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Chan Kin-wa

Show jumper Kenneth Cheng Man-kit is fighting against the odds as he attempts to further Hong Kong’s glory at the China National Games and he is doing it all alone.
The 33-year-old, Hong Kong’s sole equestrian representative in Xian, has made it to Saturday’s 24-rider final without a support team and on a rented horse. He finished fourth overall in Thursday’s qualifiers.
“We feel quite sorry for our rider because we have no one to accompany him to Xian due to the strict quarantine requirements,” said Angela Kong, secretary general of the Hong Kong Equestrian Federation.

“We have to ask for assistance from our mainland counterparts to provide him the support services like a farrier. Even his horse is rented specially for this event. But it’s not only physical support. He has no coach to speak to when he needs, especially when he is facing problems in Xian and therefore we have to contact him on a regular basis to know what’s happening there.”
Tokyo 2020: Heartbreak again for Hong Kong show jumper Cheng
Despite the difficulties, the official is quite happy with the performance of Cheng, saying he did an exceptional job in the qualifiers to make it into the 24-rider final.
Cheng came 11th in the first round after scoring four penalty points but made great improvement in the second with a clear round.
With an aggregate four penalty points, he stayed behind the top three riders who all finished with two clear rounds. The results in the qualifiers do not carry over into the final.

“The course is not easy and it is designed with many loca Xian characteristics such as the Terracotta Warriors. Many of the mainland riders at the National Games are using quality horses they bought from overseas and they had a long preparation time,” said Kong.
“But Cheng can only use a rented horse which he has worked with before just a couple of times. And he had to stay a 21-day quarantine in China in August without doing any training before moving to Xian. In fact, this is not even his first choice horse which has been replaced early this month.”
Covid-19 toughest opponent for Hong Kong at China National Games
Cheng has been competing in China regularly in World Cups and other championships but the pandemic has stopped everything since last year.

While veteran rider Zhang Bin of Shanghai remains the favourite in Xian, up and comer Duan Yihua of Zhejiang will be another major threat to the Hong Kong rider, according to Kong. Both riders had two clear rounds in the qualifiers.
The show jumpers from Inner Mongolia are another force to be reckoned with, she said.
Hong Kong equestrian riders have achieved good results at previous National Games, with three showjumping medals at the 2009 Shandong Games when Patrick Lam Lap-shun lifted an individual gold medal and Cheng finished third. They combined with Samantha Lam and Jacqueline Lai Ching-man to capture the team bronze.
Four years later in Shenyang, Lai snatched an individual silver while at the 2017 Tianjin Games, Clarissa Lyra also finished with a bronze as Jacqueline Siu Wing-ying clinched a silver in the individual dressage.


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2021 National Games of China

Hong Kong’s Kenneth Cheng makes it into National Games show jumping final despite no support team and rented horse

Kenneth Cheng on Funchal finishes fourth overall in the qualifiers to reach the 2021 China National Games final in Xian. Photo: LCSD/Sports Road

Kenneth Cheng is the only showjumper for Hong Kong in the National Games in Xian. Photo: LCSD (taken by Sports Road)

Kenneth Cheng is making his fourth appearance at the National Games since 2009. Photo: LCSD (taken by Sports Road)

Top Hong Kong showjumper Patrick Lam. Photo by Hong Kong Jockey Club.

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Hong Kong’s Vera Lui Lai-yiu in the hurdles at the Hong Kong Championships in May. Photo: HKAAA

Vera Lui Lai-yiu wins the 100m hurdles in 10.51 seconds at Siu Sai Wan Sports Ground

(180826) -- JAKARTA, Aug. 26, 2018 (Xinhua) -- Lui Lai Yiu of China's Hong Kong celebrates after the women's 100m hurdles final of athletics at the Asian Games 2018 in Jakarta, Indonesia on Aug. 26, 2018. (Xinhua/Pan Yulong)

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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

Hong Kong fencer Debbie Ho Tik-lam (right) listens to instructions from national representative team epee coach Zheng Kangzhao at the National Games in Tianjin. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

Hong Kong epee fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai (left) against Lin Sheng of Fujian in the women's individual epee event at the National Games in Tianjin in 2021. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

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Ryan Choi (right) against Huang Mengkai of Fukien in the team foil semi-finals. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association.

Hong Kong's Cheung Siu-lun (right) in the match against Fukien. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

Coach Zhang Han and his two fencers, Yeung Chi-ka (left) and Ryan Choi. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

Hong Kong girls celebrate after defeating Zhejiang in the quarterfinals. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

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Hong Kong’s Vivian Kong Man-wai against Sun Yiwen of China in the team épée at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games in the Makuhari Messe Hall in July. Photo: AFP

Hong Kong men's epee athlete Fong Hoi-sun at the National Games in Tianjin in September. Photo: Chinese Fencing Association

Renata Knapik Miazga of Poland, right, and Kong Man Way Vivian of Hong Kong compete in the women's individual Epee round of 16 competition at the 2020 Summer Olympics, Saturday, July 24, 2021, in Chiba, Japan. ((AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

Sport

Hong Kong


The only equestrian representative from the city has no coach or assistance in Xian due to strict quarantine requirements
Cheng finished an outstanding qualifiers in fourth to reach 24-rider final on his rented horse



The only equestrian representative from the city has no coach or assistance in Xian due to strict quarantine requirements.
