Hong Kong fencer Kuan forced to make 70km nighttime dash for treatment after admin blunder
Request for medical support for city’s athletes at Women’s Foil World Cup came too late, forcing Kuan Yu-ching to travel back to Sports Institute
A Hong Kong fencer needing medical support was forced to leave the FIE Women’s Foil World Cup and travel back to the city’s Sports Institute, because an administrative blunder left the team without a physiotherapist on site during the opening day of action at the AsiaWorld-Expo.
Kuan Yu-ching, one of the city’s 30 fencers competing in the tournament, sustained a reoccurrence of the injury in her left knee during the preliminary rounds of the event.
With the Hong Kong contingent staying at a nearby hotel on Lantau Island, she had to make the more than 70km round trip to Fo Tan for treatment on Friday.
The 25-year-old right-hander said not being able to receive treatment at the venue or the hotel had impacted her performance, and Antonio Lam Hin-chung, manager of the Hong Kong team, said there “should be” a physiotherapist available.
Kuan lost 15-9 to Eva Lacheray of France in the round of 64 on Saturday, with the United States’ 15-year-old Jaelyn Liu beating Martina Sinigalia of Italy 15-12 in the final. No Hongkongers made it past the second round.
There are around 20 physiotherapists assigned to the 20 Tier-A sports at the institute, but Hong Kong fencing boss Zheng Kangzhao said the error had nothing to do with the HKSI, instead he pointed the finger at a coach, who left until Thursday before asking for one to be assigned to the team for the three-day competition.
