Fencing has a bright future, says UFA

Uganda Fencing Association Secretary Carolyne Adongo (R)and Casbert Onyango demonstrating how Fencing is played. PHOTO: Johnson Were

Fencing was introduced in Uganda this year.

Uganda Fencing Association (UFA) secretary Caroline Adongo is confident the sport has a bright future following what she referred to as a positive response from a number of institutions.

Fencing, also an Olympic sport, is played with two competitors battling using ‘Rapier-style' swords.

One wins points by making contact with their opponent.

It was one of the original nine sports at the inaugural modern Olympic Games held in 1896 in Athens, Greece.

The sport is exciting, simple to play, creates fun and is cheap to start as it does not require a huge space and keeps the athletes' body and brain active.

The sport has so far registered 120 athletes.

The number is expected to  rise over the next couple of months.

"We were basically spreading the sport by mobilising fencers especially in schools where we have received a positive response," Adongo stated.

"We opened up regional training centres in Bundibugyo and at the Kampala Gems Cambridge International School."

The sport has been introduced at St, Mary's College Kisubi and Kampala International School of Uganda.

Training of the athletes will be intensified next year.

There is also a move to have those involved in the sport start competing.

Challenges

The sport is yet to be taken by some institutions that the federation has approached.

This is why the association  has so far registered 120 athletes.

Besides, there is the human resource challenge.

UFA would like to get instructors to spread the sport around the country in a bid to have more people get on board.

Currently, the association has only two fencing masters Cuthbert Onyango and Carolyne Adongo.

The two officials are actively involved in efforts to introduce the sport to more institutions of learning and also conduct training programmes.

Adongo said that they also have a challenge of funds.

The official added that the association cannot afford to buy fencing equipment especially for children below 10 years.

She went on to say that children in this age group have shown keen interest in the sport.

Way forward

Adongo said that they will focus on addressing the human resource challenge by training more fencing masters to handle athletes.

The official added that they also plan to spread the sport in various parts of the country. She said by doing so, more people would take up the sport.