THE Philippine junior fencing team is already looking ahead to next year’s biggest international competitions after producing eight individual medalists at the 2026 Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The young Filipino fencers are targeting spots in the World and Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, with their performances in international and domestic tournaments contributing to their qualification rankings.
Leading the Philippine contingent in Kuala Lumpur is 16-year-old Oscar Del Castillo, who won the men’s under-17 cadet epee gold medal and added a silver in the under-21 junior division.
Fifteen-year-old Willa Galvez also reached the podium, earning bronze in the women’s under-21 individual foil competition.
Hagia del Castillo took silver in the women’s cadet foil, while Yuna Canlas and Victoria Ebdane won bronze medals in women’s foil. Papina Torre also claimed bronze in women’s epee, with Jethro Chan earning bronze in men’s foil and Don Reyzel Geronimo taking bronze in men’s epee.
The results gave the Filipino fencers valuable ranking points that will be combined with points from other international competitions, including the Asian Cadet Cup, as well as the Philippine Fencing Association’s Junior and Cadet Ranking Series.
The third and final leg of the domestic ranking tournament is scheduled for Aug. 29 and 30 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
“It’s not just the medals, but equally important is the points we’ll get from the SEAFF because points we earned will be added to our overall ranking points,” Del Castillo said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the Philippine Sports Commission media room.
Ebdane, a Grade 11 student at Home School Global, emphasized the importance of competing overseas to gain experience against international opponents.
“It’s important as an athlete to compete in as many international competitions as we can, especially in a competition that allows me to have the exposure,” Ebdane said. “Playing against players from other countries are things that will push me to be better as a fencer both locally and internationally.”
Galvez is also looking forward to the final domestic ranking event, where valuable points will be at stake.
“It’s going to be an exciting third leg because it’s the final leg, and the points every fencer will get is very crucial,” said Galvez, a Grade 10 student at the University of the East.
The top four fencers in the cadet and junior categories have traditionally represented the Philippines at the World and Asian Championships.
The Asian Cadet and Junior Championships are scheduled for March next year in Wuxi, China, while the World Championships will be held from April 9 to 17 in Tallinn, Estonia.
Beyond the rankings and medals, the SEAFF tournament also strengthened the team’s camaraderie despite the athletes competing in different weapons—foil, epee and saber.
“Bringing the team together to bond, every time we get together, we cheer for each other which is good,” said Torre, a Grade 10 student at Waldorf School. (Adrian Co)
