THE national fencing team is hoping to make up for its lack of international exposure with a two-week training camp in Taiwan before plunging into action in the 32nd Cambodia SEA Games, according to fencing chief and Ormoc Rep. Richard Gomez.
“Hopefully, this training stint in Taiwan will offset the national fencing team’s lack of overseas exposure before the Cambodia SEA Games,” said Gomez of the stint funded by the Philippine Sports Commission.
Gomez, the Philippine Fencing Association president, said the earlier plan was for the national team to train in Busan, South Korea but some hitches, including visa problems for some of the members of the national squad, got in the way, forcing them to look for other options.
PFA secretary general Rene Gacuma said the 24-man national fencing squad will end its camp in Taiwan this Thursday and will resume its build-up in Manila before heading for the Cambodian capital of Phnom Penh.
The Cambodia SEA Games fencing competitions will be held from May 11 to 16 at the Chroy Changvar International Convention and Exposition Center Hall C.
The former mayor of Ormoc, Leyte, Gomez accommodated majority of the national team members in the city for nearly over two years at the height of the pandemic to sustain its training until the overall conditions in the country eased.
Also the second vice president of the Philippine Olympic Committee, Gomez expressed hope the fencers would be able to surpass their haul of one gold, three silver and four bronze medals in the Vietnamese Games last year.
The lone mint was courtesy of Penn State University varsity ace Samantha Catantan, who ruled the women’s foil event and looms as the brightest prospect to do it again in the Cambodian capital.
“Hopefully Noelito Jose Jr. can also deliver in the epee since he has been sharp in training and done well in competitions,” said Gomez of Jose, who won a silver medal in the individual men’s epee event of the 31st Vietnam SEA Games.
