Hong Kong’s Northern Metropolis to get separate fencing hall, pool complex

Sports industry experts shared their views on Tuesday after the Leisure and Cultural Services Department revised its plans to instead build the swimming pool as a stand-alone facility to meet international specifications, while expanding a space for fencing in Kwu Tung North.

Wong Tsan, principal of the Hong Kong Fencing School, said the plan to develop a specialised permanent venue was a crucial first step to addressing the shortage of training facilities in the city.

“The training classes held by the Fencing Association [of Hong Kong, China] in public sports halls are restricted to only a few districts, and they operate on a ‘morning install, evening dismantle’ basis. The time consumed by this process seriously affects the progress of training,” Wong told a radio programme.

“Many of our current training sites also heavily rely on privately run clubs. If we truly want to promote fencing to the wider public, relying solely on them is not enough.”

According to a department paper submitted to North District Council, the government revised its original plan for the joint-user complex to prioritise international-standard sports facilities.