In the 2016 USFHK* Fencing Championship, CityU’s fencing teams came off with flying colours. In particular, the women’s team took four gold medals as the champion of sabre event. Tiffany Yuen Ki-yan (Public Policy, Year 3), a veteran sabre fencer, shared her story as a fencing athlete.

Tiffany started fencing when she was 12 years old. While today, Tiffany is a professional fencer and has represented both Hong Kong and CityU. Tiffany’s choice of weapon is the sabre, a weapon known for its aggressive attacking modes with cutting and thrusting moves. “I think my personality is the reason why I like the sabre—I am fast and I like to take the initiative. I am the attacking type!” Tiffany joked.

In her fencing life of 10 years or so, Tiffany has been to many local and international competitions, such as the 2010 Asian Junior & Cadet Fencing Championships in the Philippines where her team came first in the sabre event and the 2015 U23 Asian Fencing Championship in Mongolia. “You learn from fencers from different countries,” Tiffany talked about her favourite women's fencing teams, “I really admire the South Koreans. I saw one of them, a woman foil fencer coming back when losing 9 – 14. Yet, she won that game at 15 – 14, meaning she had to score 6 consecutive points without losing one. That amazed me – the resilience and strength in adversity!”

“But having spent so much time fencing, I should now think of my career.” It may not be pleasant and it is even challenging at times. At this point she said she wanted to share this with her fellow students at CityU: “Don't give up easily. Outcomes of what one does can always surprise.” When Tiffany said this, one cannot but think of the female Korean fencer she admired.

* USFHK: The University Sports Federation of Hong Kong

(From right) Tiffany Yuen and her teammates Jacqueline Wan, Keith Wong, Diva Xie and team coach Miss Fong Yi-tak.

CityU won overall championship in the USFHK Fencing Competition; the Women’s team (left) took 4 gold medals from the sabre event.