Editorial | New fencing star Ryan Choi gives Hong Kong a victory to savour

Hong Kong is revelling in a golden era for fencing, with one historic win after another. The sport has enjoyed a boom since 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.

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.