Kazakh, Korean fencers shine

MANILA, Philippines - Kazakhstan’s Ivan Deryabin and Korea’s Kim Ji Yeo turned back their respective rivals to pocket the gold medals in the Asian Cadet and Junior Fencing Championships at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City yesterday.

Deryabin repulsed Koya Shimada, 15-12, to capture the individual cadet boys’ epee title for Kazakhstan’s first gold in the 10-day meet while Kim trounced Hong Kong’s Wan Pui Yin, 15-9, to snare the individual cadet girls’ saber gold in the event backed by Philippine Sports Commission chair Harry Angping and organized by the Philippine Fencing Association.

It was a sweet victory for Deryabin who beat compatriot Mikhail Gryazanov, 15-11, edged Roy Groncki of Australia, 15-8, before beating Kazakh Kirill Zhakupov, 15-11, in the semis to advance to the gold medal round.

Kim, on the other hand, had a relatively easier time as he dominated the field with lopsided victories over Yui Yasutomi, 15-9, and Ayami Aochi, 15-7, of Japan and Pang Hui Yi, 15-9, of Chinese Taipei to get a shot at the gold medal.

Kim’s victory more than made up for compatriot’s Cho Sung Hyuck’s loss to Australia’s Ioana Mihailescu in the cadet girls’ epee finals earlier.

Two RP bets – Nadine Licono and Joshua Rodriguez – hurdled their first round assignments over Indonesian Dea Marchelina, 15-8, and Uzbek Rustam Isakov, 14-13, but succumbed to Japanese Marino Kimura, 6-15, and Zhakupov, 6-15, and bowed out of contention.

Meanwhile, Fil-Am Mia Howell, a silver medal winner in the Cadet Girls event in the same meet in Kazakhstan two years ago, is expected to arrive this week to compete in the individual and team foil events on Friday and Sunday.

“She’s (Howell) our best hope but our other fencers will surely give their all,” said former Philippine Olympic Committee president and RP fencing chief Celso Dayrit.

The event, which drew the participation of the best fencers in the 20-and-under age bracket in the region as well as in Oceania, stakes 96 medals in 24 events.