Four-midable force forged

Mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, Chinese Taipei teams united in endeavor for excellence

They might be fierce rivals when it comes to competition, but China's four entries at the Asian Games boast a strong and mutually beneficial bond.

In addition to Chinese mainland's 845-strong team, Hong Kong has sent 580 athletes to Indonesia, with Macao and Chinese Taipei boasting squads of 165 and 588 respectively.

And while every athlete is on his or her own in the heat of battle, the connection between the delegations is undeniable.

Hong Kong fencer Cheung Ka-long's long and arduous journey to the bronze medal in the men's individual foil on Tuesday underlined those ties.

Born in 1997 in Hong Kong to professional basketball-playing parents, Cheung first picked up a saber at age 10 and in 2012 cut his high school education short to pursue a career in fencing.

His career really took off, however, when he teamed with coach Wang Changyong, from mainland city Nanjing, the capital of Jiangsu province.

"He is a talented young man and he is hard-working enough," said Wang.

"He sets really high standards for himself and I hope he will continue to improve."

Wang previously coached China's national team and Jiangsu's provincial squad, but ventured to Hong Kong in 2000 to start a new chapter in his career.

"To get him more experience, I pushed him to compete in more international events," Wang said. "I also arranged more training for him in Jiangsu."

The new regimen soon yielded impressive results, with Cheung becoming the first Hong Kong athlete to win gold at the Asian Fencing Championships in 2016, earning him a trip to the Rio Olympics.

"Since starting to work with Wang, I've improved a lot," said Cheung, who also credited the coach's calming influence for his heroics in Jakarta.

"I used to put too much pressure on myself which influenced my performance, but this time I did not think too much," he said. "I just want to enjoy the competition ... and that feels good."

Mainland ties helped Hong Kong wushu master Yuen Ka-ying claim bronze in the women's nanquan and nandao combined on Monday.

The 29-year-old singled out her coach, Li Fukui from Sichuan province, for praise in her post-competition interviews and Li was the first person she called after receiving her medal.

Yuen had prepared for the Games in Sichuan with Li.

Hong Kong wushu has a strong history of cooperation with the mainland. In 2006, Shandong-born Geng Xiaoling switched to the region's wushu team, while the mainland has sent numerous coaches and athletes to Hong Kong and Macao through the years.

Examples include Macao's first professional table tennis coach, Shi Zhenke, swimming coach Ying Jingli, diving coach Zhang Zilin and 2010 Asian Games wushu gold medalist Jia Rui, who hails from Henan province.