FORMER national coach Rolando “Amat” Canlas Jr. yesterday said a stable program starting at the grassroots level all the way to the national team is needed if Filipino fencers are to compete in the Olympics.
Canlas, through his Canlas Fencing club, organized the highly successful 1st Burlington Inter-Club International Challenge last week at the Alabang Town Center in Muntinlupa City.
“Dapat talaga maging consistent tayo sa programa, umpisa pa lang sa grassroots level, ganitong age group, that’s why we have this kind of tournament na gusto nating palakasin,” Canlas said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Philippine Sports Commission Conference Hall.
Aside from Catantan, also present during the Forum backed by the PSC, Milo, Pagcor and San Miguel Corp. were Louis Shoemaker of UE/CF, Antonio Manuel of Paref/CF, Faber Cabrera of Ateneo/CF, Enrico Fuentes Southridge/CF, Meagan Co Say of Republic Fencing, Miyake Capina of De La Salle Zobel, Zoe Atilano of CF and Nina Canlas of UE/CF.
“If we have a solid program for the grassroots, lalakas ang mga bata and one to two years nasa national team sila. From there, we have the Southeast Asian Games and the Asian Games. Lahat naman ng mga fencers pangarap makapasok sa Olympics,” he said.
Four members of the current national team led by Noelito Jose competed in the World Championships in Italy, one of the qualifying meets for the Paris Games, last month.
Jose and other fencers, and possibly Samantha Catantan, who is recovering from a left ACL injury she suffered during the Cambodia SEA Games in May, will see action in the Asian Olympic Qualifying Tournament in April next year.
Walter Torres, now a PSC commissioner, was the last Filipino fencer to see action in the Olympics during the 1992 Barcelona Games in Spain. At that time, he earned an automatic spot after winning a gold medal in the SEA Games.
Fencers around the world now need to go through qualifiers to get ranking FIE points.
“As a fencer yan talaga ang pinaka-goal namin, makapag-laro sa Olympics,” said Catantan, 13, sister of national team members Samantha and Ysah, who won four gold medals in the Burlington International representing University of the East and Canlas Fencing.
