Financial Secretary John Tsang, an old student of La Salle College, has been teaching the school’s students fencing every Saturday for more than two decades. Apart from teaching them fencing skills, he also instills the right attitude towards life into the students.
His devotion and enthusiasm have paid off, as the school’s fencing team won the overall championship in the inter-school fencing competition last month.
Mr Tsang hosted a gathering at his residence yesterday to celebrate the team’s recent victory, and invited the young fencers to a special training session in the residence’s playground. He showed them the correct steps and gave one-on-one coaching.
Youth development
Mr Tsang said sport is very important to students’ development, which is why he teaches La Salle students fencing.
“As they grow, sport should form a very important component in their lives. It not only helps strengthen their body, but also helps them develop a sense of determination, and a sense of trying to work hard to achieve certain things.
“I have been working with the La Salle team since the 1980s when I first came back to Hong Kong. Every Saturday, I would go there for a few hours and work with them. It is good exercise for me and it is a good opportunity for me to get to know what young people think and how they feel, and at the same time can return something to the alma mater that we all love so much. That’s a very enjoyable process and I enjoy every moment of it.”
Michael Tam, a secondary five student, said he enjoys practicing the sport with Mr Tsang because he is so experienced and gives valuable advice. Apart from teaching technique, Mr Tsang also teaches tactics.
Teammate Adrian Li said the Financial Secretary is a demanding coach and he always feels exhausted after training because Mr Tsang repeatedly reminds him to move fast and decisively.
“Despite his busy work schedule, he still uses his spare time to teach us. I really appreciate his contribution and cherish the opportunity to learn from him.”
Role model
Praising Mr Tsang’s friendly coaching style, secondary six student Davy Chan said Mr Tsang will reinforce students’ basic technique before refining other details.
The three young fencers said fencing is important to their personal growth because the sport has helped them develop a strong will, build self-confidence and independence. They have also learned to control emotion and how to deal with life's challenges.
Apart from teaching them fencing, Mr Tsang has also instilled good attitudes in the students and offered them advice on their future prospects. The three young men said Mr Tsang is a role model for them and they will follow in his footsteps, assisting the school in its fencing training after graduation.
Sports promotion
As fencing lovers, the three young people always pay special attention to the Hong Kong fencing team’s performance. Michael even joined his friends at the Guangzhou Asian Games venues to show their support for Hong Kong athletes.
The three young fencers support Hong Kong’s proposed bid for the 2023 Asian Games. Michael said hosting the games will promote sport and increase sports talent in the city, raising the community’s sports standard.
Hosting the games will speed up the construction of sports facilities in Hong Kong, Adrian said, adding it will encourage more people to support the Hong Kong team and increase the city’s social cohesion.
Davy said Hong Kong athletes will perform better when they compete on home turf, raising Hong Kong people’s morale. “Hosting the games will also allow youngsters to know more about sports, fostering their healthy development.”
