Game for a good cause

"This foil means a great deal to me," says Cheung. "It has been with me through many ups and downs." This was his practice foil, the champion adds, recalling the sweat and toil of training. It was used so much that the handle had to be replaced. Adds Cheung: "There was perhaps more to what I went through in training than when I was in competitions."

Other treasured Hong Kong Olympics memorabilia on sale included cycling gloves signed by bronze medalist Sarah Lee Wai-sze, and a drawing of yoga poses by fencer Vivian Kong Man-wai. Donated artworks included pieces by Peter McDonald, Damien Hirst, Zeng Fanzhi and Yoshitomo Nara, while precious jewelry and vintage wines were also on offer.

"It's a first for any auction house in Asia to host a multidisciplinary sale in the context of the Olympics," says Kevin Ching, executive chairman of Sotheby's Asia. "The challenge in curating a sale such as this is how to tie all these seemingly very different things together and give it a coherent theme."