Hong Kong’s star fencer Edgar Cheung Ka-long has received an honorary doctorate title from the Polytechnic University (PolyU), a recognition of his performance at the Olympics this summer.
In a press release published last Thursday, the university commended the 24-year-old’s “indomitable spirit.”
“His remarkable achievements have not only elevated the status of Hong Kong athletes in the international sports arena, but also raised Hong Kong people’s interest in sports and brought the city’s sports development to the next new level,” the release read.
Cheung’s victory at the Tokyo games marked just the second time that Hong Kong has walked away with a gold medal at the Olympics. He was awarded a sum of HK$5 million (US$640,000) through the government’s Athlete Incentive Awards Scheme for his achievement.
The coveted title is the latest and most impressive addition to Cheung’s list of accolades, among them wins in various world championships including the bronze in an individual event at the Asian Games in 2018, according to PolyU.
Alongside Cheung, the university also conferred an honorary doctorate to Yang Mengfei, a space technology researcher whose work was instrumental to China’s lunar exploration endeavors.
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