More than 50 Filipino fencers compete in the 1st Hefeng National Junior Fencing Championships set May 27 and 28 at the New Taipei Municipal Linkou Senior High School in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

(From left) Opao Catantan, Antonio Manuel and Zoe Atilano lead the Philippine Team campaign in the 1st Hefeng National Junior Fencing Championships in New Taipei City, Taiwan.

Coming from various clubs and schools including Canlas Fencing Academy and Republic Fencing, the event will feature the three weapons of fencing – foil, epee and sabre – of 7 to 17 years old ‘minime’ divisions.

Fresh from a dominant campaign in the junior category of the third leg National Ranking, Opao Catantan – sister of Cambodia Southeast Asian Games veterans Sam and Ysah – will lead the charge for the Philippines.

The 13-year-old Catantan, a grassroots fencer of CF and a Grade 8 student at University of the East, will see action in both the Under-15 and Under-17 divisions of the two-day tournament.

Also seeing action in the said event are CF foil fencers Victoria Ebdane, Tan sisters Jodie and Jazleen, Canlas sisters Yuna and Yuri, Hagia del Castillo, Jaide Uy, Jonie Ching, Willa Galvez and RF’s Ina Pascual.

Yuri Canlas is coming off a double gold medal finish in U8 and U10 recently in the Admirals Fencing Invitational in Alabang, while Yuna Canlas ranked No. 1 in the second leg of CF ranking, while Galvez – whose international participation was made possible by Converge, Nickel Asia Corporation, San Miguel Corporation, Rain or Shine and NLEX – bagged the gold medal in U12 of the Admirals.

In boys foil, leading the charge is Antonio Manuel, who also bagged gold in the U17 of the Admirals, with Lucas Palafox, Elijah Timbol, KD Castillo, Liam Ibarra, Pico Montano and Derek Perez.

Also seeing action in sabre are Zoe Atilano, Sophia Santiago, Nicol Canlas, Elise Acuzar, Lorraine Ferrer, Cleto sisters Kate and Kyra, Villacin sisters Alyssa and Akirra, and Boy sisters Maiev and Medivh, while in epee are Oscar del Castillo, Sid Peralta, Diego Son, Enrico Fuentes, Miguel Chavez and Justa Sandoval.