Olympic fencing gold medallist Vivian Kong to join Hong Kong Jockey Club
Hong Kong Free Press
Olympic fencing gold medallist Vivian Kong will join the Hong Kong Jockey Club (HKJC) to promote sports development in the city, it has been announced, two days after she said she would step away from competitive sports.
Raymond Tam, executive director of corporate affairs for the HKJC, said Kong would be joining the club to promote youth affairs and sports development. She will be taking up duties as Assistant External Affairs Manager on Sunday, Tam said in a Chinese Facebook post on Tuesday.
New career
The move came after Kong, who won gold in the women’s individual épée at the Paris Olympics on July 27, announced her plans step away from professional fencing on Sunday. Writing on Instagram, she said she wanted to “work towards” having her own charity “to help kids find joy and playfulness” in sports.
She also told reporters last week that she wanted to set up a charity or social enterprise with the HK$6 million she received from the HKJC as prize money for her gold medal.
Tam, who was Hong Kong’s minister for constitutional and mainland affairs before joining the HKJC in 2018, said the club was “committed to supporting elite athletes” in their training, competition, and post-retirement careers.
“I am delighted that Vivian, Olympic gold medallist from Hong Kong, China, has been drawn to the club’s mission and core values, and that her desire to contribute to the community is in line with the club’s philosophy,” Tam said.
Since Kong took the Olympic stage, local media outlets have dug into her past, sparking debate online over her perceived political stance and establishment ties.
The Home and Youth Affairs Bureau also announced that Kong would make an appearance at its Youth Development Summit on Saturday, alongside the Jockey Club’s Tam as well as Kenneth Fok, vice president of the Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China.
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