MANILA, Philippines — Jodie Danielle Tan ruled the 12-under girls foil event while Victoria Ebdane powered her team to a gold-medal win in the 12-under team mixed foil in the Mayor Richard Gomez Fencing Cup recently at the Ormoc City Superdome in Ormoc City.
Tan of Canlas Fencing (CF)/St. Jude Catholic School bounced back in the gold-medal bout, winning a tightly contested defensive match with Ebdane (2-1), who earlier swept the pool round that included a similar 2-1 triumph over Tan.
Tan and Ebdane of CF/Home School-Roces arranged a final-round rematch by beating their respective semifinal foes, fellow CF fencers Willa Liana Galvez and Kirsten Shanelle Catantan.
Lucas Palafox defeated Yohann Malik Roldan for the gold medal in the 12-under boys foil.
Ebdane came back with a vengeance in 12-under team mixed foil category, teaming up with Galvez and Yuna Samuelle Canlas in a 26-15 victory against top seed Team A of Tan, Catantan and Roldan.
In the 10-under girls foil, Canlas beat Galvez, 10-6, for the gold, with Roldan and Christine Morales sharing the bronze.
“It’s very important to start our kids early, and it’s also very important for them to be joining competitions because when they join competitions, especially when they win, it really gives them the interest and it inspires them,” said Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, who is also the president of the Philippine Fencing Association (PFA).
“I’m hoping that these kids will continue fencing until they become part of the varsity team or the national team.”
In the 10-under mixed epee division, Francis Gabriel Batican won the gold, Praizer Igot took silver medal, while Princess Amara dela Cruz and Rex Carl dela Cruz went home with the bronze.
In the 13-under team mixed epee, Jauz Lovaine Assis, Rex dela Cruz and Edel Royeras won the gold for Team B, Team A of Erika Nicole Dejano, Jillian Glaze Dejano and Sheska Dejano got the silver, and Batican, Igot, James Dylan Yap and Elizza Maureen Ecalla pocketed the bronze for Team C.