Fencing no longer an amateur sport – Siyambalapitiya
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Ajith Siyambalapitiya
Fencing in Sri Lanka has grown from an amateur sport within a short span of 12 years to build up a community of clubs and schools which are engaged in one of the oldest Olympic disciplines.
“Our aim is to target a medal in the 2024 Asian Fencing Championship and qualify for the 2024 Olympic Games,” declared Ajith Siyambalapitiya buoyed by the success at the 13th South Asian Games (SAG) in Kathmandu where the 24-member Sri Lanka team (12 men and 12 women) reaped a harvest of 24 medals in all categories of team events including a bronze by Tharidu Madumal in the male Epee individual event.
Sri Lanka’s previous best achievements in the international fencing arena was at the 2010 South Asian Fencing Championship in Chennai, India where they bagged five bronze medals in team events and at the 2012 event in Hyderabad, India where they won three silver medals and one bronze in team events while Piyumi Krishanthi clinched a bronze in Individual Epee event.
“Our immediate plan is to expand fencing to outstations and more schools in 2021. Also to introduce fencing to Navy, Air Force and Police,” said Lt Col (Rtd) Siyambalapitiya who was re-elected President of the National Association of Fencing in Sri Lanka (NAFSL).
Fencing is mostly practiced in the Colombo, Kandy, Kegalle, Kalutara, Gampaha and Galle districts thanks to the support of MAS Holdings who created the environment for the development of the sport.
“Now there are 150 national fencers in nine clubs and over 200 from 29 schools. Our highest achievement was winning 24 bronze medals in Kathmandu. We have been conducting National championships for Seniors and Juniors for the past eight years. We have requested the Sports Ministry for foreign coaches and allocate a training location for fencing. We also need more international exposure,” said Siyambalapitiya who acknowledged the support given by the Indian Fencing Association particularly its president Rajiv Mehta who is also secretary general of the Indian Olympic Committee.
“We had two Indian coaches Sha Ganeshan and Partheepan Perumal for a long time but had to release them after the COVID-19 outbreak,” said Siyambalapitiya who is also Vice President of the South Asian Fencing Federation headed by Mehta.
Now Asiri Wijesinghe is Head Coach having qualified from Uzbekistan, Qatar and India while Gayan Bandara, an international referee is Assistant Coach.
Sri Lanka has taken part in World Fencing Championships in Paris in 2010, in Russia in 2014, in Germany in 2015 and in Hungary in 2016, and Asian Fencing Championships in Tokyo in 2016, in Singapore in 2017 and in Bangkok in 2018.
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