Fencer Lee makes case for Asian Games bid

SINGAPORE — Epee fencer Samson Lee has made a strong case to be included in the Singapore contingent heading to the Incheon Asian Games in September.

Yesterday at the 2014 Asian Fencing Championships in Suwon, South Korea, 28-year-old Lee — ranked 33rd for the tournament — first despatched Taiwan’s Tu Chan Yi (32) 15-11 in the round of 64 of the men’s individual event before upsetting top seed Dmitry Gryaznov of Kazakhstan 15-9 to earn a spot in the top 16.

He went on to claim a second upset against defending champion and world No 43 Elmir Alimzhanov of Kazahstan, winning 15-12 to make it to the quarter-finals. Alimzhanov and Gryaznov were part of the four-man team that won the team epee silver at the 2010 Asian Games.

Lee’s fairy tale run was stopped in the final eight by Japan’s Sakamoto Keisuke, who won 15-9.

“It was a breakthrough for me when I beat Alimzhanov … he is the previous champion and an Olympian, and I knew I had to be very precise and sharp with my movements to be able to score points,” said Lee, a part-time fencing coach at Blade Club. “Having proven that I am able to compete at the Asian level and defeat the ex-Asian champion, I hope the SNOC (Singapore National Olympic Council) will give me a chance to further prove myself.”

Fencing Singapore president Juliana Seow told TODAY that they will be submitting the new result to the SNOC as their previous nomination for Lee for the Asiad had been rejected.

The SNOC’s qualification criteria is a sixth place finish at an Asian-level competition, or if athletes meet the sixth best timing or mark from the previous Asiad.

While classification bouts are staged to determine placings in team events, Lee’s result will be classified as 5th to 8th as there are no fence-offs for individuals.

Team-mate Lau Ywen, 14, also made her mark in Suwon, becoming the youngest Singaporean to make the women’s individual sabre quarter-finals, where she lost 15-8 to China’s Shen Chen, who won bronze last year.

Close to 300 fencers from 24 Asian countries are participating in the July 2 to 7 Asian Fencing Championships, with Team Singapore’s 23-strong contingent competing for honours in all six weapon groups. LOW LIN FHOONG