Golden Glory: Ho Wan-qi Conquers Paris Paralympics with Unyielding Hong Kong Spirit
Ho Wan-qi Wins Gold Medal in Paris Paralympic Boccia Women’s Individual Competition
Hong Kong team representative Ho Wan-qi defeated Australia’s Li Chen to win the gold medal in the BC3 level final of the Paris Paralympic Boccia women’s individual competition. After the game, He Wanqi received a kiss from her husband and coach, and thanked her husband and family for taking care of her, allowing her to pursue her dream.
He Wanqi won the first game 2:0, and the second game also won 2:0, leading 4:0 after completing two games. Li Chen tried to widen the gap between the two sides in the next two games, but due to He Wanqi’s ball route, he could only recover 2 points. He Wanqi finally won 4:2 with a total score.
World No. 2 Ho Wan-qi has returned empty-handed in the past two Paralympics and has reached the final for the first time this year. She said after the game that she was grateful to the public for their support for watching the live broadcast and for her husband Li Rongjie, who is also a pipeline assistant, for always being there for her support; Ho Wan Qi also thanked head coach Kwok Keung, saying before the first group match, she knew that if the first place qualified, she would face several Asian opponents, every game was tough, but Kwok told her “cleared him one game at a time , then there will be a shining order (gold medal) frame”.
He Wanqi expressed her happiness to compete in the Paralympic Games as “Mrs. Lee” for the first time, and said that the two’s tacit understanding deepened after marriage. She added that she hoped the 23 Hong Kong athletes would come to the French Paralympics not because “he has physical disabilities, so he has done well, played well and has worked hard”, but wanted to tell the public that “we are the same , we are fighting the indomitable spirit of Hong Kong”.
After winning the gold medal, He Wanqi will receive a bonus of HK$1.5 million from the “Jockey Club Outstanding Athletes Award Scheme”; she will compete with Hsieh Tak-wah at 5:50 today to face the BC3 Pairs Group Stage of the Boccia. The two of them competed in Tokyo 3 years ago He once won “Stiff Neck Four” in the Paralympic Games.
Overcoming Adversity to Achieve Success
Ho Wan Qi, 30, was diagnosed with congenital spinal muscular atrophy at the age of 2. As her condition worsened, she went from walking on a walking frame to needing to use an electric wheelchair. In primary school, he was hospitalized several times due to affected cardiopulmonary function and pneumonia.
Ho, who was exposed to hard bocce at school at the age of 15, said in an interview that she thought the sport “takes a long time to play and seems boring” but later slowly found fun “like playing chess and having to think Opponent strategy, to think about how to defeat the opponent.”
He Wanqi competed in her first Paralympic Games in 2016. At the last Tokyo Paralympic Games, she won the “Stroke Four” in the doubles event and missed the medal. She finally won the gold medal in 3 Paralympic Games.