Hong Kong wins 2 gold, 2 silver medals in boccia and badminton at Paris Paralympics
Hong Kong Free Press
Hong Kong has won two gold and two silver medals in boccia and badminton events at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games.
The city’s boccia team were on a winning streak on Monday, with player John Loung clinching the city’s first gold medal of the Paris Games in the Men’s Individual BC1 final. He knocked out Jung Sungjoon of South Korea.
Fellow Hong Kong boccia representative Annie Cheung placed second in the Women’s Individual BC4 event to take a silver medal after she was defeated by China’s Lin Ximei.
The boccia team welcomed its third medal of the day in the Women’s Individual BC3 gold medal match. Three-time Paralympian Ho Yuen-kei secured Hong Kong’s second gold of the Paris Paralympics by eliminating Jamieson Leeson of Australia.
In a post-match interview with Hong Kong media, the 30-year-old player, who won a bronze medal in the Tokyo Paralympic Games in 2021, thanked Hongkongers who had been supporting by watching a livestream of the competition. She also thanked her husband, who stood by her wheelchair during the competition to help her adjust her gear, saying their partnership improved a lot since they were married.
“This gold medal does not belong to me alone. It belongs to everyone who has helped me and the audience,” she said in Cantonese.
Chief Executive John Lee congratulated the boccia medallists one by one on Monday night and in the early hours of Tuesday. Acknowledging Hong Kong’s first gold medal at this year’s Paralympic Games, Lee said 38-year-old Loung demonstrated “unwavering determination” and “superb skills” in the competition.
“His gold medal is well-deserved. All Hong Kong people and I are thrilled and proud of his outstanding performance,” the Hong Kong leader said in a statement.
Lee praised Ho’s “rich experience” and said she had performed outstandingly and showed “extraordinary perseverance.” He also commended Cheung, who made her Paralympic Games debut in Paris. The 25-year-old remained resilient against top athletes from around the world and delivered an outstanding performance, he said.
Badminton
On Monday, Hong Kong badminton player Daniel Chan earned a silver medal in the Men’s Singles WH2 event after losing two games – both with a score of 10-21 – to Daiki Kajiwara of Japan.
The silver medal was “the best gift” to conclude his professional career, the 39-year-old Hong Kong athlete told the press after the competition.
Chan, who won a bronze medal in Tokyo in 2021, said he had been plagued by injuries over the last three years. He was proud of himself for being able to attain a better result in Paris than in Tokyo, the athlete said.
Badminton player Chu Man-kai missed out on a medal in the Men’s Singles SH6 event after he was defeated by Brazil’s Vitor Tavares in the bronze medal match.
The Hongkonger lost by two points in the first set, 21-23, and managed to stay in the match by taking the second set, 21-16. But the Brazilian sealed the deal by defeating Chu in 21-12 in the last set.
As of Tuesday afternoon, Hong Kong had won a total of six medals – two gold, three silver and one bronze.
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