Tokyo Paralympics: Hong Kong athletes haul medals in Japan
“I cannot believe we are finally here. Many doubted this day would happen,” remarked Andrew Parsons, President of the International Paralympic Committee in his Opening Ceremony speech at the Tokyo Paralympics Games.
Against all odds the delayed 16th Summer Paralympics are taking place in the presence of very few fans and amid rising fourth wave of COVID-19 infections in Japan. First held in 1964, Tokyo is the only city in the world to host the Paralympics twice. Hong Kong has already earned two bronze medals in table tennis and boccia (mixed individual) categories – whilst we’re hoping to clinch plenty more medals, a repeat success of the Olympic Games which concluded less than a month ago would be ideal – but, with 24 athletes across just eight sporting categories, it is going to be a pretty tight run for the top honour.
Scroll below for all the highlights of the Paralympic Games and the unmissable events –
The Hong Kong delegation
With a total of 126 medals till date, Hong Kong has enjoyed a remarkable streak at the Paralympic Games. Five years back in Rio, our medal haul of six – two golds, two silvers and two bronze – was considered a lackluster performance after the triumph of 2012 when Hong Kong’s Paralympians brought home 12 medals from London.
In 2021, the SAR has sent a delegation of 24 athletes, 40 coaches, National Paralympic Committee representatives, and other delegation officials. Athletes compete in eight sports – badminton, boccia, archery, equestrian, swimming, table tennis, athletics, and wheelchair fencing – hopes for outstanding honours are riding high.
17-year-old Wong Ting-ting after securing a bronze in the table tennis event
17-year-old Paralympian, Wong Ting-ting claimed Hong Kong’s first medal, a bronze, in women’s singles table tennis event. The young player won the first of a best-of-five match against current world number one, Russia’s veteran star Elena Prokofeva. She beat the Russian representative 11-9 in the first game, but lost 11-5, 11-6, 11-8 to the 50-year-old. Despite missing out on gold, support and praise has poured in from all quarters for the budding local athlete.
Wong Ting-ting made her debut at the Paralympic Games marvelously and outperformed veteran players, winning the first medal for Hong Kong at the Games. We are delighted and thrilled. Given her strong will and exceptional talent, I believe that she will reach new heights of sporting glory – Chief Executive, Carrie Lam in a statement to the press
Former world champion, Leung Yuk-wing has won the second bronze medal for Hong Kong at the Boccia Mixed Individual event beating China’s Zheng Yuansen 5-4 in the play-offs. A boccia prodigy, 36-year-old won two golds at the 2004 Athens Games, just a year after his initiation in the sport, a gold in Rio and now waiting for a top spot at the Tokyo Paralympics.
Leung Yuk-wing has won a total of five medals for Hong Kong at various Paralympic Games through the years, including four in individual events!
The other dominant forces to watch out for are Alison Yu Chiu-yee who will participate in wheelchair fencing.Yu is outstanding on the piste, with seven golds, three silver and a bronze since her Athens 2004 debut, she doesn’t need any introduction. Ngai Ka-chuen, is a veteran in archery since 2009 but competing at the Paralympics for the first time, meanwhile 24-year-old Natasha Tse Pui-ting, is hoping to cinch medals in equestrian category.
Archery: August 27 to September 4 Athletics: August 27 to September 5 Boccia: August 28 to September 4 Equestrian: August 25 to 30 Swimming: August 25 to September 3 Table tennis: August 25 to September 3 Wheelchair fencing: August 25 to 29 Badminton: September 1 to 5
History of Paralympics
Founded by Sir Ludwig Guttman as rehabilitation exercises for World War II veterans, the first edition of the Paralympics was held in 1960 in Rome, a week after the main Olympics. Called the Stoke Mandeville Games at the time, it was a competition for just 400 wheelchair-bound athletes from 23 countries. The event was retrospectively called as the first Paralympic Games – contrary to popular belief, the name Paralympics does not come from ‘paralysis’ and ‘Olympics’, instead it was coined using the Greek preposition ‘para’, which means parallel or alongside.
Today, that multi-sporting event has become the pinnacle of athletic achievement for people with physical disabilities – in 2021, 539 events across 22 different sports are taking place in Tokyo. Badminton and taekwondo are being introduced at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics for the first time.
Keen to catch all the action live? NowTV, RTHK, i-Cable and HK Open TV are all showing the Games on television as well as on their online platforms. Highlights can be viewed on their Facebook pages.
Heroes of Hong Kong: Medal haulers of Tokyo Olympics 2020
Hong Kong made history at the Tokyo Olympics. A year delayed, over US$20 billion spent — nearly triple the original budget, taking place under the constant threat of cancellations in the midst of a fourth COVID-19 emergency in Tokyo, hot and muggy weather, eerily quiet stadiums – it’s an Olympic like none other in modern history. Yet, Hong Kong’s ‘insane’ run at the Games (as described by gold medalist Edgar Cheung Ka-long), has been nothing short of spectacular.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Hong Kong medalists who made us proud at the 2020 Olympic Games:
1. Edgar Cheung Ka-long: The world #19 who went for gold!
Hong Kong’s Edgar Cheung celebrates his gold in the men’s individual foil during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games Photo courtesy: Fabrice Coffrine/ AFP)
26 July 2021.
The city’s first Olympic gold in 25 years obviously sent the home crowds into rapture. Hong Kong fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long, the world No 19, accomplished the unbelievable feat. He beat the reigning gold medalist of the 2016 Rio Olympics — 28-year-old Daniele Garozzo from Italy by 15–11. And before this historic golden moment, he shook the world by defeating current World No 1 foil fencer – Alessio Foconi from Italy – in the table of 16 match.
“The reaction in Hong Kong has been insane” – Cheung, in a post-match interview to the local press.
