Filipino fencers vie in Malaysia Minime

MANILA, Philippines — More than 50 Filipino fencers from top club Canlas Fencing will compete in the first Malaysian Fencing Federation Minime International Tournament set Dec. 1 to 4 at the Arena Tan Sri Hamzah gymnasium inside the Olympic Council Malaysia (OCM) in Kuala Lumpur.

All weapons in both the men’s and women’s categories will be played in competitions in Under-8, Under-10, Under-12, Under-14 and Under-16 age groups in the event organized by the Malaysia Fencing Federation (MFF) led by its president Rusni Abu Hassan.

Leading the charge for the CF fencers are Jodie Tan and Victoria Ebdane, recent winners in the Thailand Fencing Federation, and Antonio Manuel, gold medal winner in the TFF Minime.

Tan, who won the gold in Thailand and in the Singapore Minime, will join hands with Ebdane – gold medal winner in the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation Minime in Malaysia and silver medalist in U12 and U14 TFF Minime – in the U14 women’s team foil competition with Aubrey Fernandez and Opao Catantan – sister of Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Samantha Catantan.

Also seeing action in the tournament are Willa Liana Galvez, Yuna Canlas and Diaz sisters Aliyah and Amber in women’s U12 foil, as well as Nicol Canlas and Shy Catantan - youngest of the Catantan sisters - in women’s U12 sabre, Jose Faber Cabrera and Miguel Chavez in U16 men’s epee, and Khiane Felipe in U14 and U16 men’s sabre.