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SCMP Sport

Hong Kong fencer Aaron Ho Sze-long had to settle for a silver medal at the National Games on Saturday after suffering defeat by Shandong’s Wei Zhenhao in the men’s sabre final.
But Ho, 30, still earned the distinction of making history, becoming the first Hong Kong sabreist to win a medal at the Games, and the achieving the joint-highest Games finish of any Hong Kong fencer, matching the 2017 foil silver of Nicholas Edward Choi.
It came on a day when Hong Kong’s Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan won bronze in the women’s épée.
Wei, ranked No 271 in the world, was too good for Ho on the night at Kai Tak Arena. World No 79 Ho got off to a dismal start, conceding six straight points before scoring his first, and then slipping 8-1 behind. Ho managed a 3-1 mini run to start the second round but it was too little, too late, as the 24-year-old Wei prevailed 15-7.

Ho had stormed through his semi-final bout against Xu Yingming with a 15-12 win, shaking off an early wobble.
Hsieh, meanwhile, beat Mo Wanlin of Guangdong 15-9 to claim her medal, which was some consolation after losing to former world champion Lin Sheng in the semi-finals.
Hsieh, who went through the group stage unbeaten, had beaten mainland China’s best épéiste in quarter-finals, seeing off Yu Sihan 15-7 to set up a last-four clash with Lin, who had earlier knocked out Hsieh’s teammate Moonie Chu Ka-mong.
But in a tightly contested bout, world No 4 Hsieh and Lin, who won a team gold medal with China in Budapest in 2019, it was the former world champion who pulled away after the pair were tied at 5-5 midway through the second period.
Victory in the bronze match, though, never appeared in doubt, and her achievement matched that of the now-retired Vivian Kong Man-wai, who reached the podium at the 2021 Games in Shaanxi.
All of Hong Kong’s fencers made it through to the knockout stages, although in the women’s épée, only Hsieh made it past the first elimination round, with Chan Wai-long following Chu out early.
In the men’s sabre, Ho and Royce Chan Lok-hei fought each other in the first elimination round, with Ho booking his place in the round of 16 with a 15-13 victory.
Ho then marched into the last eight, eliminating Wu Jiasheng of Anhui 15-10. And so did teammate Hugo Ho Pak-lam, although his journey was then ended by Shandong’s Zhu Peijie, who won their quarter-final 15-10.
Earlier, the battle of table tennis’ big guns delivered the kind of epic encounter everyone expected in Macau on Saturday, with Fan Zhendong beating Wang Chuqin in a six-game semi-final thriller.
Olympic champion Fan and world No 1 Wang had been on a collision course for the last four ever since the draw was made, and the match at Galaxy Arena lived up to its billing.
The pair split the first four games with some breathtaking table tennis, before Fan moves 3-2 ahead. In an epic sixth game, Wang raced to a 4-0 lead, but Fan responded by winning six points on the trot and then took the game and match, 7-11, 11-9, 9-11, 11-7, 11-5, 11-7.

In Hong Kong, Oscar Coggins claimed National Games triathlon bronze on a sizzling Central Harbourfront, hours after teammate Cade Wright finished an agonising fourth in the women’s race.
The women’s marathon was won by Yunnan’s Zhang Deshun in 2:30:20, with Cuomu Ciren taking silver in 2:30:25. Henan’s Lu Ying came home in 2:30:44 for bronze. Hong Kong’s top female was Virginia Lo Ying-chiu, whose time of 2:39:23 left her 12th.


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National Games, day 6: Ho wins sabre silver, Hsieh épée bronze, history for Hong Kong

Aaron Ho stormed through his semi-final at Kai Tak Arena. Photo: Elson Li

Aaron Ho lost his final at Kai Tak Arena but still made history for Hong Kong. Photo: Elson Li

Fan Zhendong hits a return during his men’s singles semi-final against Wang Chuqin. Photo: Xinhua

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Julien Bourron scores the breakthrough try for Hong Kong in the rugby sevens final at Kai Tak Stadium. Photo: Sam Tsang

Julien Bourron dives over for Hong Kong’s pivotal third try. Photo: Sam Tsang

Harry Sayers makes a grab for the ball during Hong Kong’s final success. Photo: Sam Tsang

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Hong Kong’s Kaylin Hsieh (left) will be in National Games action on Saturday at Kai Tak Arena. Photo: Dickson Lee

Kaylin Hsieh, one of the National Games torch-bearers, competes on Saturday. Photo: Eugene Lee

Central Harbourfront will be the setting for the triathlon races. Photo: Eugene Lee

Fan Zhendong takes on Zhou Yu during the National Games in Macau on Monday. Photo: Xinhua

Sport

Hong Kong

Aaron Ho equals the best finish of any Hong Kong fencer at a National Games and is the city’s first sabreist to win a medal


Aaron Ho equals the best finish of any Hong Kong fencer at a National Games and is the city’s first sabreist to win a medal.


National Games, day 6: Ho wins sabre silver, Hsieh épée bronze, history for Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Aaron Ho equals the best finish of any Hong Kong fencer at a National Games and is the city’s first sabreist to win a medal

Aaron Ho equals the best finish of any Hong Kong fencer at a National Games and is the city’s first sabreist to win a medal