By: Waylon Galvez
National team members and University of the East standouts Sophie Catantan and Louis Shoemaker will lead the Philippine contingent at the 2025 Bangkok FIE Foil Junior World Cup, scheduled from December 13 to 15 at the Diamond Hall, Zeer Ransit Shopping Mall in Don Mueang, Bangkok, Thailand.
Both Catantan and Shoemaker are aiming for better results this year after early exits in the round-of-64 of the same tournament last year.
They also view this event as key preparation for the fencing competitions of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Games, which Thailand is also hosting.
Catantan will team up with her sisters, Paris Olympics veteran Samantha and Ysah, in the women’s foil team event, while Shoemaker hopes to contribute to the men’s foil team alongside veterans Nathaniel Perez, Sammuel Tranquilan, and Nicollei Felipe in the biennial SEA Games, starting December 16.
For now, the focus for the two UE fencers is the three-day Junior World Cup, where they will compete alongside fellow Red Warriors James Lim, Willa Galvez, and Yuna Canlas.
Catantan, Shoemaker, and Lim are making their second World Cup appearances, while Galvez and Canlas will be debuting in the prestigious event.
“We hope to make the most as we compete again in the World Cup before we head to the SEA Games,” said 16-year-old Catantan, a Grade 10 UE student in her second year as a national team member. “Both tournaments are equally important for us, that’s why we hope to do well in the Junior World Cup and in the SEA Games.”
Shoemaker, a college freshman taking up International Studies, said the goal for him, Catantan, and Lim is to improve on last year’s performances, following early exits during the Direct Elimination round of the Junior World Cup.
“We hope to do better. We hope to improve not only our skills but also our respective placings. We know it’s a tough task, but we know what to expect compared to our first participation last year,” said the 19-year-old Shoemaker, who is on his second-to-last stint in the event.
For Galvez and Canlas, the competition is an opportunity to sharpen their skills and gain valuable experience ahead of the UAAP Season 88 fencing championship in March 2026.
Supported by Nickel Asia Corporation, Pocari Sweat, Strong Group Athletics, Rain or Shine, NLEX, DALAKUHA, and MVP Sports Foundation, Galvez is aiming for a second straight podium finish in the women’s foil individual category in the UAAP, following her bronze medal in Season 87 last April.
Other UAAP fencers in the Philippine junior team include Ateneo’s Derek Perez and Miyake Capina of De La Salle Zobel. Guiding the team are former UE and national team members turned coaches Michael Nicanor, Wilhelmina “Bing” Lozada, and Justine “Stang” Tinio.
Completing the junior squad are Jodie Tan, Victoria Ebdane (Homeschool Global), Jada Divinagracia (Multiple Intelligence International School), Hagia del Castillo (Poveda), Jethro Chan (Homeschool of Asia Pacific), Antonio Gregorio Manuel (University of Asia and the Pacific), David Ong (School of Isolated and Distance Education, Australia), Dean Myers (Haverford University, Pennsylvania), Nathan Palma (Olentangy High School, Ohio), and Jacob Leh (Huntington Beach High School, California).
