Top fencers to duel at Palace Museum
Activities promoting the National Games are to highlight crossovers between culture and sport. Photo: RTHK
Top fencers from Hong Kong and the world will face off at the Hong Kong Palace Museum later this month as part of a series of activities to encourage the public to learn more about the upcoming National Games and cheer on athletes.
The exhibition will feature Olympic gold medallist Edgar Cheung of Hong Kong, China taking on France's world champion Enzo Lefort – a rematch of their Paris Olympics quarter-final. Asian Games bronze medallist Lam Hin-chung from the SAR will fence China's Olympic gold medallist Zhong Man in sabre.
Lam said it is meaningful to bring the sport to an iconic cultural landmark for the first time, mirroring the Grand Palais in France, home of fencing at last year's Olympics.
"It means a lot to me because last year when I was at the Paris Olympics, we were there, and [Edgar Cheung and Vivian Kong] got a gold medal in such a great place there," Lam said.
"And we were talking about like, 'oh, why don't we do it in Hong Kong?' The Palace Museum, it means Chinese culture in Hong Kong, and I think it's similar like the [Grand] Palais in Paris. So that's why we try to make it happen."
Local rising athlete Hailin Chen, who will face fellow fencer Vivienne Lee, said she hopes to inspire youngsters through the exhibition match.
"Showcasing fencing in this grand venue can inspire younger fencers as well as just promoting the sport of fencing and inspiring younger kids to know the sport and also continue to play the sport that they like," Chen said.
"I think it's crazy that they're able to fit a fencing piece there and for us to perform, and I'm just really excited to just be there and enjoy the game."
The matches will be broadcast live on RTHK TV 32 and on a channel in France on August 26.
Local artist Elaine Chiu also created paintings to commemorate the Games, one of which will be revealed at the Palace Museum on the night of the matches.
Event organiser and GDCD Association Limited chairman Vincent Cheng said the Games is an opportunity for crossovers between culture and sport.
"We hope that this event can let more people know that we can promote sports from culture and we can also promote culture in sports, so it's both ways. Hopefully we can have more crossover coming up in the future as well," said Cheng, who's also a DAB lawmaker.
Leading up to the National Games, GDCD Association Limited will host several community events around the Yau Tsim Mong district. Residents can participate in interactive booths and athlete sharings to learn more about the spirit of the Games.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South China Morning Post
9 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
National Games ticket sales to begin this month, using real-name registration
Tickets for China's National Games in November will be released in phases, with the first batch to be available from August 28, organisers said on Wednesday. An official ticketing platform has been launched and will use a real-name registration system to help prevent scalping, it was revealed at a joint press conference held in Guangzhou by representatives from Hong Kong, Guangdong and Macau, the three hosting regions. The first phase of tickets will be for 17 events, officials said. They will include football, basketball and gymnastics disciplines. Four of the eight competition sports being staged in Hong Kong will form part of the first phase of sales, with tickets to attend the rugby sevens, beach volleyball, men's handball and men's under-22 basketball events up for grabs. Yeung Tak-keung, head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, explained the ticket pricing strategy, which was finalised after consultation with the city's co-hosts. Officials take part in a 100-day countdown ceremony at Hong Kong Velodrome this month. Photo: Dickson Lee
South China Morning Post
10 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
US' Olympic 100m medallist Kerley provisionally banned for whereabouts violation
American Fred Kerley, a two-time 100 metres Olympic medallist, has been provisionally suspended for failing to notify anti-doping officials of his whereabouts, it was announced on Tuesday. Kerley, who took 100m silver at the Tokyo Olympics and bronze last year in Paris, as well as the 2022 world 100m crown, was suspended for 'failing to comply with his anti-doping whereabouts obligations', according to the Athletics Integrity Unit. Elite athletes have strict requirements about informing anti-doping officials about their locations, such as at training camps or when travelling, and must provide a time and location each day to comply with rules regarding unannounced doping tests. Three failures within a year to comply with the requirements, such as a missed test or inaccurate information given to the anti-doping agency, are punishable. Bronze medallist Fred Kerley during the 100m victory ceremony at the Paris Games. Photo: Reuters Kerley, in a posting on X, shared a letter from last week saying he intends to contest the violation ruling, and saying one or more of his missed tests should be set aside 'either because he was not negligent or because the Doping Control Officer did not do what was reasonable under the circumstances to locate him at his designated location'.
RTHK
11 hours ago
- RTHK
National Games ticket sales to begin this month
National Games ticket sales to begin this month At a joint press conference held by the three hosting regions in Guangzhou, officials said the first tickets will go on sale on August 28. Photo: RTHK Ticket sales for the National Games will be carried out in phases, with the first batch available from the the end of this month, organisers announced on Wednesday. Hong Kong will co-host its first National Games this November, alongside Guangdong and Macau, staging eight competition events. At a joint press conference held by the three hosting regions in Guangzhou, officials said the official ticketing platform has been launched. Organisers said the initial sales phase will begin on August 28, offering tickets for 17 events, including basketball, gymnastics and shooting. They said over five million tickets will be available for most competitive and mass participation events, with prices ranging from 30 to 800 yuan across nine tiers. Yeung Tak-keung, Head of the National Games Coordination Office in Hong Kong, said tickets for four of the eight events hosted in the SAR - beach volleyball, men's handball, men's U22 basketball and rugby sevens - will be included in this first sales phase. He said the organising committee considered multiple factors when setting ticket prices, including the popularity of each event. For competitions where Hong Kong is fully responsible as host, such as rugby sevens and beach volleyball, the team referenced previous National Games ticket prices. However, for events where the SAR is only hosting specific matches, like handball and basketball, consistent pricing with Guangdong and Macau was essential, Yeung said. "Our ticket prices are primarily divided between outdoor and indoor events. For outdoor venues, ticket prices range from 50 to 200 yuan, while indoor event prices range from 50 to 500 yuan, with preliminary rounds generally being cheaper and prices increasing for semifinals and finals," he said. "Therefore, this pricing strategy considers both the event types and whether the venues are outdoor or indoor, while also ensuring consistency with Guangdong and Macau." Yeung said spectators can choose between full-day or half-day tickets, and must register using their real names on the official platform to purchase tickets. He said valid identification recognised by the relevant hosting region must also be presented for verification at the event venue. While ticket transfers are possible if necessary, Yeung stressed that the real-name registration system is designed to prevent scalping. "Tickets purchased online or offline will be received before the event. For tickets bought online in Hong Kong, name transfers must be done 24 hours in advance. For offline tickets, name transfers must be requested seven days prior," he said. "Therefore, there will not be a situation where name transfers can be done on-site. Additionally, it is not allowed for another person to enter after ticket verification, this situation will not happen." Yeung added that organisers currently anticipate an equal distribution of online and offline ticket sales but will adjust this based on actual demand, to ensure availability meets audience needs. He also said that tickets for the remaining four events will be available in phases in late September and early October.
