. But now, we have the opportunity to win, and our team's performance has given us confidence."
Cheung noted that he wasn't in his best form, but it was a valuable experience for him to adjust within a day, which could boost his confidence for future matches. He added: "I used to nitpick when I didn't perform well, but now I have a better mindset." A clear example of this was his stunning comeback in the semi-finals, scoring three consecutive points to outlast the Japanese fencer Takahiro Shikine 15-14.
He was also thankful for the teammates who had been supporting him through thick and thin, "You can't say that an individual competition is just about one person. They are all part of us. I really appreciate them."
Since the Tokyo Olympics, Cheung Ka Long had always written "Don't Lose Your Way" on his shoes as a self-motivation. It reminded him why he played fencing in the first place, "I get upset when I can’t meet my goals, but when I remember this phrase, I will smile and then I can take another shot, without necessarily being so negative."
Fellow teammate Ryan Choi Chun-yin settled for the bronze medal. He lost 15-9 to Chen in another semi-final. For his first individual event at the Asian Games, the 25-year-old said he was moved, saying, “I did not expect to play at the Games when I followed the club to watch in Guangzhou 2010, and now here I am, I really wanted to enjoy.”
Cheung and Ryan will compete in the team events later on Wednesday, along with Nicolas Edward Choi Ho-yin and Yeung Chi-ka. The same group won a silver medal for the last Asian Games.
