3 Catantans now part of PH fencing team
FIRST it was Samantha, the eldest of the Catantan siblings and the most decorated among the fencing sisters after having won the gold medal in the 2021 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Hanoi, Vietnam.
Last year, Ysah joined her “Ate Sam” as members of the national women’s foil team during the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia.
Sophia, the third of four Catantan sisters, has recently joined the country’s women’s foil squad following a series of qualifying tournaments conducted by the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) last year.
The inclusion of Sophia was a feat in itself, as the Catantans became the first three siblings to be part of the national team under one weapon — foil.
In the past, there were the Endriano brothers Rufel and Ramil during the 1990s and the Vizcaynos in Oniong and Al in the 2000s. There were also the Perez brothers as RJ once played for flag and country in men’s epee while Nathaniel competed as the top Filipino fencer in men’s foil, a weapon that also brought together Tipoy and Kulay Felipe during the 2021 SEA Games.
Jylyn and Jamie Nicanor entered the team in 2011 under different weapons — sabre and foil. When the latter retired, their brother Michael also made it to the national team in 2019 to 2022 as a member of the men’s foil squad.
Then came the Catantans. “I am very proud of everything they’ve accomplished,” Samantha Catantan told The Manila Times in a Facebook messenger exchange on Thursday, February 1.
“I’ve been there every step of the way, witnessing both their victories, defeats in various tournaments. Being the ate (eldest sister), it was especially challenging to see their frustrations during moments of slow progress,” she added. Samantha turned 22 on Thursday. “Witnessing their tears, losses, disappointments in those tough times affects me because I know how it feels and having no control with what they think and feel is even more frustrating,” she said.
Samantha was only 15 when she qualified for the national team and won a silver medal during her SEA Games debut in 2017 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. In 2019, when the country hosted the biennial tournament, she earned a bronze medal.
Today, she is fencing for Penn State University, making her the first Filipino homegrown talent to get a full athletic scholarship from a Division 1 school in the US NCAA. She is currently a fourth year accounting student and has committed to play for the Nittany Lion in 2025 while taking her master’s degree.
The 20-year-old Ysah, on the other hand, earned her first national team spot when she competed in the Cambodia SEA Games. But the dream of playing alongside her “Ate Sam” in the team event didn’t happen as Samantha sustained a left ACL tear (anterior cruciate ligament) during her semifinal encounter in the women’s individual foil.
The latest to join the national women’s foil team is 14-year-old Sophia or “Opao” to her friends. She placed fourth following the PFA rankings but moved up to third spot after former Philippine Team fencer Maricar Matienzo decided to take a break from fencing.
Bing Lozada finished No. 1 overall in the qualifiers, while Ysah Catantan placed No. 2 overall.
“The most fulfilling aspect is watching them rise from defeat, rejection and disappointment,” said Samantha. “As the ate, I got emotional to see them grow from their experiences.”
The daughters of Jon and Aileen have a fourth sibling in 12-yearold Shanelle — also known as Shy. Like her sisters, she too has a dream of playing for the country but with a different weapon — sabre.