By: Waylon Galvez
Eighteen members of the multi-titled University of the East Red Warriors fencing team are set to test their mettle against the region’s finest as they compete in the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation Cadet and Junior Championships 2025, scheduled from July 20 to 24 at the Arena TSH in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Leading the Philippine contingent are national team members and Southeast Asian Games-bound fencers Anthony Concepcion, Khiane Felipe, and Louis Shoemaker.
The trio is expected to spearhead the country’s campaign against formidable opponents from host nation Malaysia, as well as Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Shoemaker, who will make his Southeast Asian Games debut this December in Bangkok, Thailand, in the men’s foil event, emphasized the importance of the SEAFF tournament in his preparation.
“As a new member of the national team, and with the Southeast Asian Games coming, every chance to get an international competition, every opportunity to prepare for that is a big boost,” said Shoemaker, the reigning Most Valuable Player of the UAAP Season 86 Fencing Championship.
Felipe, also making his first SEA Games appearance and part of the national pool since last year, echoed similar sentiments about the tournament’s significance.
“Competing in the SEAFF is a good opportunity for us UE fencers to improve. This event is an avenue for us not just to gain experience but more importantly test our skills against our neighboring competitors from Southeast Asia,” said Khiane, the youngest among the Felipe siblings, following former national team member Tipoy and current national mainstay Kulai.
Joining Shoemaker in the men’s foil category is former UAAP Season 85 Rookie/MVP James Lim. The women’s foil team features Willa Galvez, Yuna Canlas, Eia Mendoza, Aly Gilbert, and Leila Vizcayno.
In the men’s sabre division, Felipe will be joined by Concepcion, Charles Babatio, and Marco Palmado. The women’s sabre squad includes Shy Catantan, Nicol Canlas, and Celyna Palmado.
UE will also be represented in epee, with Nina Canlas and Irish Manaois competing in the women’s division, while Boo Geronimo and Ruzel Gallano take the strip for the men’s side.
Performance in the SEAFF Championships carries significant weight for the Filipino fencers, as it offers ranking points that will be added to the standings from the first two legs of the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) Cadet and Junior Rankings — held last February at Gateway Mall and this past June in Ormoc City.
The third and final leg of the PFA rankings will be held this August at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City. The top-ranked fencers after all three legs will earn the chance to represent the country in international competitions under the Fédération Internationale d’Escrime (FIE), such as the Asian Fencing Championships and the World Championships.
“Everyone has dreams of competing in next year’s AFC cadet and junior, and the World Championships, as well as other FIE competitions, so this SEAFF ranking is important for us,” said Canlas, one of the top women’s epee fencers of the reigning UAAP champions from UE.
Meanwhile, the Philippines closed out the SEAFF Minime competition with an impressive haul of three gold medals.
The women’s epee team — composed of Galvez, Hagia del Castillo, and Nana Cruz — dominated the field. They were joined at the top of the podium by the men’s foil team of Elijah Timbol, Pico Montano, and Inigo Divinagracia, and the men’s epee team of Jude Canaveral, Joaquin de Silos, and Jacob Mayo.
Galvez, backed by Nickel Asia Corporation (NAC), Rain or Shine, and NLEX, delivered a stellar 22-point performance in their 45–34 semifinal win over Malaysia. Del Castillo, fresh off her gold in the under-14 women’s foil individual event, carried the team in the finals, leading the scoring with 14 points in a 31–26 triumph over Singapore.
In the men’s foil, Divinagracia, Timbol, and Montano ousted Malaysia B in the semifinals, 45–27, before mounting a thrilling comeback to edge the same Malaysian squad, 45–42, in the finals.
Meanwhile, Canaveral, de Silos, and Mayo topped Singapore B, 45–40, in the men’s epee semifinals, then outclassed Singapore A, 45–32, in the title match.
Not all finals went the Philippines’ way, however. Drake Chung, Miguel de Guzman, Sean Ragos, and Aidan Taguinod settled for silver in the men’s sabre team event after a 45–39 loss to Thailand. On the other hand, the women’s sabre team of Catantan, Canlas, and Elise Acuzar brought home a bronze.
