The KZN Amateur Fencing Association will be hosting its first competition of the season, taking place on Saturday 14 September at Hillcrest High School.
The competition is open to all fencers in KwaZulu-Natal and is an individual ranking event in foil, epee and sabre. Depending on numbers, there will also be age categories – cadet, junior and senior – for both men and women.
Hillcrest Fencing Club Chairman, Stuart Gibson, says that this will be the start of a series of events for the province.
“KZN Fencing is planning to host competitions every six weeks. There are two active clubs in Durban – in Hillcrest and at the University of KwaZulu-Natal – and the competition will provide the opportunity for individuals to compete against each other.”
The arrival of internationally acclaimed coach, Aydar Zabbarov, has given the local fencing scene a significant boost. Zabbarov is currently coaching at both clubs and his more than 30 years of experience are proving to be invaluable to the fencers under his training.
“KZN Fencing is currently on a drive to revive the sport in the province and introduce a whole new generation to fencing,” says Gibson. “We have a wide variety of students across all age groups and it’s exciting to see the enthusiasm for the sport among our newcomers. It’s going to be interesting to see how they compete at a national level.”
The competition will get underway at 11:30am with an entry fee of R50. All fencers are encouraged to attend for the invaluable experience and to get a real taste of what the sport is all about.
For more information, visit www.fencingkzn.co.za.