The hopes of gold medal fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long of winning another medal vanished after he hurt his left knee during a training session yesterday, three days before the National Games' foil fencing events begin on Sunday.
He flew back to Hong Kong yesterday and went to the Sports Institution in Sha Tin for rehabilitation.
People were worried about Cheung, dubbed the pride of Hong Kong, but the fencer was quick to comfort his fans on Instagram yesterday afternoon, soon after news of his injury broke.
"Thank you so much for asking. I had gone through an MRI checkup. Only my meniscus was slightly hurt," he wrote.
After winning a gold medal in Tokyo 2020, Cheung flew to Shenzhen directly and underwent a 21-day quarantine.
He and his teammates were supposed to fly to Tianjin yesterday for final preparation.
However, Cheung's knee injury forced him to withdraw from the men's foil individuals on Sunday and the team match on Monday.
His teammates, Shawn Cheung Siu-lun, Ryan Choi Chun-yin and Yeung Chi-ka, will stay in Tianjin for the men's foil individual and team games.
Epee fencer Moonie Chu Ka-mong has also withdrawn from the National Games after hurting her wrist.
Nicholas Edward Choi Ho-yin had won silver medals in men's foil individuals for Hong Kong during the past two National Games, while the foil team also claimed a bronze medal four years ago.
Meanwhile, star cyclist Sarah Lee Wai-sze made her triumphant return to Hong Kong yesterday after pocketing one gold and one bronze medal in the National Games.
Speaking at the Hong Kong International Airport after landing, she said she is satisfied with her results and thanked citizens for supporting her. She added that she will continue to work hard after a month of rest, during which she will focus on her academic studies.
She won't be taking part in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships in France from October 20 to 24.
Instead, she will be replaced by Yeung Cho-yiu or To Cheuk-hei.
Lee would only take part in the team sprint in the Asian Games next year as she thinks it's not the best choice to stay in the cycling team.
She said: "My teammates would be hindered if I stayed on the team."
Although Lee hasn't thought of her future yet, she said she won't leave cycling, and would possibly help promote cycling as a secondary school sport.