With four months left before the UAAP fencing championship, preparation shifts to high gear for multi-titled champion University of the East as six fencers go to battle against some of the best in Asia in the 2nd Malaysian Fencing Federation (MFF) Minime International Tournament in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

James Lim, the Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in the junior’s division during the previous UAAP Season 85, will lead the UE and Canlas Fencing contingent as the Philippine representatives in the Nov. 30 to Dec. 5 meet to be held at the Tan Sri Hamzah Arena.

Nina Canlas, member of the gold medal winning women’s junior’s team of UE the previous UAAP, will also see action together with four other Red Warriors rookies in Nicol Canlas and Shy Catantan in women’s sabre, Julianna Jimenez in women’s epee and Willa Galvez in women’s foil.

Galvez, Jimenez, Canlas and Catantan – youngest sister of Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Sam Catantan – are in the roster of the Red Warriors for the UAAP this Season 86 set in March 2024 as former national team head coach Amat Canlas aims to continue UE’s dominance in the UAAP.

“This mimime tournament in Malaysia will be a good experience for our fencers, particularly for the rookies. They need to be exposed and they all need this type of competition abroad for them to gain experience. The same goes to the CF fencers,” said Canlas.

Galvez, whose participation is by supported by Converge, Nickle Asia Corp., JeorgiaMed Inc., San Miguel Corp., Rain or Shine and NLEX, will see action in the Under-12 women’s foil with CF teammates Yuna Canlas, Hagia del Castillo, Lily Juico, Willow Ang and Jonie Ching.

In U-12 men’s foil, the CF entries are Lucas Palafox and Kyle Dy with U-10 participants Matteo Canlas, KD Castillo, Liam Ibarra, Roman Almiranez, Grey Ang and Elijah Timbol, while the U-10 women’s foil are Yuri Canlas, Morganne Uy, Willow Ang, Flame Go, Trinity Lapitan and Alana Ribaya.

In the U-12 men’s epee, the CF fencers are Lance Dy, Jonathan Pascual and Gael Villaluna, while the other U-12 women’s sabre participants are Ang sisters Wynter and Winslowe, and in the U-14 women’s epee the other fencers are Alessandra Desamero, Summer Feliciano, Elena Junia and Zoey Velasco.

As for the U-14 men’s sabre, it’s Aldrich Fernandez, U-14 women’s foil is Riese Santiago, U-14 men’s epee are Oscar del Castillo, Dominic Go, Franco Pediapco and Sid Peralta, while the
other entry
for the U-17 women’s epee is Justa Sandoval, and in U-17 men’s sabre are Allan Duyan, Miguel Mantilla and Paul Rodriguez.