PH fencers taught, trained to think big and dream big
A TEAM trained and taught to think big and dream big will represent the country in fencing competitions in the coming 30th Southeast Asian Games.
“We’re aiming for the overall championship in our sport in the coming Games,” Nathaniel Perez unabashedly proclaimed in last Friday’s SCOOP On Air Forum held at The Manila Times Television studio.
“We were taught and trained for that purpose all of the past two years of our preparations for the Games, which, our country is hosting late this year,” Perez, a silver medallist behind compatriot Louie Brannan Wayne two years ago in Kuala Lumpur, said.
Brennan, winner of the men’s foil event in 2017, is no longer with this year’s team and Perez took it upon himself and his two other teammates to lead the team in this year’s campaign.
Hanniel Abella, silver medallist, too, in women’s epee who was with Perez as guest in the public service Forum organized by the Sports Communicators Organization of the Philippines in coordination with TMTV, shared her teammate’s sentiments.
Samantha Catantan brought home the other silver in women’s foil also in Kuala Lumpur.
“Actually, improving naman ang performance ng fencing team the past four years, kaya, perhaps our leaders in our sports, headed by Richard Gomez and coaches thought of aiming for the overall title na this year,” the tall and pretty Abella reasoned out.
Abella was referring to the national team’s zero-gold, four silvers and a pair of bronze medals harvest in 2015 in Singapore.
“From there, we won a gold, three silvers and two bronzes two years later. So it’s not really not a remote possibility to win at least four gold medals this year that “could, hopefully catapult us to the top of the standing,” she said.
Besides making national pool members physically and mentally prepared, the Philippine fencing federation lead
competitions, among others, the Asian Championships in Tokyo and the World Championships in Budapest. - en elite campaigners to a one-month training in Seoul.
Vietnam brought home three gold medals the last time around to edge Singapore (two gold medals) for the top honor.
The Philippines’ 1-gold, 3-silver and 2-bronze haul two years ago landed the Filipino fencers in third, a modest improvement from a fourth place windup in 2015. The Nationals will also be relying on
- ban, bronze medalists in women’s epee and women’s foil in KL, respectively, who both are hoped to translate their winnings to gold medals.
Other hopefuls for medals are Michael Nicanor, Nicole Felipe, Jayme Vileo and Wilhelmina Lozada (men’s and women’s foil event); Noelito Jose Jr., Lee Ergina, Reynaldo Perez, Daylle Joshua Lumaban, Anna Gabriela Guinto and Mickyle Rein Bustos (epee).
artists Christian Jhesper Concepcion, Eric Brando II, Dante Arth Navarro, Jylin Nicanor, Allaine Nicole Lorky, Quenna Dennis Dalmacio and Kimberly Camahalan.