Fencers ask for help
PRAEGVILLE – Fencers ask for aid as they prepare for World Cup and Zonal ahead of Tokyo Olympics.
As part of their preparation for the Tokyo Olympics, local fencers are gearing up for three FIE Fencing World Cups in March but they will need financial help getting there.
The athletes of Tyshler Fencing School in Praegville were excited to hear that the date of the zonal Olympics qualifications were set for 15 and 16 April in Egypt.
Dr Gennady Tyshler, who founded the school along with his wife Natalia, said the qualifiers may be postponed by a month depending on the state of the global pandemic at the time.
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There, Nomvula Mbatha will compete in the women’s sabre division while Pavel Tyshler and Harry Saner will participate in the men’s épée and foil categories respectively.
These three fencers are among the best on the continent and chances are good they will represent South Africa in Japan come July and August.
Then there are three World Cups that will not help the fencers in their chances of qualifying for the Olympics, but will provide valuable experience, Tyshler said.
Saner must go to Doha for a men’s foil world cup, Mbatha must travel to Hungary for a women’s saber world cup and Pavel to Russia for a men’s épée world cup, all at the end of March.
Tyshler said the school and its fencers have to raise their own funding to attend these world cups.
For each person they are looking at about R10 000 for travel and R8 000 for accommodation and living expenses.
Tyshler asked community members who were able to support South Africa’s top fencers to contact the school or go to the donate page on their website.
Details: Tyshler Fencing School mail@fencingschool.co.za; 011 792 4338; 082 457 4543.
