Nat’l junior fencing team plucks 2 golds in SEAFF championships

Victory for Team Philippines as (from left) Willa Galvez, Victoria Ebdane and Jodie Tan of Team A proudly hold their respective gold medals for winning the women’s team foil junior’s category in the 2026 Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Cadet and Junior championship on Tuesday, August 11 at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. (Photo Courtesy of Maria Ellen Campos Palafox)

Team Philippines finally found a way to get on top of the podium after the women’s foil team and the men’s saber squad ruled their respective categories in the 2026 Southeast Asian Fencing Federation (SEAFF) Cadet and Junior Championships on Tuesday, Aug. 11, at the Arena TSH OCM in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The triumvirate of Victoria Ebdane, Willa Galvez and Jodie Tan joined forces to capture the women’s foil team as they downed the team from Vietnam, 44-37, in the finals.

After dispatching Philippines Team B of Yuna Canlas, Hagia del Castillo and Victoria Malvar in a nail-biting 29-28 triumph in the semifinals, Philippines Team A was in full control all throughout the finals match.

Protecting a slim 9-6 lead, the 15-year-old Galvez – a member of the multi-titled fencing team University of the East – outscored 10-1 her opponent Nguyen Thi Anh Thu on the fourth of nine bouts that gave the Philippines a comfortable 19-7 advantage.

Galvez, whose international participation is backed by Nickel Asia Corporation, with support from NLEX Corporation, Rain or Shine, the MVP Sports Foundation, Strong Group Athletics, Pocari Sweat and Icons Sports Management Services, accounted for 21 of the team’s total touch points.

Ebdane added 13 points while Tan had 10 points.

In men’s saber, led by national team member Khiane Felipe, with Vito Coching, Drake Chung and Matthew General, the Philippines defeated Thailand, 45-40, in the finals.

With the two gold medals, it added to the national junior team’s collection of two silver and four bronze medals.

Estelliah Gilliana, Hailey Sophia Peters, Arianna Tiu and Nadelle Turiano of Team Philippines got a silver medal in the women’s saber team event.

Oscar del Castillo, who earned a silver medal in men’s individual epee, also had a bronze medal with Joaquin De Silos, Jacob Mayo and Boo Geronimo in men’s team epee.

Also earning bronze medals is Team B (Canlas, Del Castillo and Malvar) in women’s foil; Rhiana Cruz, Eleina Junia, Faith Olemos and Papina Torre in women’s epee; and Inigo Divinagracia, Lucas Palafox, Jethro Chan and Elijah Timbol in men’s foil.

Galvez also earned a bronze medal in women’s individual foil on Monday by beating Singapore’s Sita Naidu Maaravis, 15-14, in the quarterfinals but lost to eventual gold medalist and Malaysia’s national team member Suraya Rizzal, 15-8.

Action continues with the cadet category, with the epee, foil and sabre individuals set August 12 and 13, while the team events will be played on Aug. 14.

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