National Games: Hong Kong men’s and women’s épée teams miss out on semi-final places
- Vivian Kong, Debbie Ho and Coco Lin lose to Chinese women’s world champions 32-44 in the quarter-finals
- Men’s team valiant but fall to number two seeds Fujian 32-43 in Tianjin
![Hong Kong épée fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai (right) against Lin Sheng of Fujian in the women's individual épée event at the National Games in Tianjin in 2021. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association](https://cdn.i-scmp.com/sites/default/files/styles/1020x680/public/d8/images/methode/2021/09/22/9aa17cf4-1b6c-11ec-897a-4119d31a6faa_image_hires_173901.png?itok=hjcTl7Kx&v=1632303553)
But Kong and teammates Debbie Ho Tik-lam and Coco Lin Yik-hei could not avoid being matched up with China’s Olympic team, losing 32-44 to miss a semi-final position.
The 2019 world champions – Sun of Shandong, Zhu Mingye of Guangdong, Lin Sheng of Fujian and Jiangsu’s Xu Anqi – made up a “United” team to take on the mainland’s other province teams.
![Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong (left) defends against Lin Sheng of Fujian in the women's individual épée event in Tianjin. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong (left) defends against Lin Sheng of Fujian in the women's individual épée event in Tianjin. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association](https://img.i-scmp.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=contain,width=1024,format=auto/sites/default/files/d8/images/methode/2021/09/22/9a0d5e84-1b6c-11ec-897a-4119d31a6faa_1320x770_173901.png)
They finished fourth at the same event in Tokyo, beating a new-look Hong Kong team who finished not far behind in seventh. Regular member Moonie Chu Ka-mong sustained an injury in training camp ahead of the National Games.
The men’s épée team – consisting of Fong Hoi-sun, Cedric Ho Wai-hang, Ng Ho-tin and Clarence Lai Ka-chun – likewise lost in the quarters elimination round. They fell to number two seeds Fujian (Zhang Yijun, Li Bing, Lin Zongyi and Wang Xiao) 32-43.
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