A point to prove: Cheung elated after finally winning Games gold

On Wednesday night, Hong Kong's Kai Tak Arena thundered with cheers as the men's foil team final of the 15th National Games reached its denouement. When the Hong Kong team claimed the final points, the crowd rose as one — and the arena exploded in celebration.

In its 45-34 win over Fujian, Hong Kong not only delivered a commanding performance, but also the city's first-ever National Games fencing gold medal.

Two-time Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long, world No 1 Choi Chun-yin, Leung Chin-yu and Ng Lok-wang fell into each other's arms, embracing tightly before bowing to the thousands of supporters who had filled the arena.

For Cheung, the moment carried personal weight: Three days earlier, he had suffered a shock defeat in the semifinals of the individual foil event, finishing with bronze. Now, he had a medal in a color he was more familiar with — and made history while winning it.

"I'm so happy that we managed to win the gold. It's not just us athletes, but also the coaches, many people who have helped us — and the people of Hong Kong. I feel like we all fought this competition together," Cheung said.

The home advantage added to the emotion. "As a team, winning the title on home turf is really special," he added. "A lot of people were here cheering for us, and it was really moving."

For years, Hong Kong had come close, but never quite broke through, winning bronze in both 2017 and 2021. Its rivalry with Fujian told a similar story: Hong Kong took the bronze match in 2017, while Fujian dominated their 2021 semifinal meeting.

This year's final brought another layer of complexity with Fujian's Xu Jie, who had eliminated both Cheung and Choi in the individual competition. But, despite Xu's strong form, Hong Kong's cohesion and strategic clarity proved decisive.

"The key to winning was the team. Everyone supported one another," Cheung said. "For me, I felt especially good today because, before the team event, we discussed our lineup and strategies together. I think that's where our advantage came from."

The rivalry between Cheung and Xu had been one of the centerpieces of the tournament. Xu's win over Cheung in the individual semifinals was one of the biggest surprises of the competition.

Reflecting on it later, Xu said: "He's the higher-ranked fencer, so I had nothing to lose. I've fenced him twice before, and the scores were pretty bad for me. So this time feels like an improvement — I'm quite happy."

Cheung acknowledged the strength of mainland fencers, but also noted the progress Hong Kong's athletes have made.

"In the past, national competitions felt extremely difficult, but now it's obvious that Hong Kong athletes are improving."

Yet behind the tension of competition lies a circuit where athletes train, travel and grow together.