In fencing, victory is not everything. More than 1.500 young athletes from around a hundred countries experienced it once again during nine days of competition, from April 1 to 9, at the Cadet and Junior World Championships in Plovdiv, Bulgaria. A record participation in the history of the competition, up 11% compared to the 2022 edition.
At stake, eighteen world titles, in foil, epee and saber for women and men, juniors and cadets. But also, for the next generation of the discipline, the opportunity to rediscover, or discover for the youngest, the development programs of the International Fencing Federation (FIE).
At the top of the list, “Donate your fencing gear”. Launched in 2017, the annual program experienced a new growth spurt at the beginning of the month in Plovdiv.
Five federations were initially listed to benefit from a donation of equipment: Pakistan, Lebanon, Colombia, Kyrgyzstan and Senegal. It was assured to them.
But the equipment generously donated by two fencing equipment manufacturers, Allstar and Uhlmann, and by fencers and coaches, far exceeded expectations. Result: the FIE was also able to award a donation to nearly ten other national federations (Iraq, Panama, Salvador, Venezuela, Tunisia, Syria, Oman, Nigeria and Libya).
Another program deployed in the Bulgarian city: Fair Play. One of the pillars of fencing and its competitions, at all levels of the pyramid. As at the Cadet and Junior World Championships in 2022 in the United Arab Emirates, the young participants were educated in the values of fencing and the spirit of the sport: honesty, respect and unity. A way to prepare them for the stages that await them on the road to the highest international level among seniors.
In Bulgaria, the FIE has also deployed its protection program (Safeguarding) at the competition venue – the Plovdiv International Fair. A dedicated team made the trip. For nine days, she made herself available to athletes, coaches, officials and staff, to inform them of their rights and create an environment free of harassment and abuse. She listened to young competitors who needed help or advice. A QR code was available to download the FIE rules on protection, the means and contacts for assistance.
The fight against doping? The FIE has teamed up with the International Control Agency (ITA) to continue its educational work with the next generation of global fencing. A webinar was organized ahead of the Worlds, on March 21, with simultaneous translation into French and Spanish.
New: cadets and juniors discovered during the 2023 Worlds the latest FIE initiatives, the day “Fencing for the planet » (Fencing for the planet). Its first edition was scheduled for Saturday April 8. Happy coincidence of the calendar: it fell during the Cadet and Junior World Championships, on the eve of the last day.
In addition to a detailed presentation of the program by several members of the FIE executive committee, a tree was planted in a park in the city of Plovdiv. A symbolic gesture of the determination of the fencing community, including the new generation, to make its contribution to the fight to save the planet.
On the competition field, the Cadet and Junior World Championships confirmed it once again: fencing is global. Better: it opens its podiums to a growing number of federations. There were 23 of them, this year in Plovdiv, to win at least one medal.
No less than four federations placed a young athlete in the top 8 of a cadet and junior world championship for the first time in their history: Niger, Kuwait, Virgin Islands and Chinese Taipei. Kruz Schembri (Virgin Islands) and Li-Hsiang Hung (Taipei) not only obtained their first medals, respectively silver in cadet epee and bronze in cadet epee. They also won the first medal at a world fencing championship, all categories combined, in the history of their federation.
The two young athletes also highlighted, through their performances, the relevance of the training camp organized by the FIE, with three weapons, before the Worlds, in a local club in Plovdiv. They were among twenty fencers from Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Oceania who were able to benefit from intensive, adapted and dedicated preparation, and the expertise of top coaches. level. The experience led them to the podium.
