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| Members of the Philippine fencing Team celebrate following their campaign in the 2026 Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Cadet and Junior championship at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo shared by coach Alex Ragot) |
From the juniors to the cadet ranks, young Filipino fencers have stepped up to the ‘piste’ and proved they have the winning pedigree to fight for flag and country against the best in the region.
A combined total of five gold medals with seven silvers and 13 bronzes were pocketed by Team Philippines in the Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Junior and Cadet championship held at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Oscar del Castillo led the charge for the Nationals as he earned a silver medal in the 21-and-under junior men’s epee individual, and later bagged the gold medal in the 17-and-under cadet men’s epee.
The 16-year-old del Castillo lost to Singapore’s Benjamin Lee 15-11 in the finals of junior men’s epee last Monday, but rebounded with a convincing 15-8 win against Do Dang Khoi of Vietnam in cadet men’s last Friday.
Willa Galvez, on the other hand, earned a bronze medal in junior women’s foil individual, while in cadet Hagia del Castillo settled with a silver, with Victoria Ebdane and Yuna Canlas taking bronze medal each in women’s foil individual.
Galvez, whose competition abroad is supported by Nickel Asia Corporation, with backing from Converge, NLEX Corporation, Rain or Shine, MVP Sports Foundation, Strong Group Athletics, Pocari Sweat and Icons Sports Management Services, won against Singapore’s Sita Naidu Maaravis, 15-14, in the quarterfinals but dropped a 15-8 decision to eventual gold medalist and Malaysia national team member Suraya Rizzal.
As for del Castillo, she missed out on the gold medal following a 15-7 defeat to Oo Chin Yu of Malysia in the finals after beating Ebdane in the semifinals 15-3, while Canlas suffered a 15-5 loss to Oo in the other bracket of the Final Four.
Also earning bronze medals in cadet individual categories are Don Geronimo in men’s epee, Jethro Chan in men’s foil and Papina Torre in women’s epee.
In team events, Galvez and Ebdane teamed up with Jodie Tan to secure the junior women’s foil gold, before Ebdane and Tan joined hands with Canlas and del Castillo to take home the cadet women’s foil gold.
Khiane Felipe, a member of the national team, connived with Vito Coching, Drake Chung and Matthew General as they ruled the sabre junior men’s team, while del Castillo starred with Joaquin de Silos, Jacob Mayo and Li Jiashu to win the epee cadet men’s team.
Galvez likewise got a silver in the cadet women’s foil team with Christine May Morales and Victoria Malvar, while the women’s epee team of Papina Torre, Eleina Junia and Faith Olemos also won a silver medal.
Also in teams, Estelliah Gilliana, Hailey Peters, Arianna Tiu and Nadelle Turiano also settled with a silver in junior women’s saber, while Chung won a silver in cadet men’s sabre with Marcus Co Say, Erlon Mallari and Sean Ragos; and Ryona Salvante, Elise Acuzar, Ruth Nierras and Gillana pocketed a silver in cadet women’s sabre.
Also winning bronze medals in team events include Geronimo, Mayo, de Silos and del Castillo in junior men’s team epee; Canlas, Del Castillo and Malvar in junior women’s foil; Junia, Olemos, Torre and Rhiana Cruz in junior women’s epee; Inigo Divinagracia, Lucas Palafox, Elijah Timbol and Chan in junior men’s foil; Cruz, Summer Feliciano and Chiara Guidote in cadet women’s epee; Luis Clemente, Ynigo Estrada and Qody Omengan in cadet men’s sabre; and Chan, Palafox and Yohann Roldan went home with a bronze in cadet men's foil.
In a statement, the Philippine Fencing Association shared their praise towards the delegation.
The Philippine Fencing Team proudly showcased the strength, talent, and determination of Filipino fencers at the SEAFF Minime, Junior and Cadet Championships in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, delivering an impressive performance against some of the region’s finest young athletes.
Representing the Philippines with pride, our Minime, Junior, and Cadet fencers demonstrated exceptional skill, discipline, sportsmanship, and competitive spirit throughout the competition. Their performances reflected not only their individual talent, but also the dedication of their coaches, clubs, parents, and the Philippine Fencing Association in continuously developing the next generation of Filipino fencers.
The participation of the Philippine delegation provided our young athletes with valuable international exposure and the opportunity to compete against strong opponents from across Southeast Asia. Every bout served as an important learning experience, allowing our athletes to gain confidence, strengthen their tactical awareness, and further develop their competitive maturity.
Our fencers fought with determination from the pools through the elimination rounds, showing that Philippine fencing continues to make significant progress across all three age categories. The achievements of the team are a testament to the hard work and commitment of our athletes, coaches, clubs, and families who continue to support their journey in the sport.
Beyond the medals and victories, the SEAFF Championships also highlighted the importance of international competition in preparing our young athletes for bigger challenges ahead. These experiences will be valuable as they progress from Minime to Cadet, Junior, and eventually to the Senior level, strengthening the pipeline of athletes who will represent the Philippines in future regional, Asian, and international competitions.
The Philippine Fencing Association extends its heartfelt congratulations to all Filipino fencers who competed in Kuala Lumpur. Your courage, discipline, and fighting spirit made the Philippines proud.
We also express our sincere appreciation to our coaches, team officials, clubs, parents, and supporters whose unwavering commitment and sacrifices made this participation possible.
Most, if not all, of these fencers will participate at the final leg of the ranking competition as hosted by the fencing NSA this coming August 29-30 at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum, which is expected to also include overseas-based competition.
