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No medals yet, but Senft bullish about S’pore fencers’ chances

SINGAPORE — National coach Simon Senft has backed Singapore’s foil fencers to end the Republic’s five-year wait for a medal at the Asian Fencing Championships today.

SINGAPORE — National coach Simon Senft has backed Singapore’s foil fencers to end the Republic’s five-year wait for a medal at the Asian Fencing Championships today.

The last time Singapore medalled at the tournament was in Seoul in 2010, when Ruth Ng, Tay Yu Ling, Wang Wenying and Cheryl Wong clinched the bronze in the women’s team foil.

With this year’s edition at the Sports Hub’s OCBC Arena Hall 1 entering its final day today, Senft remains “optimistic” that the women’s foil team, which comprise Wang, Cheryl and Nicole Wong — members of the women’s foil team that won gold at the recent 28th SEA Games — as well as Aarya Berthier can upset the odds and finish on the podium this year.

“This team has a lot of potential and I’m hopeful they can spring a surprise,” said Senft, 33.

“To win a medal is normally my target during competitions. I expect us to beat Iran in the round of 16 but we were a little unlucky in the draw because the opponent awaiting us in the last eight is powerhouse Japan.

“But I’m hopeful of overcoming the Japanese if we put up a really good fight. If we do that, then we can seriously start dreaming of winning a medal because it’s been a long time since Singapore has won one.”

Senft remained optimistic despite the hosts drawing another blank at the Asian Fencing Championships which started last Friday.

Yesterday, the men’s foil team of Joshua Lim, Kevin Chan, Justin Ong — the trio won the event at the recent SEA Games — and Jet Ng narrowly lost 44-42 to Australia in the playoff for fifth and sixth spot.

In the women’s epee team event, Singapore’s Victoria Lim, Cheryl Lim, Elizabeth Lim and Rania Rahardja matched their eighth-place finish from the previous two meets in 2013 in 2014, but could not better that after losing 45-31 to Taiwan in the playoff for seventh and eighth places.

Victoria said: “This is the first time we have fenced together as a team. I think we can be very strong in the future if we stick together and I’m sure we can achieve greater things.”

Singapore’s fencers won three gold, three silver and seven bronze medals at the SEA Games earlier this month, but have found the competition at the Asian Fencing Championships a far bigger test.

Nonetheless, Senft said: “This is proof that we are improving and we’ve also shown with the SEA Games that we’re on the right track ... So I hope these results and performances can help to bring in more funds so that we can bring the whole team for overseas competitions.” NOAH TAN

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