By: Waylon Galvez
From the junior to cadet ranks, young Filipino fencers stepped onto the piste and proved they have the winning pedigree to compete against the best in the region while fighting for flag and country.
Team Philippines collected a total of five gold medals, seven silvers, and 13 bronzes at the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Junior and Cadet Championships held at Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Oscar del Castillo led the Nationals’ charge, winning silver in the Under-21 junior men’s epee individual event before claiming gold in the Under-17 cadet men’s epee.
The 16-year-old del Castillo fell to Singapore’s Benjamin Lee, 15-11, in the junior men’s epee final last Monday but bounced back with a convincing 15-8 victory over Vietnam’s Do Dang Khoi in the cadet men’s final last Friday.
Willa Galvez, meanwhile, secured bronze in the junior women’s foil individual event, while Hagia del Castillo took silver in the cadet division. Victoria Ebdane and Yuna Canlas also claimed bronze medals in the women’s foil individual event.
Galvez, whose overseas competitions are supported by Nickel Asia Corporation, with backing from Converge, NLEX Corporation, Rain or Shine, MVP Sports Foundation, Strong Group Athletics, Pocari Sweat, and Icons Sports Management Services, defeated Singapore’s Sita Naidu Maaravis, 15-14, in the quarterfinals before falling to eventual gold medalist and Malaysia national team member Suraya Rizzal, 15-8, in the semifinals.
Hagia del Castillo missed out on gold after suffering a 15-7 defeat to Malaysia’s Oo Chin Yu in the final. She had earlier beaten Ebdane, 15-3, in the semifinals, while Canlas lost to Oo, 15-5, in the other semifinal.
Also winning bronze medals in the cadet individual events were Don Geronimo in men’s epee, Jethro Chan in men’s foil, and Papina Torre in women’s epee.
In the team events, Galvez, Ebdane, and Jodie Tan combined to win gold in junior women’s foil, before Ebdane and Tan teamed up with Canlas and Hagia del Castillo to claim another gold in cadet women’s foil.
Khiane Felipe, a member of the national team, joined forces with Vito Coching, Drake Chung, and Matthew General to rule the junior men’s sabre team event.
Del Castillo also starred alongside Joaquin de Silos, Jacob Mayo, and Li Jiashu as they won gold in the cadet men’s epee team event.
Galvez, meanwhile, earned silver in the cadet women’s foil team event with Christine May Morales and Victoria Malvar, while the women’s epee team of Torre, Eleina Junia, and Faith Olemos also took silver.
Estelliah Gilliana, Hailey Peters, Arianna Tiu, and Nadelle Turiano settled for silver in junior women’s sabre. Chung also won silver in cadet men’s sabre alongside Marcus Co Say, Erlon Mallari, and Sean Ragos.
Ryona Salvante, Elise Acuzar, Ruth Nierras, and Gilliana added another silver in cadet women’s sabre.
The Philippines also collected bronze medals in the team events.
Geronimo, Mayo, de Silos, and Del Castillo won bronze in junior men’s epee; Canlas, Del Castillo, and Malvar in junior women’s foil; Junia, Olemos, Torre, and Rhiana Cruz in junior women’s epee; and Inigo Divinagracia, Lucas Palafox, Elijah Timbol, and Chan in junior men’s foil.
Cruz, Summer Feliciano, and Chiara Guidote also took bronze in cadet women’s epee, while Luis Clemente, Ynigo Estrada, and Qody Omengan secured bronze in cadet men’s sabre.
Chan, Palafox, and Yohann Roldan completed the Philippines’ medal haul with a bronze in cadet men’s foil.
