World University Games: Ko Shing-hei beats Covid-19 to bring Hong Kong its first ever badminton medal
- University of Hong Kong student caught the virus after playing the first day in team event and missed a week of competition
- He returns to court after full recovery to take bronze – and there is a chance of a second fencing gold for Cheung Ka-long on Monday
Ko Shing-hei overcame Covid-19 to bring home a badminton medal for Hong Kong at the World University Games in Chengdu.
The 21-year-old University of Hong Kong student had contracted the virus a week ago after playing on the first day of the team event, and only returned to the court on Friday.
Despite the setback, Ko won through to the men’s singles quarter-finals, where he beat China national team member Dong Tianyao at Shuangliu Sports Centre Gymnasium on Sunday.
Ko’s 21-12, 21-16 loss in the last four to China’s Wang Zhengxing earned him bronze – Hong Kong’s first University Games medal in badminton.
“I felt so upset to miss the team quarter-finals,” Ko said. “I had to wait until I was fully recovered, and started picking up my form match by match.”
Chow Hin-long and Tsang Hiu-yan were a step from winning a mixed doubles medal, exiting in the quarter-finals. The two Education University students, both members of the senior Hong Kong team, lost to Yuto Takiguchi and Rio Uemura of Japan in two close sets.
In fencing, there was a fifth place for Hong Kong’s women’s team foil, featuring Sophia Wu, Kuan Yu-ching and Linna Fan.
They reached the quarter-finals by cruising past India 45-14, but found Japan too difficult to handle, losing 45-32. The trio beat Ukraine and France in the play-offs for fifth to eighth.
Virginia Lo Ying-chiu finished 23rd in the women’s half-marathon in one hour, 21 minutes and one second, with Wong Cheuk-ning six places behind her in 1:28.04.
Hong Kong will have a chance to win its fourth gold when the men’s team foil take to the piste on Monday, the last full day of competitions before Tuesday’s closing ceremony.
They start as top seeds, with Cheung Ka-long having won the individual title and Ryan Choi Chun-yin the bronze. Macau await them in the last 16, with China and Japan also in their half of the draw.
All eyes will be on mainland China’s Zhang Yufei in the swimming pool. The multiple Olympic and world medallist already has seven golds and can make it nine in the 50 metre freestyle and 4x100m medley relay.
