Fencers Catantan, Jose target Paris tickets

Southeast Asian (SEA) Games medalists Samantha Catantan and Noelito Jose get their chances of getting an outright berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics as they compete in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the Zayed Sports Complex in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates on Saturday.

Jose, a SEA Games silver medalist, will be fighting in the men’s epee at 1 p.m. (Philippine time) while Catantan, a SEA Games gold medalist, will try her luck in the women’s foil at 7 p.m. to try and join the growing Philippine delegation for the Paris Games.

Only the gold medalist of each weapon will earn a ticket for the Summer Games which starts on 26 July.

Despite coming off from an anterior cruciate ligament injury last May in the 32nd SEA Games in Cambodia, Catantan finished 10th for Penn State University in the women’s foil in the US National Collegiate Athletic Association.

“More than anything, I’m very excited to fence and honored to compete alongside my teammates representing the Philippines to try to make our dreams turn into reality,” Catantan said.

“Looking back at the past 10 months, I had doubts about my abilities to make it (back here)… but now here I am grateful for this chance and opportunity.”

Catantan, rated world No. 256, is on a collision course with No. 37 Sena Hong of South Korea and No. 61 Umida Ilyosova of Uzbekistan in the tournament.

Meanwhile, Jose participated in the Bern World Cup in Switzerland last November, the Vancouver World Cup in Canada, the Doha Grand Prix in Qatar last January, the Heidenheim World Cup in Germany last February and the Budapest Grand Prix in Hungary last March.