By: Waylon Galvez
With a coaching stint at the Paris Olympics now part of his growing and impressive résumé, Rolando “Amat” Canlas Jr. has accepted a return as head coach of the national fencing team — a position he held for five years before stepping down in 2022.
Canlas’ return comes as the national team prepares for the 33rd Southeast Asian Games in Bangkok, Thailand, with high hopes of securing gold medals in the biennial meet.
“It’s nice to be back,” Canlas said in his ‘My Day’ post on Facebook last Monday, January 27, as officials of the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) welcomed him during the weekly flag ceremony before the start of training for the national team and training pool members.
The PFA, led by its president Rene Gacuma, has informed the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) — chaired by Richard Bachmann — of the head coach change.
However, Canlas’ reappointment will only be official upon the PSC’s formal acceptance.
The 43-year-old Canlas replaces Ramil Endriano as overall head coach, though Endriano will remain on the coaching staff for foil alongside Canlas and Michael Nicanor.
Meanwhile, the coaches for epee are the Vizcayno brothers, with Al as the head coach, assisted by his elder sibling Oniong and Rufel Endriano. The saber team is led by Iranian mentor Alireza Taherkhani, backed by Chester Uy and Gian Carlo Nocom.
According to Canlas, he received an offer from another country to take on a similar role, but he declined due to his “love for country” and belief that Filipino fencers are ready for the big stage.
Canlas expressed his enthusiasm, particularly after his stint in the Paris Olympics and with the SEA Games on the horizon.
“After the Paris Olympics, there was renewed excitement for me. We proved that Filipinos have what it takes to be at par with the best fencers in the world with hard work, like what Samantha Catantan did,” Canlas, who served as the national team’s head coach from 2016 to 2022, told Tiebreaker Times in a phone interview.
Canlas was in Catantan’s corner during last year’s Summer Games in France.
As for this year’s SEA Games in Thailand, Canlas acknowledged the challenge ahead.
“Part of accepting the position, of course, is accepting the challenge. Our fencers are doing their best in training here, and some are competing abroad as part of the SEA Games preparation,” said Canlas.
“So we’ll see. Preparation is important, as always—that’s our focus now. After the selection process, the next step is training camp for the national team,” added Canlas, who — prior to his reappointment — served as the PFA program adviser, overseeing tournament participation for Filipino fencers at the minime, cadet, junior, and elite (national team) levels.
The national team failed to secure a gold medal in last year’s SEA Games in Cambodia. Catantan, the 2022 Vietnam SEA Games gold medalist, suffered a left knee injury (ACL) in the semifinals and was unable to compete in the finals against eventual winner Maxine Wong of Singapore.
Catantan re-injured her left knee at the Paris Olympics, undergoing a second ACL surgery last year. However, she is expected to be available for this year’s SEA Games.
Alongside Noelito Jose in men’s epee, she remains one of the country’s top gold medal contenders.
The PFA will begin its rankings with the first leg for cadet and junior fencers in all three weapons — foil, epee, and saber — this weekend at Gateway Mall 2. This will be followed by the men’s and women’s Open categories on February 8 and 9 at the same venue.
The next major local tournament is the UAAP Season 87 Fencing Championship, where multi-titled champion University of the East — also under Canlas’ leadership — aims to extend its dominance on the piste.
