RP fencers launch bid for Athens in Sharp Asian tilt

The last time the Philippines sent a fencer to the Olympics was during the 1992 Barcelona Games where Wowie Torres saw action in the men’s foil.

The long wait, however, might just end soon when the new batch of Filipino fencers, all determined and capable, sees action in next month’s 2004 Sharp Asian Fencing Championships, which will also serve as a qualifying tournament to the Athens Olympics in August.

Torres, now a member of the Philippine Amateur Fencing Association (PAFA) coaching staff, is confident that the Pinoy fencers can live up to expectations.

"We’re very hopeful that the Filipino fencers can make it to this year’s Olympics," said Torres during yesterday’s official launch of the event at the National Sports Grill in Makati City.

Except for Wally Mendoza, the country’s No. 1 bet who’s already been seeded, the rest of the RP fencers are undergoing an elimination process for the Asian qualifying. They include Veena Tessa Nuestro, Joanna Franquelli, Emerson Segui, Rolando Canlas Jr., Ramil Endriano, Wilfredo Viscayno Jr., Avelino Victorino Jr., Jocelyn Naval, Ruperto Endriano and Edmo Velez.

The event set April 21 to 26 at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City is expected to draw at least 400 athletes and officials from 20 countries with each of the fencers hoping to earn tickets to this year’s Olympics.

Celso Dayrit, PAFA president who’s also at the helm of the Philippine Olympic Committee, is just as excited and thrilled about the prospects of a Filipino fencer earning a return trip to the Olympics.

It’s the first and only Olympic qualifying tournament for Asian countries and there will only be eight slots available — two each in women’s foil and sabre and one each in women’s epee and men’s epee, foil and sabre.

Therefore, Dayrit said, the Filipino athletes should seize the opportunity to make it before a hometown crowd.

"Unlike in boxing (where there are three Asian Olympic qualifiers) this is the only one in fencing. So it either you make it in April or you don’t," said Dayrit.

Filipino fencers have kept the overall title in the Southeast Asian Championships since 1992 and have emerged the region’s best in the past six stagings of the SEA Games. Last year during the Vietnam SEAG, the Filipinos won four of the 10 gold medals disputed aside from taking home three silver and a bronze.

Powerhouse Asian countries in fencing, like China, Korea, Japan and Iran, will definitely give the hosts some rough sailing. Other countries competing are Oceania’s Australia and New Zealand, plus Chinese Taipei, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Thailand and Uzbekistan.