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Fencers hoping to make the Hong Kong squad for the Asian Games in September have one last chance to push for selection at the LCSD Open Championships this weekend.

Only those in the world’s top 32 are guaranteed places at the multi-sport event in Hangzhou, according to city’s Fencing Association, and so far only three athletes fulfil that requirement – world No 1 Vivian Kong Man-wai in the women’s épée, world No 3 3 Cheung Ka-long in the men’s foil and his foil teammate Ryan Choi Chun-yin, the world no 18.

All others will have to earn their spots in men’s and women’s teams through the local rankings in three disciplines – foil, épée and sabre, six events. With four people in each team, there are 21 spots up for grab.

“Some teams are more or less decided with one or two spots under contention, but the team members will also have to compete their places in the individual competition,” Ko Hin-hei, a senior fencing official, said.

“There will be two individual spots in each event and normally the top two fencers will be selected, but they still have to fight hard for that.”

The men’s and women’s épée will be the first two events at the Hong Kong Park Sports Centre in Central on Saturday, followed by the men’s and women’s sabre and men’s foil on Sunday.

The women’s foil team, who are competing in the World Cup series in Tbilisi, Georgia, will battle it out for their spots next Saturday when they return from Europe.

In the women’s épée, Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, currently second in the rankings and third placed Natalie Chan Wai-ling are both favoured to join top fencer Kong on the team, while the remaining spot will have to be decided among Sophia Fong Sum, Coco Lin Yik-hei, Lai Hiu-tung and Moonie Chu Ka-mong.

But Hsieh and Chan will also have to fight for the individual event alongside the world No 1.

Vivian Kong won a bronze medal at the Jakarta Games in 2018 and steered the city’s squad to a bronze in a team that also featured Hsieh, Lin and Chu.

The fight for a place in the men’s épée team is likely to come down to who will join Fong Hoi-sun. Ranked world No 33, Fong just missed out on an automatic spot, while Ho Wai-hang, Ng Ho-tin, Nicholas Chau Chak-hin and Lau Ho-fung will all fancy their chances of joining him.

Neither Cheung Ka-long nor Ryan Choi will fight this weekend, but there will be keen competition among Nicholas Choi, Yeung Chi-ka and Lawrence Ng Lok-wang, who are separated by two points each in the rankings.

Nicholas Choi was the silver medallist five years ago, but he chose to retire at the end of that year at the age of 25. He returned to the team in early 2021 but has struggled to regain his best form.

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