New fencing star Ryan Choi gives Hong Kong a victory to savour
Cheung Ka-long secured the city's first fencing Olympic gold medal in Tokyo in 2021. Cheung repeated the feat at the Paris Games last year, where
Vivian Kong Man-wai also won gold. Now there is a new star to celebrate.
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Ryan Choi Chun-yin is the first Hong Kong fencer to be the
world champion . He won the foil final in Georgia on Wednesday. It is an outstanding achievement. The victory has catapulted Choi to the world No 1 spot. The 27-year-old described it as a dream come true.
His triumph should act as an inspiration, conveying a powerful message that you should keep believing in your ability and never give up. Choi was
'desperate' after failing to qualify for the Paris Olympics and enduring a deeply disappointing run of results, including elimination in early rounds. He was on the verge of abandoning the rest of the season, but was persuaded to persevere by his coach.
The fencer, to his great credit, has engineered a
spectacular turnaround . He won the Shanghai Grand Prix in May and then the Asian Championships in Bali last month. The confidence gained from these victories propelled him to the world title. Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui congratulated Choi, saying: 'We are thrilled.'
His landmark win underscores the need for Hong Kong to keep its foot firmly on the accelerator as it seeks to build on recent sporting successes, ensuring elite athletes have sufficient funding, facilities and coaching. Choi sparked debate last year when he
posted details of the expenses incurred by entry-level elite athletes when attending international tournaments. Support is needed for up and coming talent, not just those who have won top tournaments.
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The future for fencing is bright and other sports can learn from it, notably the hiring of top coaches from overseas. The cycling team is following this example.
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