ON Saturday, August 20, Wits Fencing Club held its first internal club tournament where 22 fencers competed. In total 12 men competed in the men’s epee where fencer Michael Gaynor placed first followed by Kevin Michel who placed second. Ten women competed in the woman’s epee where fencer Andrea Cabanac placed first followed by Farron Swartz who placed second.
The chairman of the Gauteng Fencing Association (GFA), Anthony Rademyer, supported and assisted the fencing club with refereeing. Along with Rademyer, the armourer of GFA, Vincent Human, and South African fencer, Marguerite Langton, assisted in refereeing the bouts. Langton is a former Wits student whose fencing record boasts three gold, one silver and two bronze medals from the Veterans World Fencing Championship.
Andrea Cabanac, club chair of Wits Fencing told Wits Vuvuzela that “we hoped this tournament would contribute to establishing an internal ranking system within our fencing club, boosting the confidence and skill of our fencers and formalising and acknowledging the Wits Fencing Club in Gauteng among other fencing clubs.”
“We achieved our goals,” Cabanac said.
“Our pupils fenced with passion and perseverance” said Cabanac and “despite our lack of equipment and kit for everyone, the pupils shared the equipment and supported one another in their respective bouts.”
Cabanac stated that the Wits Fencing Club are looking forward to their next National Competition in October that will be held in Port Elizabeth where they will be competing against universities from across the country. Cabanac said that the team has started learning to fence Foil, in addition to Epee, a different weapon category with a different weapon style and rules, so that they can maximise participation.
Andrea Cabanac (right) Farron Swartz (left) who placed first and second in the women’s epee. Photo: provided
Fencer Michael Gaynor and Kevin Michel who placed first and second in the men’s epee. Photo: provided
