Egypt snatch two titles at NAS Fencing

dubai — Alaaeldin Abouelkassem and Ayman Fayez helped Egypt bag two of the three medals on offer in the fencing competition at the 5th Nad Al Sheba (NAS) Ramadan Sports Tournament being held at the NAS Sports Complex.

Abouelkassem secured a stunning 15-14 win against fancied former four-time world champion Erwan Le Pechoux of France in the international men’s foil category, while Ayman Fayez was at his best in a 15-13 win over Iran’s Mohammed Tadi Rezaei in the international men’s epee category.

Standing in the way of a clean sweep for the Egyptian fencers was Poland’s Ewa Nelip as she secured an easy 15-5 win over Ayah Mahdy while picking up gold in the international women’s epee at the NAS Sports Complex on Friday night.

“I knew I had to get a strong start against an opponent like Erwan. And that is exactly what I did. My concentration slacked a bit during the middle part of the match, but then I got those touches at crucial junctures,” Abouelkassem later admitted.

Ayman Fayez, a gold medalist at the 2008 World Championship and with a current world ranking of No. 16, was pleased with his gold as he looked at a near-perfect preparation for next week’s African Fencing Championship to be held in Alexandria. “My preparations for next week are nearly done. I wanted to focus on the minor details before such an important competition like the African Championships,” the Egyptian said.

Making a memorable debut in Dubai was Poland’s Nelip with a win over Egyptian Ayah Mahdy for the women’s international epee title.

This is my first time in Dubai and I am absolutely loving it here. Everything is just so perfect – the hotel, the comfort, the organization. I wish we would have many such competitions at this level all over the year,” Nelip said. The epee categories for men and women were dominated by fencers from Bani Yas and the Sharjah Ladies Club, respectively. Abdullah Al Hammadi of Bani Yas got the better of teammate Khalifa Al Zarouni 15-11 for the men’s title.