JAKARTA — Loud rap music blasting over her headphones, fencer Amita Berthier had her game face on as she walked out onto the competition piste at the Jakarta Convention Centre for the women's foil team quarterfinal against Taiwan.

After missing out on the individual foil medal this week, the teenager was not about to be distracted from her goal – and the women's team's target – here in Jakarta. This, despite the team missing the services of 2018 World Junior (U20) championships silver medallist Nicole Wong, who was unable to compete due to injury.

Team Singapore's women's foil fencers had not been able to win a medal at the last three editions of the Asiad, finishing fifth in 2006, 2010, and again in Incheon, South Korea, in 2014.

But there was no disappointment this time, as the quartet of Amita, Maxine Wong, Tatiana Wong, and Melanie Huang defeated Taiwan 45-19 in the quarterfinal to secure Singapore's first-ever team medal at the Asian Games.

With world No.130 Amita leading the women, the 17-year-old went out on the offensive from the get-go, routing Lei Yuru 5-1 in the first bout.

With only a two-point cushion (8-6) after the fourth bout, the fearless teenager – who won the SEA Games individual foil gold last year – racked up 17 points against Yang Chinman to take the score to 28-5 in a defeat that left the Taiwanese in tears.

With Maxine and Tatiana taking the score to 40-14 after the eighth bout, it was left to Amita to wrap up matters on the piste, as she beat Cheng in the final round to notch a 45-19 victory for Team Singapore, guaranteeing them a bronze medal.

Unleashing a primal shriek as she pumped her fist in celebration, Amita was embraced by her teammates after their historic achievement.

"This is a milestone in each of our careers… we have great chemistry as a team even though we only competed together twice," said Amita.

"I felt I had a role to play in this situation (against Taiwan in the fifth bout). My coach said if I could take the score to (the maximum) 25, I should just do it."

Maxine, 17, who had missed out on an individual medal after she was beaten by Korea's Jeon Hee Sook in the quarterfinal, added: "I'm very happy with how I did in the individual event, and this made it even sweeter, and it's a bonus to win a team medal."

Up against defending silver medalists China in the semi-finals, the Singaporeans lost out to their quicker, more experienced opponents, as the Chinese cruised to a 45-14 victory to earn a spot in the final.

But the team had no regrets, as Amita said: "It's unfortunate that we met China. We gave it our best. I'm happy that I redeemed myself (after the individual event) by helping the team (clinch the bronze).

"I'm going back to Singapore with an Asian Games medal in my bag, and that's a great way to close the Asian Games."

Ms Juliana Seow, president of Fencing Singapore, paid tribute to the young fencers' – the foil team comprise three teenagers and Huang, who is 34 – "grit and fabulous team spirit" on Thursday.

"Besides demonstrating that we have a good depth in our women's foil team pipeline, the result also gives us a much needed encouragement that we are on the right track as a community, especially following our recent launch of the Fencing Singapore Olympic Pathway Programme in June," she said.

As Singapore fencing works towards its goal of qualifying athletes for the Olympic Games, the women's foil team is hopeful that they will be the ones to create history for Singapore in the future.

Amita added: "It may not be at the 2020 Olympic Games, but we are working towards competing in 2024 and 2028."