Global News

[ad_1] HONG KONG: Hong Kong is one of the smaller Asian Games teams by population, but when it comes to fencing the city is a regional heavyweight with ambitious medal hopes. Edgar Cheung won gold at the Covid-delayed Tokyo Games two years ago – Hong Kong's first Olympic fencing title and first Olympic gold in any sport in a quarter of a century. It turned Cheung into a celebrity overnight and prompted parents across the Chinese territory of 7.5 million people to rush and sign their children up for fencing classes. Cheung's historic win in the foil competition was a much-needed dose of good news for a city mired in social unrest and pandemic gloom at the time. With more funding and public attention as a result, Cheung and his team-mates now hope to stamp their mark on the Asian Games in Hangzhou when they open on Saturday. Despite a strong record at recent editions, including eight medals in the sport in 2018, Hong Kong is yet to win fencing gold at the Asian Game...

[ad_1] HANGZHOU: The superheavyweight giants wrap up the Asian Games weightlifting on Saturday but it was the North Koreans' stunning return after four years that raised eyebrows in Hangzhou. The country that prides itself on shows of strength emerged from a self-imposed Covid exile to capture six gold medals, five silvers and two bronze in weightlifting. They also smashed six world records. Two weeks before the opening ceremony it was unclear if North Korea would show up, having failed to do so at the Tokyo Olympics and last month's weightlifting World Championships in Riyadh. But they came and they conquered hosts China, who were second in the weightlifting standings with five golds, three silvers and one bronze. North Korea proclaimed themselves "world leaders" at the sport, after not being seen in competition since December 2019. "Now North Korea is ahead of us and we need to catch up. We cannot remain in the comfort zone," said China's...