No better way to describe the frenzy which enveloped the city after Cheung’s historic breakthrough and strong attack against the Italian gold medalist. The match did get close in the final rounds but not even for a moment did Cheung allow the title to slip away. His victory not only marks the first gold for the HKSAR in 25 years, after windsurfer Lee Lai-shan’s 1996 success, but also the fourth medal for the city in the history of Olympics.
The HK government is rewarding Cheung with five million Hong Kong dollars for the sporting glory.
Photo courtesy: AFP
Like with any sports megastar, the journey to the top was a result of years of dedication, focus and hard work. His awe-inspiring journey started in fencing schools and trainings at the age of 10 – he showed incredible promise right from the beginning accumulating sporting accolades instead of Marvel collectibles like the other children his age. He was named the “Most Promising Young Athlete” for Hong Kong at the Samsung Hong Kong Sports Star Awards Ceremony in 2013, “Outstanding Junior Athlete” by the Hong Kong Sports Institute in 2014 and ultimately exploded on the fencing scene with the Asian champion crown in 2016 at the Wuxi Asian Fencing Championships at just 18-years-old – the first Hong Konger to earn that coveted spot.
2. Siobhan Haughey: 23-year-old swim sensation who refused to play for Ireland
Hong Kong’s very own mermaid in action in the 200m freestyle event. Photo courtesy: AFP
28 July 2021/30 July 2021.
Born to an Irish father and local mum, Hong Kong’s 23-year-old swim hero, Siobhan Haughey did the unthinkable. She secured a double medal for Hong Kong, in 100m and 200m categories, a feat which no local athlete has ever achieved before.
“I hope Cheung Ka-long’s and my performances this Olympics can push fellow Hong Kong athletes competing… And also the athletes watching at home in Hong Kong – keep training, because it will be your turn soon” – Haughey in a post-match interview to the local press.
A mermaid of sorts, Siobhan began her swim training at the age of 4 at the South China Athletic Association. Early on, her coaches recognized her natural talent and that she was “gifted in swimming” and convinced her to keep up with the training. After making waves at the local and international swimming events, Haughey fell passionately in love with the sport.
Siobhan Haughey making history at the Games. Photo courtesy: Reuters
A regular day for the Olympic sensation would start with waking up at 3am for studies, 5am for swim practice, followed by a full day at school and then piano practice after – repeat that for six days a week. The grind ensured she achieved the highest level in piano, got excellent grades in school, cruised through a University of Michigan Psychology under-grad and smashed through several swimming accolades – 63 local and 13 Asian records, to be precise.
Photo courtesy: Xinhua
Haughey’s coach has complete faith that the “little fish” (lovingly called by teammates), can go faster and faster. The best is yet to come, perhaps a gold in the future?
3. Minnie Soo Wai-yam: World #30 single’s player, school dropout, Olympic medalist
Photo courtesy: AFP
5 August 2021
Minnie Soo crushed Germany 3-1 in the women’s team table tennis to get a bronze for Hong Kong – it was the game of her life! Not only was this her first shot at an Olympic medal, it was the second time the city got a spot at the podium in the table tennis category. Prior to this, we won a silver in the men’s table tennis at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
“The last moment, I could not figure out what had happened. I never thought I could win and beat the two Germans. I lost to them by big margins before and never won. I just wanted to play point by point, and be very committed in the matches and enjoy it. Unbelievable!” – Soo in a post-match interview to the local press.
Daughter of Soo Chun-wah, a former player for the Hong Kong table tennis team, Soo fell in love with the sport at the little age of two! She was obsessed with the sound of ping-pong and started playing at the age of four when her height finally reached the table. Formal training began at five when coaches realised her extraordinary potential. At 10, the rising star joined the Hong Kong youth team, accolades have been pouring since then.
Photo courtesy: AFP
2014 was a highlight year as the current sensation was ranked number one player in the world in the under-18 category for almost nine months by the International Table Tennis Federation. A bronze in the 2015 Asian Championships announced her arrival on the sporting map. Beating China’s star player, Ding Ning 3-0 at the World Team Table Tennis Championships in 2018 was the highlight of her career.
Part of Hong Kong’s greatest ever Olympics, Soo has not only secured a medal for Hong Kong, she has shown tremendous mental maturity whilst doing so.
4.Grace Lau Mo-sheung: Former world #4 trailblazing karateka who went for bronze
5 August 2021
This is the first and the last time karate was added as a sports category in the Olympics – the fact that Grace Lau made the most of it in her peak years makes it especially endearing. The Paris Games 2024 has already confirmed karate will not feature as an event.
The last two years have been especially rough for this Hong Kong Sports Institute athlete. Rigorous training sessions, stranded in the US during the Covid phase, being away from family and friends whilst mentally staying strong to focus on the Games – anyone could’ve been crushed under the pressure. But podium winners are wired differently – the road to the medals is often uncertain and arduous.
Lau defeated Turkey’s Dilara Bozan 18.90 in technical performance, 8.04 in athletic performance to finish 0.42 points ahead of her Turkish opponent in women’s solo kata competition at the Tokyo Olympics. The trailblazer has over a dozen Premier League medals to her credit, the latest being a silver in Portugal in April – hopefully, she will continue to inspire little girls to follow in her footsteps and get glory for Hong Kong in sporting events around the world.
5. Sarah Lee: Cyclist, bronze medal
8 August 2021
Beating Germany’s Emma Hinze, 34-year-old cyclist Sarah Lee won a bronze in women’s sprint at the Tokyo Olympics. Chief Executive Carrie Lam called her a local “legend” – this is the second-ever Olympic medal for the athlete, prior to this she won a bronze in the women’s keirin at the 2012 London Olympics.
