The odds were that he and his teammates Robert Tan and Raymond Lim, who took up fencing last April, were tangling with Hongkong and Japanese opponents with 10 years experience. Added to that was the fact that the novices though accompanied by China coach Zhao Zhi Zhong had no time to be primed for their bouts. The untested gladiators had to get used to the competitive environment, equipment and rules of engagement. In wheelchair fencing, the combatants tussle from static positions. Their wheelchairs are firmly anchored to metal frames at a fixed distance and angle from each other.
Somebody has to hold on to our wheelchairs.
There was the psychological fear that we might fall off our seats in the excitement of battle. It was against such an unpromising backdrop that the HWA musketeers were thrown into battle. The Singaporeans, entered for the epee events, were ranked and placed in four pools. Each pool had six fencers who had to fight for a place in the finals. The direct elimination rounds kept everyone on edge.