Fencers excel at national event
Fencers from Sello Maduma Fencing Academy collected a total of eight medals at the national fencing championship held in the Western Cape in December.
Anokha van Manen stole the show after she won four gold medals in the epee and foil events. Emerging fencer from the academy, Sebastian Austin, won a bronze medal in the u/17 epee event while Rahul van Manen won one bronze and two gold medals to finish in the top eight of the event.
Another fencer from the academy who did well was Sofiya Khan Patel, who collected one silver and two bronze medals in epee and foil events. Veteran fencer and chairperson of Limpopo Fencing
Association, Renuka Ramroop salvaged a bronze medal in the veteran category.
Sello Maduma, head coach of the academy said he was proud of the fencers’ achievement. “As a coach, I would like to congratulate all our fencers who participated at the Western Cape. Everyone showed up and fenced their hearts out. It was a difficult competition against the best fencers in South Africa, but once again we proved that with hard work and proper preparation we can take anyone on.”
He added they started to prepare for the Port Elizabeth Fencing Competition, which is scheduled for March. “We already started with the preparations and my wish is for everyone to keep their heads down and to work hard.”