The Hong Kong men's foil fencing team, featuring Ryan Choi Chun-yin, Edgar Cheung Ka-long, Harris Ho Shing-him, and Leung Chin-yu, earned a silver medal at the 20th Asian Games on Friday after falling 36-45 to host nation Japan in an intense championship bout.
Ho opened the final against Japan's Kyosuke Matsuyama, with Hong Kong trailing 1-5 after the initial exchange.
Two-time Olympic gold medalist Cheung took to the piste next against individual gold medalist Kazuki Iimura, scoring three points to five to narrow the gap.
Choi, who previously captured silver in the individual competition, struggled in the third relay with a 1-5 defeat, allowing Japan to open up a ten-point lead.
Hong Kong subsequently mounted a resilient counterattack. Ho and Cheung delivered commanding performances in the fifth and seventh relays, respectively, each outscoring their opponents 9-5 to substantially reduce the deficit.
Entering the ninth and deciding the relay trailing 34-40, Ho was tasked with anchoring the team against Iimura. After a tense exchange, the young fencer conceded three consecutive touches, leaving Hong Kong to settle for silver with a 36-45 defeat.
Hong Kong displayed exceptional consistency throughout the tournament after starting from the round of 16.
The team systematically eliminated India and Uzbekistan in the earlier rounds before prevailing in a dramatic 45-41 semifinal clash against regional powerhouse South Korea to book their ticket to the gold medal decider.
Japan earned their spot in the final through an equally hard-fought victory, narrowly edging past China 45-43 in their semifinal encounter before clinching the title on home soil.
Following their podium finish, the Hong Kong men's foil squad will receive a cash incentive of HK$1 million under the Jockey Club Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme in recognition of their outstanding performance.
