Filipino fencers grab 3 SEA golds

FILIPINO fencers atoned for their sour showing in last year’s Southeast Asian Games by seizing three gold medals in the SEA Fencing Championships at OCBC Arena in Singapore recently.

Fil-Am Brennan Louie, Nathaniel Perez, Samuel Tranquilan and Michael Nicanor seized the men’s foil team gold with a narrow 45-43 victory over SEA Games titlist Singapore.

The result broke a string of losses since 2013 for the Filipinos, who set up the duel with the Singaporeans following a 45-30 thrashing of Vietnam in the semifinals.

Louie earlier bagged the gold in the men’s individual foil while Noelito Jose pocketed the silver in the men’s epee. The Philippines also took the silver in the women’s sabre team event.

Gabrielle Estimada, Hanniel Abella and SEA Games silver medalist Harlene Orendain duplicated the men’s feat in the women’s epee team event after prevailing, 45-42, over Vietnam.

The Filipinos’ 3-2-5 medal tally was good for third overall, a vast improvement on their 0-4-2 medal performance in the SEA Games.

Vietnam ruled the meet with five golds and host Singapore placed second with three golds and four silvers.

The bronze medalists were Perez (men’s foil), Orendain (women’s epee), women’s foil, men’s epee and men’s sabre teams. June Navarro