Local fencer aims to help others, not just himself, reach the Olympics
Manyane Sefularo drives from Soweto to Randburg every week to train the next generation of fencers.
Whether it is giving his all in international tournaments for himself and his country, or training the next generation to do the same thing, Manyane Sefularo is not one to sit and wait for things to happen.
The mere fact that this Soweto resident travels every week to Tyshler Fencing School at the Randburg Sports Complex in Praegville, goes to show the extent of his commitment.
“There is so much pride as I walk in with the South African flag,” said the fencer of 15 years and coach of five years.
“I plan to keep on competing at the top level, but I am also focusing on passing on my knowledge to the next generation.”
So, while he is hopeful of qualification at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, Sefularo knows he can make an impact even if he does not go there himself.
“I have represented South Africa from junior to senior level and had lots of world championships. Make no mistake, my story is not over, but I am excited about the legacy I can leave and the youngsters I can help reach the heights I did and go even further.”
He said even though fencing is an individual sport, a spirit of camaraderie prevails at the fencing school and fencers push each other to improve.
“It is really a team effort,” he added.
Sefularo mainly competes in épée, but he coaches all three disciplines – épée, foil and sabre.
“Épée is not easy but it is more accessible, and people normally start with it. It is less technical, and the machine tells you if a point was scored, rather than a person so there is less room for human error.”
Sefularo also enjoys the épée because one can earn a point by striking an opponent anywhere on the body, which he calls the purest form of fencing.
Fencing uses three types of swords: The foil, sabre and épée.
With the foil and sabre, points are scored when a person hits their opponent on the upper body, although not the head for the foil.
When using the épée, a fencer can strike their opponent anywhere for a point.
Sefularo also trains and fences at the Soweto Fencing Club.
