Galvez, Canlas take gold in RF meet

MANILA, Philippines — Canlas Fencing bets Willa Liana Galvez and Nicol Amethyst Canlas ruled their respective events in the final day of competition of Republic Fencing’s Young Musketeers Series 2022 on Saturday at the RF club in P. Tuason, Quezon City.

Galvez defeated Precious Sison of Calle de Armas, 6-1, in the finals of Under-12 women’s foil. It was the first gold medal for the 11-year-old Galvez, a Grade 6 student of University of the East.

Merida Amber Diaz, also of CF, earned a bronze medal together with Bobby Dime of RF. The top-seeded Galvez edged Diaz in the semifinals, 10-4, while No. 3 Sison stunned No. 2 Dime, 3-2, in the other semifinal pairing.

Meanwhile, Canlas won against fellow CF fencer Jaden Divinagracia to claim the gold medal in U-12 women’s sabre. Divinagracia settled for silver, while Kirsten Shanelle “Shy” Catantan of CF and Baley Olayres took bronze medals.

Canlas, daughter of former national fencing team head coach Rolando “Amat” Canlas Jr., is also Grade 6 student of UE.

Other CF winners were Eyce Olarte, silver medalist in the U-12 men’s sabre; Ralph Xenen Cuenca and Enrico Joaquin Ronsayro, bronce medalists in U-14 men’s sabre; and Iñigo Divinagracia, Jayden Shoemaker and Lance Gabriel Dy, gold, silver and bronze medal winners in the U-12 men’s foil.

For a number of CF fencers, the event served as their preparation for the Malaysia Minime Competition on Dec. 1-4 in Kuala Lumpur.