28 Feb 2022
Qatar Junior Fencing Team finished third at the Asian Fencing Juniors and Cadets Championship (Epee) in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.
The amazing part of this success story was the contribution of Aspire Academy, where the participating fencers Jaber Al Fadaaq, Mohammed Al Hazaa, Meshaal Al Qahtani and Mohammed Al Oulan learned the fencing basics.
Qatar lost 44-45 in the semifinals against Uzbekistan, hailed as one of the powerhouses in Asian fencing. But the team’s performance left an indelible impression of Aspire Academy’s long-term plans to promote fencing in the country.
“The performances showed that Qatar team was highly competitive and matched the best Asian teams both in terms of technical and tactical abilities,” said Massimo Omeri, Head Fencing Coach at the Aspire Academy.
Groomed at the iconic Aspire Academy, the quartet went on to represent the country in Tashkent. They put up a sterling show that showcased academy’s seriousness in producing future fencers.
In fact, Aspire Academy signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Qatar Fencing Federation (QFF) in 2016 to establish a National Fencing Pathway (NFP) programme.
Based on this agreement, Aspire Academy took up the responsibility to produce and train future fencers.
The performances of Al Fadaaq, Al-Hazaa, Al-Qahtani and Al-Oulan speak volumes of the dedication and hard work that had been put in at Aspire Academy to churn out success for the country in fencing competitions.
“Qatar team showed a strong mental toughness besides being technically strong. The fencers maintained their focus and didn’t wilt under pressure,” added Omeri.
The quartet were taught the rudiments of the sport at the academy that has helped bolster the QFF to field teams at the international competitions.
Asked why the focus is solely on team events, Omeri explained: “The fencing federation put a lot of importance on team events than on the individuals as it reflects country’s fencing programmes on the international platforms.”
Omeri, however, said that it was due to the success in the individual competitions that had helped Qatar finishing third in the championship.
The competition, organized by Fencing Confederation of Asia (FCA), from February 24th until March 4th, 2022 in the capital city of Uzbekistan, Tashkent. The competition was programmed last year but was postponed dur the new wave of the pandemic, Covid-19.