Sources tell the SCMP that the new competition has targeted the city for its second event, with Kai Tak Arena the favoured location

Hong Kong will host a World Fencing League event next year, bringing the sport’s best and brightest to the city for one day in April, sources have told the South China Morning Post.

The brainchild of 2016 US Olympic team foil bronze medallist Miles Chamley-Watson, WFL staged its inaugural event in Los Angeles earlier this year, and featured the likes of Hong Kong’s Ryan Choi Chun-yin, who captained Team Shield.

Sources said the league was being pencilled in for the penultimate week of April, a fortnight before the Hong Kong Grand Prix, which will be for senior men’s and women’s foil.

The event has been sanctioned by the sport’s world governing body, the FIE, and while a venue is yet to be confirmed, Kai Tak Arena is understood to be the preferred choice.

Antonio Lam Hin-chung, general secretary of the Fencing Association of Hong Kong, China, said while his organisation had no official role in the event, they had no objections to it taking place.

“From our perspective, this kind of event is going to help promote the sport of fencing, so we welcome it, as long as it is nicely and neatly organised,” Lam said.

In the first WFL, Choi led his team to a 5-1 victory over Team Blade, with seven-time Formula 1 champion Lewis Hamilton among the 6,000 spectators at the Shrine Auditorium and Exhibition Hall.

The first WFL event featured two mixed-gender teams with a total of 12 elite athletes, from across all three fencing disciplines - épée, foil and sabre - competing in timed bouts. Tracking and visualisation technology was also employed to enhance the viewer experience.

The debut of the US$100,000 (HK780,000) event was said to have generated 700,000 views during live streams, and 500 million social views.

While the line-ups for next year’s edition will not be confirmed for a while, several Hongkongers are expected to be involved.

Apart from former world No 1 Choi, two-time Olympic champion Cheung Ka-long, and Kaylin Hsieh Sin-yan, could also be shortlisted for the glittering event.

In its debut in April, the likes of three-time Olympic gold medallist Lee Kiefer of the United States, five-time world champion Oh Sang-uk from South Korea, and Chamley-Watson were among those taking part.