National Games: Koenig hails unsung Ng as men’s foil team seal historic fencing gold
While two-time Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long and world No 1 Ryan Choi are their usual brilliant selves, Lawrence Ng makes difference early
Hong Kong won its first fencing National Games gold medal on Wednesday, after the men’s foil team beat Fujian 45-34 in the final.
The hosts, seeded third, eliminated Zhejiang and Jiangsu en route to the highly anticipated bout against the top seeds and defending champions at Kai Tak Arena.
While the city’s top fencers Ryan Choi Chun-yin and Cheung Ka-long remained their usual trustworthy selves, head coach Greg Koenig was quick to heap praise on one of the other members of the team.
“Leung [Chin-yu] was not there in the first match but Lawrence [Ng Lok-wang] came on and saved us,” he said. “The first one was our hardest match as it was complicated for us to get into the competition.
“We’re fully in it and fenced at our level after the first win. Leung was amazing [after the first round], and of course Ryan and Ka-long performed to their level, that means the highest in the world.”
Koenig added that he had to remind Leung, 21, about his abilities after the quarter-finals.