A planned fencing venue in Kwu Tung North will give priority to fencing competitions and junior-level training, while also being available for other sports when not in use, Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan said.
The government plans to build a joint-user complex in Kwu Tung North, which will include a fencing competition and training hall with about 1,000 spectator seats.
Speaking on a radio program, Tsoi said the venue would primarily be used for fencing competitions and more basic fencing training. To make full use of the facility, it could also be used for other sports during available time slots.
Commissioner for Sports George Tsoi Kin-pan. (File)
He said the Kwu Tung North fencing hall would be different from the Hong Kong Velodrome in Tseung Kwan O, as fencing only requires equipment to be laid on a flat surface for training or competitions. This makes the venue more flexible than other dedicated sports facilities, he added.
Choi also noted that there is no major venue in the world built exclusively as a home arena for fencing. Referring to the Foil World Cup held in Hong Kong the year before last, he said the event attracted about 2,700 spectators in total. He believed a venue with 1,000 seats, together with temporary seating when needed, would be sufficient to meet spectator demand.
On concerns that equipment would have to be laid out again for each competition or training session, Choi said the equipment would be stored at the venue in the future, saving the cost and time required for transportation between different venues.
Citing experience from the National Games, he said a venue could be converted back for fencing competitions within a short period of time.
