Fencers back with medals from African championships

Two members of the local Sello Maduma Fencing Academy performed well during the Junior African Championships recently hosted in Ghana.
Anokha van Manen achieved a silver medal for women’s u.20 team épée after beating her Tunisian opponent in an exciting semi-final but subsequently losing against the top ranked favourite country, Egypt in the final.
According to Renuka Ramroop, Chairperson of Limpopo Fencing Association the win was an important breakthrough as it was the first time in many years that a South African team beat a North African country in team épée.
She added that Anokha would continue to feature as a strong member of the national épée team and finished fifth after her individual u.20 épée pool matches. She was beaten in quarter finals by an Egyptian athlete who went on to win the gold medal. Anokha’s overall ranking for u.20 women’s épée stands at seventh in Africa.
Rahul van Manen’s also performed well and after his excellent fencing in the u.17 men’s épée, he was given the opportunity to be part of the u.20 men’s épée team where he and his team achieved the bronze medal. Rahul was also a valuable member of the u.20 men’s foil team that also won bronze in an exciting match against Ghana, the host country.
In Rahul’s individual men’s u.17 épée he was placed fourth after his pool matches. His final overall individual ranking stands as fifth in Africa.

Story: RC Myburgh
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