Pop singer Jackson Wang on FIE role: 'Fencing is my root'

The world-renowned pop singer and former Hong Kong Fencer Jackson Wang previously returned to his hometown to attend the 2026 FIE Senior World Championships as the very first FIE Global Ambassador, becoming the face of Fencing. With his international recognition, Wang dedicated his efforts to promoting fencing to the world. Sing Tao News Corporation, as the Hong Kong media giant, rewarded Wang with the 2025 Leader of the Year, commended his accomplishment in culture and performing arts, and served as a paragon for youngsters.

During an exclusive interview on the Championship, Wang joyfully watched the competition from above, expressed that even though he focus on music career, fencing is still very close to his heart, “After all these years, I still attend FIE after parties very often, fencers always bump into me, many fencers in the arena grow up with me, we catch up a little every now and then.”

As the first time FIE held the World Championship in Hong Kong, Wang became a high-profile guest among the audience. Some of his childhood friends, including Aaron Ho, are still actively competing as he speaks. However, Wang humbly replied with a smile, “Fencers from the new generation might not even know who I am.”

This year, Wang was appointed to be the first FIE Global Ambassador, taking on the responsibilities to promote fencing and its spirit. Wang once again humbly states, “My purpose is very simple. I won’t describe it as giving back or supporting the sport. It is way bigger than me. As part of the fencing community, I am glad to channel my influence in order to promote fencing to the world.” Wang’s goal is not limited to Asia, but to let the whole world understand and experience fencing. Once again, Wang stepped into the fencing arena; he felt like he never left. “How could I ever leave fencing? This is my root. I grew up with fencing!”

FIE Vice-President Donald Anthony Jr. admired Wang’s vision in future fencing, stating the importance of collaboration between FIE and Wang, “He never left the community, just hasn't been as active as he once was. I think it's important for us as an international sport to have a global superstar rejoining us, being part of us. Jackson has a vision of where fencing can go; he has ideas of where we can take this sport, and having the collaboration with him, I think it's going to be very important to the growth of this sport at a 2.0 level of fencing.”

Wang had a professional fencing career long before becoming a world-renowned singer, growing up side by side with many fencers, he joked about their mischievous memories, “I certainly am not disclosing those stories; we athletes have a reputation to keep!” Yet he learnt a lot about himself throughout his youth as an athlete, “I always use Physical Chess (or Dynamic Chess?) as a metaphor for fencing. While we play against one another, we learn about who we really are, what we are made of.” Wang even reveals his plan as the Global Ambassador — promoting his beloved fencing to the general public.

“I made many plans for creating different content around fencing; everything will start in the coming year or two, so please stay tuned. I intended to let everyone know what fencing is, experience the joy and discover the excitement from different angles.”

Hong Kong has had two Olympic fencing gold medalists in recent years, maximizing the engagement towards fencing. However, Wang sets his vision far beyond his hometown, “Fencing is borderless. It never belongs to any individual or any city or country; I would go as far as I could.” From a fencer to a global pop star, Wang underwent a career switch when he was 17. He did not recall having any hesitation while making the decision, “I did not weigh the benefits against the costs; I simply followed my heart. It doesn’t take much courage, whether in fencing or music; it’s just about problem-solving; our mindset and determination are what it takes. How could we gain if we don’t put effort into it?”

Wang received a 2025 Leader of the Year award from Sing Tao News Corporation, celebrating his achievement in public culture and performing arts. He humbly expressed his gratitude, “I am honored to receive the Leader of the Year award from Chairman Karson Choi Ka-tsan. Besides feeling glad and honored, I will continue to make an effort. I am far from being a leader in fencing, just giving my all to what I love.” Speaking of leadership, Wang insists on chasing excellence, “Persistence is the key to success; action always speaks louder than words. Whatever I wish to achieve, I make plans around it, and do not overthink it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it takes baby steps.”

+2

𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗔𝗽𝗽 ↓