Hong Kong has allocated land within its Northern Metropolis to build venues for elite fencing, other sports and recreation, with observers saying the initiative must balance top-level athlete training with convenient access for residents.
In a written reply to lawmaker Kenneth Fok Kai-kong on Wednesday, Secretary for Culture, Sports and Tourism Rosanna Law Shuk-pui confirmed that the government had earmarked strategic sites in the Northern Metropolis specifically for top-tier fencing training and competition venues.
“These facilities will meet the sports and recreation needs of the community, support the staging of sports events, and provide training venues for local athletes,” Law said.
The government is fast-tracking development of the megaproject, which is located in northern Hong Kong and aims to become an innovation and technology hub and residential area with up to 186,000 homes.
The city’s “fencing fever” reached new heights at the Paris 2024 Olympics, where Cheung Ka-long made history by successfully defending his men’s individual foil gold medal, becoming only the third man ever to retain the title.
