PH fencers vie in world tilt

A TOTAL of 26 Filipino fencers will test their skills against the best in the 2023 World Fencing Championships Junior and Cadet slated from April 1 to 9 in Plovdiv, Bulgaria.

Shawn Nicollei Felipe of foil and Andre Dominic Agatep of sabre, who will represent the Philippines in this year’s Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, lead the Filipino contingent in the tournament.

“It’s a good test for us young fencers, because we’ll be up against some of the toughest and best fencers in the world,” said Felipe, a co-Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year awardee in the last UAAP Fencing Championship.

Prior to the tournament, the 18-year-old Felipe attended a training camp under Romanian mentor Petro Kuki, a former two-time world champion and Olympian who competed in three Olympics — 1980 Moscow, 1984 Los Angeles and 1988 Seoul.

Rolando “Amat” Canlas Jr., a former national team head coach and co-founder of Canlas Fencing, said that more than the development of skills, world level events also build confidence.

“They get to measure up and gain experience, and if they really got what it takes, they’ll be able to score wins and progress in the tournament, and reach the next stage in direct elimination. That way they gain confidence they’ll carry moving forward in their fencing careers,” said Canlas.

Aside from Felipe, also competing in the men’s 18-21 years old junior foil category are Marcus Antonio Manuel, Dustin Jarett Tan and Matthew Aidan Gonzales, while in the women’s junior are Kajinsei de la Serna, Daena Louise Talavera and Miyake Capina.

Manuel, de la Serna and Capina will also vie in the 14-17 years old cadet category together with Lance Jeremiah Lim and Dean Samuel Myers. Some fencers will also see action in the team event.

In saber, joining Agatep in men’s junior are Raphael Martin Jimenez 2nd, Enrico Lucio Suplico and Thomas Robert Cabrera, while in the women’s junior are Kaikaku de la Serna and Allison Sophia Santiago, who will also compete in the girls cadet.

In epee, the men’s junior participants are Jose Faber Cabrera, John Dexter Ramos and Lorenzo Miguel Malvar, while in the women’s junior are Maria Kristina Angela Bueno, Ivana Salvador, Jana Annika Uy and Ashley Mae Michelle Harrison.

Cabrera, Harrison and Uy will also participate in the cadet division.