PH fencers off to Italy for World Championships

MANILA -- Nine athletes, led by Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) silver medalist Samantha Kyle Catantan, will compete in the Junior and Cadets World Fencing Championships in Italy.

The other members of the team are Maxine Isabel Esteban, Maricar Matienzo, Sammuel Tranquilan, Jaime Viceo and Filipino-American Lance Tan (foil); Juan Miguel Bautista and FilipinoGerman Keona Carado (epee) and Daniel Britanico (saber).

Esteban, Tan, Carado, Bautista and Britanico are already in Italy while those who left the country on Tuesday night were Catantan, Matienzo, Tranquilan, Viceo; and coaches Roland Canlas and Almario Vizcayno.

Esteban, who has been training in France since January 26, headed straight to Italy.

The Philippines is among 120 countries joining the tournament, which will be held from April 1 to 19 at the Catolica Center in Verona, a city in northern Italy's Veneto region.

Head coach Rolando Canlas said the tournament is part of the national team's long-term program and preparation for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

"This is only our third time to join the tournament. Last year, we have six athletes and the team placed 32nd overall. This year, we have more entries and we look forward to improving our ranking," said Canlas in an interview while waiting at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport lounge.

Those who competed in the 2017 World Championships held in Plovdiv, Bulgaria were Catantan, Esteban, Perez, Tan, Viceo and CJ Concepcion.

Canlas noted that the Verona tournament will also serve as qualifying game for the Youth Olympic Games to be hosted by Buenos Aires, Argentina this October.

"The players for the Youth Olympic Games will be selected here in Italy. The slots are limited, there will only be three players from Asia. The qualifying for fencing is difficult, one has to pass through the eye of a needle. It would be the best of the best,” Canlas said.

The national fencers are on high spirits, having won the team bronze (Catantan, Esteban, Matienzo and Anica Abaquin) in the Asian Junior and Cadet Fencing Championships held from February 24 to March 4 at the Hamdan Sports Complex in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Catantan won the individual foil while Matienzo pocketed the bronze during the SEAG in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia last year.

After Italy, Esteban will resume her training in France and will be joined by her teammates in May.

Canlas said the national fencing team will attend a monthlong training in France to earn points that will qualify them for the Tokyo Olympics. Other tournaments scheduled for the fencers are the Asian Championships in Bangkok, Thailand in June and the World Championships (Senior) in Wuxi, China in July.The Asian Games will be cohosted by Jakarta and Palembang cities in Indonesia from August 18 to September 2.

"We are very thankful that the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) is giving our athletes the opportunity to compete abroad and expose them to highlevel competitions. Aside from funding our trips, the PSC is also providing the team medical assistance," said Canlas. PNA