Young Morales targets major fencing stints
MANILA, Philippines — At just 13 years old, promising Filipino fencer Christine May Morales is already setting her sights on the biggest stages in international sport, including the Southeast Asian Games, the Asian Games and, ultimately, the Olympic Games.
The Grade 8 student of the University of the East-Manila is emerging as one of the young standouts of the Philippine fencing program after playing a key role in the national team’s campaign at the recently concluded Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Junior and Cadet Championships at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Morales captured the gold medal in the Under-14 Junior Women’s Foil event after defeating fellow Filipino Yuri Simmone Canlas in an all-Filipino final.
“I’m very happy that I was able to contribute to the team’s campaign. Playing against Yuri Canlas was tough, and I felt nervous at first. But I quickly motivated myself to stay focused, play hard, and give my best. In the end, it paid off,” said Morales during the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports, Inc. (TOPS) ‘Usapang Sports’ at the VIP Room of the Rizal Memorial Stadium.
Her strong performance continued in the team competition, where she joined Willa Galvez and Victoria Malvar in the Cadet Women’s Team Foil event. The Philippine trio secured the silver medal, adding another podium finish to Morales’ growing international resume.
The Philippine delegation finished third overall with five gold medals, seven silver medals and 13 bronze medals for a total of 25 medals.
Singapore topped the overall standings with six gold, three silver and four bronze medals for 13 medals, while Thailand finished second with five gold, five silver and four bronze medals for 14 medals.
Morales’ gold-medal performance was one of the highlights of the Philippine campaign, further establishing her as one of the country’s promising young prospects in the sport.
For Morales, however, the medals are only part of a much bigger goal.
The young Filipino-American fencer is hoping to gain more international exposure through extensive training opportunities abroad, particularly with her young teammates whom she considers her best friends. Training overseas, she believes, would give the young Filipino fencers the opportunity to sharpen their skills, gain valuable experience and learn from some of the sport’s strongest competitors.
“My teammates are also my best friends, and I want us to train together and improve together so we can compete against the best fencers in the region and, someday, the world,” Morales said in the forum backed by the Philippine Sports Commission, Behrouz Persian Cuisine and Pocari Sweat.
The fencer will have several opportunities to continue her development on the domestic and international circuit.
She is set to compete in the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA) Junior and Cadet International Championships, third leg, from August 29-30. She is also slated to see action in the PFA Minime, Veterans and Recreational tournament, second leg, on September 5-6; the PFA Open, fourth leg, from October 17-18; the Philippine Open International, fifth leg, from November 29-30; and the PFA Minime and Veterans International, third leg, from December 19-20.
The tournaments are scheduled to be held at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila.
For Morales, each competition represents another opportunity to gain experience and measure herself against increasingly tougher opposition. (Pool story)
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