Prisca Tang
The Sports Bureau (ID) announced in a statement yesterday that Kuok Kin Hang scored 25.02 in the men’s karate competition and won a bronze medal in Saturday’s National Games – Macau’s first ever medal at the National Games.
The National Games is being held in Xi’an, the capital of Shaanxi province.
The statement noted that the karateka Kuok has been training since 2008 and in 2013 he won a gold medal at the East Asian Games at men’s kata (routine) event, as well as a fifth place at the Asian Games. The statement noted that in 2014 he joined an elite athlete training subsidy plan, and has been training professionally since 2015. He was also one of the first athletes to enter the local Athletes Training Centre. The statement said that he has “always trained hard” and has been able to demonstrate “a spirit of perseverance”.
The statement pointed out that Chief Executive Ho Iat Seng congratulated the sports delegation, Kuok in particular for winning the medal. He also greeted the other members of the delegation team and encouraged them to “fight hard” on a video call yesterday.
According to a Xinhua newswire dispatch, Kuok beat Song Zhengwang from Zhejiang province to claim the bronze in the men’s kata event, being the first Macau athlete to step on the National Games podium since the region made its debut at the nation’s quadrennial multi-sport event in 2001.
Xinhua quoted Kuok, 28, as saying: “I’m glad to have this honour. It’s a special moment for Macau sports. It means that Macau athletes can do something on this big stage”. Xinhua added that Kuok also said, “I kept pushing myself and haven’t eat much since yesterday. It’s the first time I have competed in the National Games, and I was hungry to win a medal for my team.”
Kuok also said: “I’m so glad to compete with other Chinese competitors on such a huge state, since I haven’t had any events outside Macau because of the pandemic.”
This handout photo provided by the Sports Bureau (ID) yesterday shows Kuok Kin Hang during the men’s kata (routine) event on Saturday at the National Games in Xian, Shaanxi.
