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SEA Games: Dream debut ends on an emotional note for fencer Amita

KUALA LUMPUR – At the SEA Games two years ago in Singapore, a budding young athlete helped to carry the bags of the home fencers as a volunteer.

Amita Berthier (left) in action during the Women’s Foil Individual event. Photo: Stanley Cheah/Sport Singapore

Amita Berthier (left) in action during the Women’s Foil Individual event. Photo: Stanley Cheah/Sport Singapore

KUALA LUMPUR – At the SEA Games two years ago in Singapore, a budding young athlete helped to carry the bags of the home fencers as a volunteer.

As she looked on at the fencing competition, Eric Berthier told his daughter Amita, then 14, that she would be on the strip instead of the side-lines in future.

On Monday afternoon (Aug 21), that prophecy was fulfilled and more as the rising teen fencer clinched Singapore’s first gold in the sport at the 29th Kuala Lumpur Games in a dream debut.

The 16-year-old kept her cool to record a 15-7 victory over Samantha Kyle Catantan of the Philippines, who is a year younger, in the women’s individual foil final at the Malaysian International Trade and Exhibition Centre (MITEC).

It was a surreal triumph for Amita, who had to contend with the loss of her father when he passed away in a workplace accident in February last year.

“I feel really happy because a few of my family members and friends came down to support me and that means a lot,” she said. “My mum has been here with me all the way (in my career) and she’s my pillar of strength.”

Tears then started to fall as she added: “And (to have done it) for my dad, especially – I’m pretty sure he’ll be happy for the gold I won today.

“It is one of my most memorable achievements.”

An emotional Uma could not hold back tears as well after watching the youngest of her four children pull off a stunning triumph.

“My first thought (when she does well) always goes back to my husband because he was the one who ignited the passion for fencing in my girls,” said Amita's mother. 

“When Amita was pulling the bags along the (fencing) strip (in 2015), he’d always say, ‘you’d get there one day’ and that was the first thing that went through my mind and I was just thinking about him.”

It was not all plain sailing for Amita. While she topped her poule stage with four wins out of six matches, she faced one of the opponents she had lost to, Vietnam's Do Thi Anh, in the quarter-finals.

Neck and neck with the 21-year-old Olympian, Amita then pulled away at 9-all to win 15-11. In the semi-final, she found herself up against Maxine Isabel Esteban of the Philippines who had defeated her at the Asian championships in June.

Making a nervy start, Amita quickly found herself 0-5 down. But just as quickly, she shifted gears and scored 10 points in a row from 3-7 down to eventually win 15-9.

“I was like, ‘I need to win this match and I’m going to win this for everyone who has come down for me,” she recalled.

The final was a more straightforward affair as she told herself to just do her own thing, which worked like a charm as she took the lead and never relinquished it.

“I told myself to fence and not have any pressure, do my best and have fun,” Amita said. “Because I’m here already, (so) let’s just go and get this gold.

“There was really a lot of noise coming from the spectators and that really bothered me in the beginning but eventually, I managed to block it out and fenced pretty well in the final and to achieve that gold medal, I feel really happy.”

Amita’s success came on the back of a bronze in the foil at the world cadet (Under-17) championships earlier this year and a historic round-of-32 finish at the senior world championships last month. 

That Amita also won gold in the 2016 Asian cadet championships just three weeks after her father passed and chose to base herself in Boston since last October to advance her fencing development is testament to her remarkable maturity.

“I’m always in admiration of my daughter’s courage and strength,” Uma added. “She gives that to me, to be able to do that at this age and no matter what the adversity is. 

“I see her pulling herself through, doing it not because she has to but due to her passion and love for the sport and that gives me the greatest pleasure as a mum.”

Having to split her time between Amita and second sister Aarya, 18, who is preparing to take her ‘A’ Levels here, is “very difficult” but Uma just wants to support the former in any way she can.

“She’s been like my buddy, she’s the fun one who does all the little pranks in the house, who makes me believe in the impossible every time,” she said. “It’s hard for her sister as well but moments like this, that’s when we cherish each other’s presence and relationship – it’s a joy to see her happy.”

Amita’s win is Singapore’s second consecutive triumph in the individual women’s foil after Wang Wenying won gold two years ago.

Singapore’s only other SEA Games individual women’s title in the sport was Choy Fong Leng’s epee gold in 1989. 

The Republic’s other foilist, Nicole Wong, had to settle for joint-bronze after losing 14-15 to Samantha in the semi-final, while debutant Ahmad Huzaifah, 17, won bronze in the individual men’s sabre.

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