PH fencers Catantan, Concepcion fall short in Tokyo bid

FILE – Samantha Kyle Catantan of the Philippines (R) competes with Singapore’s Amita Marie Nicolette Berthi during the women’s foil individual final of the 29th Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) in Kuala Lumpur on August 21, 2017. / AFP PHOTO / Adek BERRY

MANILA, Philippines — Philippine fencers Samantha Catantan and CJ Concepcion failed in their Tokyo Olympics bid after suffering defeats in the knockout stages of their respective disciplines in the Asia-Oceania Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Uzbekistan Sunday.

Catantan, who’s now studying at Penn State University, was one win away from the final round but lost, 15-10, to Russia’s Yana Alborova in the semifinals.

A Southeast Asian Games bronze medalist, the 19-year-old Catantan could not break the composure of 27-year-old Alborova who’s already won gold in the 2015 European Games.

Concepcion, meanwhile, bowed to Australia’s Alexandre Douglas, 15-9, in the round-of-16 in the men’s epee competition.

Spots in the Olympics are limited with the gold medalist from each weapon—epee, foil, and sabre—and division qualifying for Tokyo as other slots are already taken via world ranking with other OQTs in the other continents also taken into account.