My cousin sent me a photo yesterday - she's holding up a small silver medal with the Hong Kong skyline in the background, her fencing mask pushed up on her forehead, sweat making dark patches on her white uniform. 'Made it to quarterfinals at the National Games,' her message read. I was sitting in a café in Toronto when I got it, the smell of roasted coffee beans suddenly mixing with the memory of that distinct metallic clink of fencing blades from our childhood.
She's been training in Hong Kong for three years now, and honestly, I had no idea the fencing scene there had gotten this big. When Olympic champion Zhong Man says 'the fencing atmosphere in Hong Kong is particularly good,' he's not just being polite - my cousin's Instagram stories show packed training halls, kids as young as eight practicing their lunges, and local competitions that draw crowds you'd normally see at basketball games.
What really got me was when she video-called me last night, her face still flushed from competition. 'You should see these young fencers,' she said, her voice crackling with that excitement people only get when they're talking about something they genuinely love. 'Some of these teenagers already have real competitive edge - it's incredible to watch.' Through the pixelated video, I could see her training bag in the background, stuffed with gear and what looked like competition schedules pinned to the wall.
Here's the frustrating part though - when I tried to share her latest match with our family group chat, my aunt in Vancouver couldn't watch it. 'Video not available in your region,' the streaming platform told her. Same thing happened to my college friend in Australia who used to fence with us back in high school. It's like there's this invisible wall keeping them from sharing these moments that mean so much to our community.
My cousin mentioned how Hong Kong's youth development system uses this points-based ranking that actually makes sense - it's not just about winning, but consistent performance. And apparently the national team is sending more young fencers to international youth competitions, which is huge for their development. But how are overseas Chinese supporters supposed to follow these rising stars if we can't even watch the matches?
I remember visiting my cousin in Hong Kong last year - the humidity there makes your clothes stick to your skin differently than here in Canada. We went to her local fencing club, and the sound of blades clashing echoed in this huge, air-conditioned hall. There were kids everywhere, their protective gear making them look like miniature astronauts. One little girl, couldn't have been more than ten, executed a perfect parry-riposte that made the coach applaud. That's the energy Zhong Man was talking about.
It's funny - in this connected world, you'd think sharing sports moments across borders would be easy. But here I am, screenshotting my cousin's competition results and sending them through WhatsApp because half our family can't stream the actual events. There's something deeply unsatisfying about describing a beautiful fencing move through text when it should be watched, replayed, marveled at in real time.
Anyway, I'm heading to practice now - yes, I still fence recreationally, though nothing like my cousin's level. The cold handle of the foil in my hand always brings me back to those summer days training together. Maybe next time she competes, I'll figure out a way for everyone to watch it properly. Until then, I'll keep being the family's sports commentator through grainy video calls and poorly-lit photos.
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