Second Olympics beckon for Singapore fencer Kiria

As national fencer Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman celebrated her victory over India's Taniksha Khatri at the Asia-Oceania Zonal Olympic Qualifier on April 28, the 23-yearold knew she had gained more than just an Olympic spot.

- Deepanraj Ganesan

Confidence and motivation had eluded her in the last few years, as she endured a dip in form after the high of competing in her first Olympic Games in Tokyo in 2021.

All that returned on April 28, when she beat Khatri 15-13 in the women's epee final at the qualifier in the United Arab Emirates to earn her ticket to the Paris Games.

Kiria is the second Singaporean fencer to qualify for the July 26Aug 11 Games after foilist Amita Berthier made the cut on March 17 via her individual ranking points.

Kiria said: "Coming out of the (Tokyo) Olympics, my motivation was sky high. I was desperate to go to the Olympics again. (But) in the last three years, that feeling didn't really come back. I didn't have the same motivation. Results were not uplifting and the motivation dwindled a little bit.

"But this result brought me back to when I came back from Tokyo when I was so excited to go to Paris.