Foil team bronze in Bali fuels future ambitions

After disappointment in the women's individual foil event, the quartet of Singapore fencers — Amita Berthier, Maxine Wong, Cheung Kemei and Stephanie Lee — rallied together in their team event to claim a joint-bronze medal at the Asian Fencing Championships on June 20.

- Samuel Tan

It is the third time in the last four years that the women's foil team have made the podium after successive joint-bronze medals in 2023 and 2022.

This is Singapore's third medal at this meet, following Juliet Heng's silver in the women's individual sabre event and Kiria Tikanah Abdul Rahman's joint-bronze in the women's individual epee.

After losing to South Korea in the quarter-finals of the 2024 edition in Kuwait, Berthier in particular, was "glad that we're back on the podium" at the Westin Resort Nusa Dua in Bali, Indonesia.

"Once you make it, you always want to keep doing it. It's... like an addiction. So we're definitely satisfied," said Berthier.

The two-time Olympian added: "I think we always have to earn our right to get to the podium because you can't underestimate anybody. But it definitely was the goal, and I think we achieved the goal today."